Bottle palm, a curious plant for warm gardens

The Hyophorba lagenicaulis is a beautiful palm tree

There are truly impressive palm trees, capable of leaving us speechless for their beauty. One of them is the Hyphorbe lagenicaulis. It is perfect to have in small gardens, and in a pot it can live for many years. It is known by the popular name of Bottle palmsince its trunk is very reminiscent of bottles.

But What are their cares? Can you resist the cold? If you want to know everything about this splendid palm tree, then we are going to reveal all its secrets so that you know well how to keep it healthy.

Origin and characteristics of the bottle palm tree

The bottle palm is an evergreen plant

Image – Flickr / Scott Zona

Our protagonist is a unicaule palm (that is, with a single trunk) and evergreen whose scientific name is Hyphorbe lagenicaulis. It is an endemic species of Round Island, an island that belongs to the Republic of Mauritius, near Madagascar.

It is characterized by having a fairly swollen trunk, about 40-50cm thick at its widest part. It has four to six dark green pinnate leaves, and reaches a height of about 4-5 meters. It is, as we see, perfect to have in all kinds of gardens, be they small, medium or large. Its growth rate is medium-slow, being able to accelerate a little by giving specific fertilizer for palm trees or guano.

This species has a high risk of being in danger of extinction, due to the loss of habitat. Even if as an ornamental plant for gardens it has more than assured survivalsince It reproduces easily by seeds and is highly prized by collectors of palm trees.

What are the care you need?

The bottle palm has few leaves

Image – Wikimedia Commons / Lord Cox

If you dare to have a copy, we recommend you take care of it as follows:

Location

The bottle palm is a plant that likes bright exposures, but no direct sun. This means that it needs a lot of natural light, but if it is exposed directly to the rays of the star king, its leaves will burn.

Only if it is a humid tropical climate could one get used to direct light.

Irrigation

You have to water it 2-3 times a week in summer, and the rest of the year 1-2 every seven or 10 days. If you have it indoors, let the soil dry out before watering again.

It is important that you water at sunset, as this will ensure that the bottle palm can take more and longer use of the water. Use rainwater or lime-free if possible; Otherwise, dilute the liquid of half a lemon in a liter of water, or one or two tablespoons of vinegar in 5 liters / water. Check with pH strips that this does not drop too much, since if it drops below 4 the bottle palm tree would suffer damage (spots on the leaves due to the lack of calcium).

Earth

  • Flower pot: fill with a mixture of 60% mixed universal culture substrate + 30% of perlite + 10% volcanic clay, in this way the drainage will be perfect. The pot can be made of plastic or clay, but it is essential that it have holes in the base through which the water can escape during irrigation.
  • the garden: grows in soils rich in organic matter, light and with good drainage. It is preferable that the pH is slightly acidic, but it is not mandatory either. If you see that the leaves turn yellowish, add liquid iron (for sale here!) to water and irrigate.

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View of the bottle palm tree

Image – Flickr / Forest and Kim Starr

From early spring to late summer It is advisable to pay it with a specific fertilizer for palm trees, with guano or alternating both (one month one, and the next month the other).

Other natural fertilizers that you can use, apart from guano, are mulch, compost, or herbivorous animal manure, but we only advise using the latter if the plant is on land, since otherwise the substrate would lose the ability to drain well. and fast the water.

Pruning

You don’t need it. Only the dry leaves have to be cut, once they are completely brown.

Planting or transplanting time

In spring. If it is potted, transplant every two years, when you see roots coming out of the drainage holes, or if more than three years have passed since the last change.

Plagues and diseases

It is quite resistant in general, but can be attacked by mealybugsand to a lesser extent (probably because it is not yet very common in Spain) by Red weevil y paysandisia, which are two of the main and most dangerous exotic pests that palm trees can have in that country.

If overwatered and / or if the soil or substrate is not able to drain the water well and quickly, fungi such as phytophthora They will start to do their thing, rotting the roots first and killing the rest of the plant later.

Depending on the problem, it should be treated in one way or another:

  • Mealybugs: treat with an anti-mealybug insecticide, or with diatomaceous earth. You can also clean the leaves with mild soap and water.
  • Weevil and paysandisia: alternate insecticides whose active material is Chlorpyrifos with nematodes. It is interesting to opt for non-toxic remedies, such as pheromone traps (only if the garden is about 400 square meters or more), or with beneficial bacteria for the palm tree. More information here.
  • Mushrooms: fungi are treated with fungicide.

Multiplication

The bottle palm is a tropical plant

Image – Wikimedia / Forest and Kim Starr

The bottle palm multiplies by seeds in spring or summerwhich it is advisable to sow first in a transparent plastic bag with previously moistened vermiculite and placed near a heat source. As soon as the root comes out and the leaf begins to sprout, something that happens after more or less three months, it is planted in individual pots with universal cultivation substrate mixed with 30% perlite, and left in semi-shade.

Rusticity of the bottle palm tree

If we have to say something that we don’t like too much, it is that, being native to a tropical region, is very sensitive to coldmore than his sister Hyophorbe Verschaffeltti. However, you should know that in a very bright room it lives quite well, as long as it is kept away from drafts.

Did you know this curious palm tree?

Bottle palm, a curious plant for warm gardens

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