Pinanga coronata seed
LATIN NAME: Pinanga coronata
COMMON NAME: Ivory Cane Palm
Ivory cane palm is the fine, slender, clumping palm of the warm, moist forests, and its green, bamboo-like, ringed trunks and the arching, feathery leaves have made it a favourite of the warm gardens and the conservatories for a very long time. The fine clump of the slender, green, ringed canes carries the arching, feathery, pinnate leaves, and the small, cream flowers open in the clusters below the leaves, to be followed by the small, red fruits. The palm is a fine, easy, generous plant for the warm, shaded, moist garden and the large conservatory. It is a plant of the warm, humid, shaded ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Ivory cane palm has a steady and growing place in the plant science, and it has been studied for its slender, ringed canes and its place among the under-storey palms of the warm forests. The fine, clumping habit and the way the palm grows in the shade of the taller trees have been looked at closely, and the plant keeps showing up in the work on the warm-climate palms and the forest under-storey plants. The arching, feathery leaves and the green, bamboo-like trunks have also made it a fine garden plant, and it is a regular subject of the studies of the clumping palms of the warm regions.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ivory cane palm is grown for the fine, slender, ringed canes. The green, bamboo-like trunks and the arching, feathery leaves give the plant a fine, elegant look, and it is a generous, easy addition to the warm, shaded garden, the courtyard and the large conservatory. The small, cream flowers and the red fruits are a fine food for the birds of the warm garden, and the palm is a dependable, long-lived grower. It has been written up in the horticultural papers for its slender, ringed canes and its easy, shady ways, and it is a fine, generous palm of the warm, humid, shaded garden.
Ivory cane palm is a fine, elegant palm for the warm, shaded garden, and the slender, green, ringed canes give it a look that is all its own. The arching, feathery leaves rise in a generous clump, and the palm is a dependable, long-lived grower.
In the right spot the ivory cane palm is a fine, dependable, long-lived palm, and it asks for very little beyond the warmth, the shade and the moist ground. The green, ringed canes and the arching, feathery leaves give the plant a fine, elegant look through the whole year.
To grow the ivory cane palm from seed, soak the round, hard seeds in warm water for a couple of days, then sow them at a depth of a couple of centimetres in pots of moist, free-draining soil, keep them in a warm, bright, sheltered spot and water gently. The seedlings come up in their own good time and grow on slowly, so be patient with them. In a warm, humid, shaded spot with the moist, rich soil, the green, ringed canes and the arching leaves will be there in a few seasons.
Pinanga coronata
Common names:
Ivory Cane Palm
Habitat and Distribution:
Rainforest on Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi.
Description:
A very attractive, medium sized, clumping palm, to about 20’ tall, with light mottling on the leaves.
Culture:
Warm, sheltered, and moist. Prefers rich acidic soil. Relatively easy to grow.
Flowers/Fruits:
None prettier in the palm kingdom!
Comments:
Previously split into 2 species, (P. kuhli being the other), it is now thought to be just a highly variable single species. P. kuhli is the form found in the lower elevations, whilst P. coronata is found at higher altitudes.
The Ivory Cane Palm is best grown in part to full shade. It is mainly grown in the tropics, but this palm has some tolerance to cold and can withstand cold temperatures for short amounts of time. In the garden this Ivory Cane prefers a sheltered and moist position, is quite easy to grow and very rewarding! It also makes an excellent indoor plant.
For screening and attractiveness, the Ivory Cane Palm is a good alternative clumper to the Golden Cane or Rhapis and one that could be utilised more in landscaping.