IMG: Do you consider it a variation of the green
leaf Chamaerops humilis or a distinct species?
Martin: I think they deserve species status but
it really has to be examined scientifically and compared with all
the other forms in a very variable genus and perhaps DNA analysis
done in order to prove that it is different from the rest. There
are tall Chamaerops, short ones, ones with thorns, others with no
thorns, blue ones, green ones, silver ones, suckering ones and solitary
ones, so it could be said that it is just another variation in a
very variable genus. However, we think that the differences are
so marked, particularly the pale blue colour which is on both sides
of the leaves, unlike some which just seem to have blue colouring
on the back of the leaves, which is unique in Chamaerops. Also the
speed at which it grows is much slower than the regular green form.
The thorns are black, which is also unusual. It needs a major reassessment
of the genus to unravel it.
IMG: Caryota "Himalaya" has generated
considerable interest amongst palm growers. What sort of environment
does it grow in and is it a high altitude form of Caryota urens
or a distinct species?
Martin: We first saw it growing in Darjeeling and
were reliably informed that it snows there every year, so it became
apparent this fishtail palm has some cold hardiness. We have subsequently
seen it growing widely in that part of the world--north-east India,
Kalimpong--and are currently testing it for cold hardiness in Britain.
Regarding whether it is a new species or not, I'm not sure. It is
grown in California where it is referred to as Caryota urens 'mountain
form' but the whole Caryota genus is in a mess and in need of a
major revision. It is different in appearance from many of the other
Caryota but it would be inadvisable of me to say it is a new species
or just a form of another species. It may indeed turn out to be
C. maxima or C. ochlandra, which are the most likely contenders.
IMG: Some of the highest altitude palms in the
world grow in South America. What are the most cold hardy palms
you've seen in the Andes and where?
Martin: The most exciting palms I have seen in the
Andes are without doubt Ceroxylons. Whether they are truly cold
hardy or not is yet to be determined. I suspect their main attribute
is that they grow in cool conditions rather than that they are cold
hardy. There is little point in having a cold hardy palm that will
tolerate very low temperatures but only produces one or two leaves
a year here in the summer, like Rhapidophyllum hystrix or Sabal
minor. They are very hardy but only produce one or two leaves a
year in our climate. In my opinion, it is better to have a palm
that, in a bad winter, will have to be protected but actually grows
well in our cool summers, and several species of Ceroxylon fit this
bill. Another cool tolerant palm is Parajubaea cocoides, an absolutely
beautiful palm. It grows in Quito in Ecuador in some numbers and
in some of the inter-Andean villages and is another palm species
not known in the wild but only in cultivation. It probably has similar
hardiness to the Ceroxylons, perhaps -5ūC. There is also another
species, Parajubaea torallyi, which grows in Bolivia at over 3000
m and is considered somewhat hardier. It is not yet in cultivation
in Britain but we are working on trying to obtain seed. It would
be suitable for the sheltered garden in large cities.
Interview with the Editor
