Variegated Beaucarnea

[Allen Repashy]

I have seen a few variegated Beaucarnea 'Gold Star' specimens, and am have the understanding that this plant is from tissue.... I have noticed that this plant doesn't seem to form a caudex to speak of. Is it possible that this is a different species of Beaucarnea? it just doesn't look like recurvata to me in a lot of ways..... I guess it is possible that the variegated specimen happened to be one of the recurvata that doesn't form a good caudex, but there seems to be more to it.... Any opinions out there?

Allen

[palmbob]

[quote=Allen Repashy;34]I have seen a few variegated Beaucarnea 'Gold Star' specimens, and am have the understanding that this plant is from tissue.... I have noticed that this plant doesn't seem to form a caudex to speak of. Is it possible that this is a different species of Beaucarnea? it just doesn't look like recurvata to me in a lot of ways..... I guess it is possible that the variegated specimen happened to be one of the recurvata that doesn't form a good caudex, but there seems to be more to it.... Any opinions out there?

I was under the assumption (someone told me once and I believed them) that tissue grown Beaucarneas and Beaucarneas from cuttings didn't 'bottle' as well as seed grown plants. But talking to Loren Whitelock recently sort of changed my mind. He said that was not true and that these variegated ones will eventually 'bottle' or swell at the base. Still unsure what the true story is, I do have one that is about 5' tall now and it does have a swollen base... though fairly unimpressively swollen if you ask me... still, it is gradually getting wider. Ask me again in 10 years.

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

I think this plant is B. Guatemalenses, which by nature is much more upright and less 'chunky' than b Recurvata. I also have a 5' plant that is just now starting to swell a bit....very similar to other Guats I've seen.

[Allen Repashy]

Originally Posted by STEVE IN SOCAL

I think this plant is B. Guatemalenses, which by nature is much more upright and less 'chunky' than b Recurvata. I also have a 5' plant that is just now starting to swell a bit....very similar to other Guats I've seen.

Hey Steve,

I just found a description written by the so far elusive Randy Baldwin on his highly informative San Marcos Growers website.. He mentions others have made the same "speculation" as you.

Allen

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

Well....my feelings are hurt that you considered my observation as 'speculation'. Please don't doubt me again

[thistlesifter]

Whenever the Star variegate juveniles first begin to pop up. I bought them. Then I ran it down on the web..I think it was 2005-6 time frame. The 'Star' mother is a normal large based recurvata. The leaves are definitely recurvata on my own examples of the 'Star variegate',

The country was about to be flooded with 'Star' Variegate. I chased it down to a Miami plant import broker who would order stage 2 liners from the Netherlands, ship them to Costa Rica grow them to stage 4's and then bring them into miami.

Minimum order from him was 4000 plants. His website had images of the mother plant.

This could have been likened to the great Holland Bulb rush. that crashed. Except those of us who had 3 ' dia. plants we grew from seed, knew that the seedlings of normal seedlings begin to form as spheres in this enviromnent within the first few months of growth. After 6 months these Star plants had leaves that were over 18 inches and a 'Stem...not a sphere for a base, just a little long swelled part at the base. I was fervently working to find somebody who would partner for halves on a minimum order of these things from the broker...then I started to doubt. I doubted for a couple of years..Now I don't doubt..these are TC from rooted recurvata branch cuttings..

I've not rooted a single recurvata branch that ever formed the big caudidiform trunk.

I have an old Nurseryman friend in Akron Ohio, who wanted one so bad that he planted thousands of recurvata seed...he got several.variegates.30 years ago...last year he asked me if he should lab them..I related the above anecdote.

By the way, I've had several examples of guatamalensis. These are more easily killed by gopher rats than any of the others, because in part the caudiciform trunk is much smaller. There are significant differences in the leaves that are pretty obvious when the plants are grown side-by-side.

Guat is a jungle fringe species. It is best seen in a pure shade area with about 70 percent light in this area..and no direct sun.

Grown in morning sun..near any other species and it demonstrates unique leaf form. that is stiffer and the recurve has sharp break angles as it growth extends.

Bob