Rattan, a climbing palm

Under the common name of 'rattan palm' are hidden many tropical species of climbing palms with strong development. These amazing plants are used in many fields by the natives. Discovery...

Rattan palm, who are you?

Several species of palm trees are grouped under the term 'Rattan Palm'. From the Arecaceae family, these climbing palms grow in tropical areas, especially in Southeast Asia and Africa.

In Malaysia, they are very common, the word 'rattan' would come from the Malay 'rotang'. Among the genera, we find Calamus, from the Greek 'calamos' which means 'bamboo' in reference to the very fine stipes and Daemonorops. These genera are divided into many species of plants with very fine stipes, flexible like lianas.

The stipe is never very thick although it can reach 18 cm in diameter on some species, but it is very long and equipped with fine prickles that help it to attach itself to the surrounding trees, allowing it to climb happily up to 200 meters in length.

Rattan palms are clumping, which means that they often form a clump at their base. There are however solitary subjects.

The pinnate leaves, 60 to 80 cm long, are also armed with hooks or spines, sometimes even flagella with a hook at the end, allowing them to cling to the surrounding plants to reach the light. Red, yellow or orange fruits follow a white flowering in clusters.

Rattan palm in local crafts

In the countries where the rattan palm grows, it is exploited from the 8th year following its plantation and this, over a period of about 30 years. Harvesting is generally done after fruiting, with many precautions and specific clothing to avoid injury on the various hooks and spines of the plant.

The stipes are then sectioned in sections of 5 to 10 m then rid of their spines and their leaves to be then conditioned.

The pith will be used for fine basketry, while the strips removed from the peripheral part of the stipe will be used to make coarser objects.

Locally, fishnets and traps are made with rattan fibers, but also crossbows, baskets or small handicrafts, both utilitarian and decorative.

Rattan is also used to cane chairs and of course to make furniture that will find its place in our verandas or in the garden.

The palm trees

Originating from hot zones of the globe, palm trees bring a touch of exoticism to your decor. Common to the Mediterranean coastline, their elegant bearing and original foliage never cease to seduce plant lovers who dream of acclimatizing them in their gardens.

From the Palmaceae or Areacaceae family, palms group together 2700 species of monocotyledonous arborescent plants bearing large pinnate leaves, palmate or arranged in a fan at the top of a stipe. The stipe is the name given to the robust stem of palms, it is an interlocking of old leaf sheaths nested in each other and resulting from the fall of leaves induced by the growth of the plant. For palms, we will never speak of a trunk. The stipe is recognizable by its constant diameter which does not vary from the foot to the bunch of leaves. This stipe is in fact a stem filled with pith or fibers.

The stipe does not branch except in rare cases, we will then speak of cepae when multiple stems are born at ground level, as in the case of Chamaedorea seifrizii for example.

The leaves of palms are often large and very cut. They can be pinnate, that is to say that the leaflets are distributed on both sides of the veins as in Cocos nucifera (coconut palms), Phoenix canariensis, or palmate or flabelliform (fan-shaped) in Chamaerops.

The inflorescence (spadix) of palms is formed by a spike surrounded by a large bract called "spathe". In some genera of Araceae, the spike can bear more than 2,000 flowers. The fruits have a soft edible flesh in the date palm (Phoenix dactylifer) or hard in the coconut palm.

Due to their botanical specificity, palms are similar to grasses; it is impossible to cut or graft them. The only method of multiplication remains the sowing of seeds, preferably on a hot bed. Germination is very slow (2 to 3 months). The small seeds will be planted in a mixture with sandy dominance and covered with a thickness of substrate equal to their size. The very big seeds as those of the coconut trees will be half buried. Certain species produce rejections with their feet, it is then possible to separate them delicately in order to replant them separately by taking care well to take a stem already well rooted. However, the success of this technique remains uncertain and sowing is without doubt the only sure way to multiply palms.

You can grow some species of palm trees in your gardens even if only two species grow naturally in Europe, the Chamaerops humilis and the Phoenix theophrastii.

The very famous Trachycarpus fortunei, very present on the French Riviera, is without doubt the most cultivated of the so-called hardy species. Once well installed, it can survive temperatures of -15°C. Be careful because this palm can grow very fast and take unexpected proportions.

The Rhapidophyllum hystrix, although quite rare, remains one of the most resistant species to cold (-20°C). Northern countries have adopted it. Brahea armata, otherwise known as the "Mexican blue palm" is recommended for small gardens because its growth is very slow, as well as Chamaerops humilis, which has a great capacity to adapt and will do well in dry ground as well as in areas exposed to sea spray. Very present in garden centers, it is the ideal palm tree even in a pot on a terrace, to give a note of exoticism to your decor.

Cold-resistant palms

There are 3800 varieties of palm trees in the world, but only ten or so can live outdoors in our regions.

In order for the palm tree to resist the cold, it must first be acclimatized.  To do this, the production of palms starts with the sowing of seeds, then the young plants are raised in unheated greenhouses and, finally, the palms are planted outside, without winter protection. The palms produced in this way are very resistant to the cold: up to -18 / -20°C for the most rustic.

NB: The cold resistance of palms also depends on the wind, the humidity level and the duration of the cold period.

Varieties of palms resistant to cold

Trachycarpus fortunei

This is the most cold-resistant palm (-18 / -20°C) and the best known. Its trunk is surrounded by small threads, hence its common name: the hemp palm. As for its scientific name, it comes from the name of the British botanist Robert Fortune, who brought it back from China in 1842. Since then, it has become the most produced palm in France.

The Chamaerops humilis

It has the particularity to emit shoots around the main trunk and is the only European palm that grows naturally around the Mediterranean. However, the Chamaerops humilis is very rare in France because of the pressure of real estate on the land.

The Sabal minor

It grows very very slowly. It is the "champion" of resistance to cold. Its particularity: it makes its trunk inside the ground.

The Washingtonia filifera

The petticoat palm as it is more commonly called comes from California. It has a very large trunk at the base and the base of the petioles, split in two, forms a beautiful braid. This palm grows in only one place in the world, in the wild, in the San Adnréas fault.

Watering the palm trees

It is often thought that palms from hot countries do not need to be watered. This is not true. To obtain a beautiful, green and hardy palm tree, it is necessary to water it as soon as the temperature rises above 15 / 16 °C. Don't be alarmed if it receives too much water, it tolerates it very well. On the other hand, in winter, do not water it.

Pruning palms

Pruning is generally done when the foliage begins to yellow. However, if a palm becomes troublesome because of its location, it is quite possible to cut it off without harming the palm's growth.

Where to plant palms?

Palms can be planted in containers or in the ground. In the ground, they can be planted in any type of soil. The important thing for a palm tree is not the soil but the watering.

Palm trees, the most rustic

When one mentions the term palm trees, images of paradisiacal beaches or tropical settings come to mind, suggesting that it will never be possible to grow them in our latitudes...

General information

Many species of palm trees can withstand cold and even frost.

The longer the palms have been in the garden, the more resistant they are, sometimes happily beating the minimum temperatures given for each variety.

Similarly, a palm tree planted in the ground is much more resistant to the cold than the same tree in a pot, which should be wintered in a greenhouse or veranda. Finally, you should know that in case of a cold snap, you can protect the heart of the palm tree with a wintering veil or bubble wrap to preserve it. In the coolest regions, don't hesitate to keep the old palms which form a protective collar at the top of the stipe.

The most rustic palms

Here are some examples of palms that will find a place in your garden despite the cold:

Rhapidophyllum hystrix is one of the most cold-hardy palms with a temperature of -25°C! It owes its adjective to its stipe covered with fibers dotted with protruding spines. The said stipe does not exceed one meter in height which makes it an ideal subject in small gardens, its leaves are wide (1,20 m) in fan and brilliant green. This palm appreciates humid soils where it grows in its regions of origin (Mississippi, Florida, California).

Trachycarpus fortunei is much better known than the previous species and for good reason! The hemp palm, as it is commonly called, is the most cultivated palm in our gardens, where it can tolerate frost episodes down to -18°C. Native to the forests of Central China, this fast-growing palm can reach 15 meters in height! Its broad (1.20 m), palmate leaves are a beautiful dark green. The stipe is covered with interlaced brown fibers protecting it from the cold.

Nannorrhops ritchieana is able to survive at -20 °C. This beautiful and slow growing palm has beautiful bluish leaves, enhanced by a kind of orange 'fur' around the base of each petiole. This palm tree native to the semi-desert mountainous areas of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan can reach 10 meters in height.

Washingtonia filifera is also well known in our gardens, because it likes most of the soils and grows very fast, reaching 18 meters in height and 1.20 m in diameter. Its massive and vertical stipe is covered over time with dried out palms forming a petticoat that falls under the crown. The shiny green palmate leaves see the emergence each year of arched inflorescences of 4 meters in length bearing cream flowers. The petticoat palm is frost resistant up to -10 ° C when well established.

Palm trees, family portrait

Palms belong to the Arecaceae family. There are nearly 3000 species in the hot regions of the world, mainly in tropical areas but also in desert and mountainous regions. In the south-east of France, we find a species growing naturally: the dwarf palm: Chamaerops humilis.

Among palms, we are used to records! In the Andes, the largest palm tree in the world reaches 60 m high. Some climbing palms offer lianas of more than 200 m. Raphia regalis offers the longest palm in the world: 24 m. Coripha umbraculifera is distinguished by a palm of 5 m in diameter and inflorescences of 9 m long! As far as seeds are concerned, it is still a palm tree that wins the prize: the famous coco-fesse which produces seeds weighing more than 20 kg....

The botanical point of view

Palms are not trees but giant grasses. We do not speak of trunk but of stipe. This one can be smooth, ringed or thorny, swollen at the base or in the middle. The palms are connected to the stipe by the petioles. They are most often pinnate (leaf segments arranged on either side of the petiole) or palmate (fan-like). The fruits of the palm tree offer a beautiful diversity in the form of bunches called infrutescences, berries (e.g. dates) or seeds (e.g. coconuts).

The hardiness of palms

Winter temperatures are not the only factor that determines the hardiness of palms. Other factors are also important: age of the palm tree, duration of frosts, thermal amplitude between day and night, soil drainage, exposure to cold winds and sea spray, and summer heat. A long and warm summer favors good growth and better hardiness the following winter.

Chinese Palm, Trachycarpus Fortunei (Chamaerops excelsa)

Single, straight and thin stipe. Large dark green fan-shaped palms. Whitish fibers at the base of the petioles. Short golden yellow inflorescences. Small purplish fruits in female subject.

• Fast growing. H: 10-12 m.
• Likes: a fresh and humid soil, sun not burning, half-shade. Fears: drought.
• Hardiness: -15 to -20°C.

Trachycarpus de Wagner, Trachycarpus wagnerianus

It resembles its cousin Trachycarpus fortunei in more compact. Stipe fibrous. Stipe more rigid.

• H: 5-10 m.
• Hardiness: up to -15°C.

Dwarf palm or Mediterranean palm, Chamaerops humilis

Dense and compact silhouette, fibrous stipe, branched from the base. Light green fan-shaped palms. Inflorescences very short, light yellow. Reddish fruits in female subject.

• Slow growth, reduced size. H : 2-3 m. (very old subjects until 8 m).
• Likes: sun, half-shade, draining soil (sandy, stony).
• Hardiness: -12°C.

Chamaerops cerifera

It resembles Chamaerops humilis but with wider leaves, bluish green color and slower development.

Jelly palm or wine palm, Butia capitata

Very elegant South American palm with its large, bluish-green, arched, pinnate palms. Spiny petioles. Long yellow or purple inflorescences followed by small orange and edible fruits!

• Rather slow growth: H: 3 to 5 m.
• Appreciates: sun, any soil even heavy and clayey.
• Hardiness: up to -12°C.

Metal palm, Brahea armata

Mexican palm tree offering a beautiful bluish and waxy foliage on the top. Spiny petioles. Very long bright yellow inflorescences followed by small brown fruits.

• Slow growth. H: 10 m.
• Likes: sun, heat, well drained soil.
• Hardiness: up to -12°C.

Canary Island date palm (or Hyères palm), Phoenix canariensis

Vigorous and massive stipe reminiscent of a giant pineapple when it is young. Long and abundant pinnate palms forming a very full crown. Spiny petioles. Short pale yellow inflorescences. Clusters of small orange-yellow fruits.

• Rapid growth in warm conditions. H: 15 to 20 m.
• Likes: full sun, fertile soil, cool in summer but well drained in winter. Withstands drought and sea spray.
• Hardiness: up to -8°C.

California palm (or fan palm), Washingtonia filifera

Light green palms in a rounded fan shape, with long whitish threads (hence the name). Spiny petioles. Long inflorescences of cream flowers followed by small shiny black fruits.

• Very fast growth if much sun and water. H: 12 to 15 m.
• Likes: sun, fertile soil, well drained but cool in summer.
• Hardiness: -8/ -10°C.

10 tips for beautiful roses

The rose is a mythical flower that has adorned gardens with its shimmering colors for centuries. To obtain beautiful flowers and keep your roses in good health, you must be precise in your choice of varieties and provide the right cultural care. Follow our advice!

1- Choose the right rosebush

There are a multitude of cultivars in the sweet land of roses. The choice of rosebush will depend on the climate of your region but also on the nature of your soil because, as few people know, some roses are cold, others can't stand limestone, etc. The choice of a rose tree adapted to the soil is therefore of the utmost importance.

2- Be careful with the rootstock

Today's roses are the result of hybridization and are grafted onto a rootstock. The latter must be known in order to modulate the adaptability of the rosebush, for example 'Rosa multiflora' does not tolerate limestone soils, unlike 'Rosa canina' which tends to grow better in this type of soil.

3- Choose a rose with a label

The German ADR label remains a guarantee of quality when choosing a rosebush. Very resistant to diseases, parasites and climatic hazards, these roses have been tested before obtaining the famous label. Other roses that have won prizes in national or international competitions are also good values if they correspond to your region.

4- Plant in the right place

Choose a well-ventilated, sunny spot with well-drained, rich soil to plant your roses. Avoid planting in soil that is constantly waterlogged or plant on a mound. If you have a climber that is prone to cold, plant it on a wall facing south, sheltered from prevailing winds.

5- Plant at the right time

When the roses are resting (from November to March), bare-root roses should be planted. Of course, avoid periods of frost or snow to install your shrub. If you buy a container rose, it will be possible to plant it all year round but not during periods of drought or extreme cold.

6- Take care of the planting

Prepare the soil carefully to add the right amendments according to its nature. Compost will always be welcome whatever the structure of the soil as well as a little ground horn powder to support the recovery. Do not bury the rootstock.

7- Regular watering

Water your newly planted roses very regularly if it does not rain. Do not water the foliage in order to protect it from powdery mildew.

8- Prune for more flowers

Pruning induces the departure of new flower-bearing branches. It is done in winter at 3 eyes on classic roses and just after flowering on remontant roses. Always remove the dead wood and the stems that cross in the center of the plant. Cut off wilted flowers as you go along.

9- Arboring climbing roses

To obtain a very opulent bloom, slightly arch the long stems of the climbing roses downwards.

10- Fertilize often

Scratch a mixture of compost, bone meal and dried blood at the foot of your roses in the spring. Repeat this application in early summer if they are remontant, otherwise wait until fall.