Prestoea acuminata and Prestoea acuminata var. montana shots!

[kylecawazafla]

These are taken in Cerro de la Punta, El Yunque, Camuy (where the Prestoea acuminata var. montanas are), and a swimming hole by Patinillas in Puerto Rico. They look very much like King Palms to me, especially with their habit in habitat! They always grow in this very red soil and seem to be a very social palm since they never grow alone! Who else is growing these and how do they do for you? I didn't see a single on in cultivation in Puerto Rico, nor did i see any in the botanical garden. I'd think they'd take more pride in a native palm! I know Darold Petty has one in San Francisco! It didn't seem to be thriving, which is surprising since they don't seem to like it hot! I will first post the photos from El Yunque.

An impressive natural epiphyte display!

Here they are dominating the north slope of a mountain.

It is almost always cloudy where they grow. It would be rainy one minute and sunny the next, making the time for snapping photos very limited!

[kylecawazafla]

Here is a pair growing by La Mina waterfall in El Yunque.

Now there is sunshine!

Now it is cloudy

Now there is rain!

(no photo)

Ok, next: Cecropia peltata canopy! They look like lots of mini umbrellas.

[kylecawazafla]

I can't tell if this is Ficus aurea or citrifolia... I'm leaning towards F. citrifolia growing on a limestone rock in El Yunque.

A view of the rainforest from the parking lot.

Cool mushroom!

[kylecawazafla]

Their roots... exposed!

Cecropia peltata

Here is the type of dirt they grow in! It has clay-like texture and is very red!

La Mina waterfall... It's pretty incongruent seeing a village of people in the middle of the rainforest!

[kylecawazafla]

Okay, same waterfall without the people.

This shot reminds me of King Palms in Australia

[kylecawazafla]

These next photos are from Cerro de la Punta and a swimming hole up the road from Patinillas. The more "fuzzy" photos are from Cerro de la Punta since we arrived there at 5 PM!!!

Here is a cool aroid. I have no idea if these are native or what they are.

Cool Heliconia! Heliconia caribaea?? I did see Heliconia rostrata in some of the forests there, but I don't know if they are native there either.

Here is a close up of the "crownshaft". Can someone explain to me why these aren't true crownshafts?

Some tall individuals

[kylecawazafla]

Can you spot the Coqui frog?? It's in the middle of the leaf on the bottom part of the photo.

Here it is:

A perfect crown

They are shaped like a sphere!

[kylecawazafla]

I don't know what these are, but I am sure I have seen them in Home Depot.

These are cool ferns! Kind of like the Chambeyronia of ferns maybe??

Growing along a stream

Here is a Norops!

[kylecawazafla]

More Prestoea acuminatas

They cleared the forest on one side of the stream and look at the erosion!

Some GIANT snails!

They cleared the forest around these Prestoea acuminatas and now the trunks are covered with bromeliads!

[kylecawazafla]

Now here are the Prestoea acuminata var. montanas that I saw by the caves in Camuy. Ironically, these are found in the lowlands!

There are all the Prestoea photos that I have!! Enjoy.

[BS Man about Palms]

Awesome Kyle! Thank you very much!!!

[ariscott]

If you have photos of other plants, you can post them too, Kyle. It must be quite a trip

Regards, Ari

[John in Andalucia]

Thanks Kyle, your coverage got it across just how these Prestoea aren't a viable grow in a Mediterranean climate. I have a few seedlings but they have really slowed to a halt this summer. I've no idea of the scale, but I'm guessing those snails are maybe 8 inches in diameter?

[rozpalm]

Very awesome pics Kyle.

[Trópico]

Is quite impressive, isn't it? Those Prestoeas must spent their living daylights soaked wet. It seems you caught the place sunnier than I did back in 2006. Thanks for posting shots from other places where prestoeas grow. I don't remember seeing them at Cerro Punta, but maybe I didn't know of their existence back then. I think they also grow in Cerro La Santa (Cayey).

I am growing three of them (I brought seeds with me). I sent a few to Gileno as well. They seem to love our hot summer and mild winter here in Orlando. They are three years old and four to five feet tall.

Looking forward to some BG shots.

[MikeL]

Thanks, Kyle, for the pictures and commentary. The sunlit shot in Post #2 is especially exotic and beautiful.

I agree with you that P. acuminata looks like a king palm. In fact, I planted the only Prestoea I have next to a group of Archontophoenix volunteers to take advantage of their visual affinity.

About the crownshaft: Henderson, Galeano, and Bernal (I imagine you had their field guide with you) state that "the purple-green crownshaft is not completely closed." But, gosh, you'd think you could see some evidence of a partially open crownshaft in at least a couple of your pictures. Did you see any trees where with a flap opening in the crownshaft?

Mike

[Alicehunter2000]

Man I miss living there.... very cool photos Kyle....thanks.

[Kostas]

Thank you very much for the pictures Kyle! They are great!

I love Prestoea acuminata var. montana and i am growing some but i find it VERY hard to keep them alive They rot extreemly easily for me as seedling and i am shocked to see them growing i waterlogged soils in your photos I knew they are rainforest palms but from their easy rot behaviour,i wouldnt think they grow along streams too...

However,the few survivors from spring,are doing great for me in the summer heat,growing fast from what they had accustomed me to

John,are you sure yours are having problem with heat? I have mine under Washingtonia robusta canopy and saw at least 40C once or maybe more times and it has always been above 30C here and my Prestoea are doing better than ever and have stopped loosing any since the heat set in. Maybe they are having rot set in and are in the stop growth phase because of that? Wish you the best of luck with yours!

[paulgila]

wonderful location & photography,kyle!

[epicure3]

Excellent trip photos. I have never seen any aroids photo'd in natural habitats only incultivation. Really great stuff, Kyle. You really get around.

[kylecawazafla]

Thank you for all of the compliments.

David! I had no idea you used to live in Puerto Rico. That is awesome! If I lived there, I'm not sure if I'd want to live somewhere else either.

Kostas! Maybe you should try a Prestoea acuminata and not the montana variety, since the normal Prestoea acuminata is native to higher and wetter place.

Hello everyone from San Diego again!

[Kostas]

Thanks for the advise Kyle!

I think i am starting to get the hang of them now so hopefully i may be able to grow a Prestoea acuminata var. montana to maturity,i like this variety better because its single trunked instead of clumping

[kylecawazafla]

Hey Kostas, I read that they are clustering too from some sources, but honestly, I didn't see a single clustering Prestoea acuminata while I was in Puerto Rico. Maybe a clustering form is the exception and a single trunked one is the norm.

[Daryl]

Hi Kyle, great photos. Habitat shots are always great. I can see this palm likes lots of water! My one at home is the same...a real water hog. They are one palm that responds to water, the more you give them, the faster they grow!

Daryl

[Tyrone]

Just been looking for some info on this one. Mine took some losses through the summer, but the bigger they get the tougher they get I find. Gave my 4 a clean up and refert and followed Daryl's advice about them needing water and put them in a tray so they sit in a bit of water. After seeing this thread with them next to creeks growing in red mud and always in the clouds dripping wet, I think they need their water. Hopefully they'll go nuts this winter.

Thanks for these shots Kyle, even though it was 2 years ago. Really good pics to help understand this species better.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Tomw]

I enjoyed the pictures, thanks for sharing.

[Trópico]

Mine are doing fine as well, I just can't get them to acclimatize to any bit of sun. So in my limited shade they sit, next to the other sun fearing species A. purpurea. Yes, they are a true sponge and will dessicate the soil of the pot they sit in almost daily.

[Tyrone]

Mine are doing fine as well, I just can't get them to acclimatize to any bit of sun. Yes, they are a true sponge and will dessicate the soil of the pot they sit in almost daily.

That's maybe why I lost a few. They may have dried out and then got too much sun. Nice rainy weather today so I hope their tray fills up with water and they like it like a pig in mud.

Best regards

Tyrone

[MMerville]

Very good pictures.

Thank you,

Michel

[realarch]

Gee, missed this thread from two years ago. Great habitat photos of a nice palm. They do quite well in Hilo in full sun and of course water is not an issue.