General characteristics of the plant, tips for growing hamerops at home, recommendations for reproduction, the fight against possible diseases and pests, curious notes. Hamerops (Chamaerops) is a monotypic genus of fan palms (that is, it includes only one single plant), which is ranked in the Arecaceae family. Its only representative is Chamaerops humilis. This plant can be found wild in Europe, although in the natural conditions of this area there is another wild palm - the date palm of Theophrastus (Phoenix theophrastii). Most often, Chamaerops can be found in the sparse, low-growing thickets that it forms (garrigs), common in the lands of the Western Mediterranean, in Spain and southern regions of France. This also includes the territory of Portugal, Sardinia and Sicily, and further the plant is distributed in the Balearic Islands, in the northwestern regions of the African continent (Tunisia, Algerian and Libyan areas and Morocco). Often this representative of the flora is called the most "northern palm" because of the conditions of natural growth. Prefers to "settle" on hot and dry hills and in mountainous areas.
The scientific name of the palm tree is due to the combination of two Greek words "chamae", which means "low" and "rhos", which translates as "shrub". All this is due to the fact that the height of the trunks of the chamerops, in comparison with other members of the family, is not too high - only 4–6 meters.
The Chamaerops palm tree is distinguished by the presence of an underground rhizome, which is the basis for the formation of shoots and finger-like leaves with a hard surface. The plant is clearly visible due to its evergreen crown formed by leafy plates with fan outlines. There are several trunks of a palm tree, they begin their growth from the very base, often having a slight bend. In diameter, such trunks vary from 25 cm to 30 cm. They are crowned with a bunch of leaves on long thorny petioles, the contours of the foliage resemble a fan - that is, from the petiole itself there is a division into lobes, but sometimes they are slightly connected by 1/3 or 2/3 of the entire length at the base. Each petiole can carry up to 15–20 leaves.
The total width of the leaf plate is in the range of 70–80 cm, but the maximum length reaches one and a half meters. Each leaf lobe is characterized by a slight concavity along the central vein and its apex ends in a sharpness. It is because of this leaf shape that Chamaerops is always clearly distinguishable among the almost uniform mass of evergreens.
Small thorns, more like needles, adorn the petiole directly from the surface of the stem, and the closer to the leaf blade, the smaller their number. Apparently, in this way, nature protected the plant from the encroachments of wild animals. The color of the leaves can vary in different specimens from light green to shimmering silver. Depending on the color, there are two types of hamerops:
- Chamaerops humilis var. humilis growing in southwestern Europe, as well as in Portugal, Spain, southern France and western Italy, a frequent visitor to the islands of the western Mediterranean. The heights where the plant is found in the wild are low. The leaves have a rich green color.
- Chamaerops humilis var. argentea - This variety is native to the northwestern regions of the African continent and is common in Morocco (Atlas Mountains). Most of all he loves to "settle" at an altitude of about 2000 meters above sea level. The foliage of this plant is distinguished by a silvery-bluish waxy bloom. The plant is often referred to as Chamaerops humilis var. cerifera.
Also in the literature, the plant is called Trachicarpus fortunei, which is resistant to cold conditions, therefore it is used all over the world for landscaping. According to some reports, the palm tree can withstand a short-term temperature drop down to -15 frost, but in this case, high stems may die off, which can subsequently be renewed from the underground part. In our latitudes, it is common in the Caucasus and Crimea, since there the plant has adapted to survive without harm to itself at zero heat indicators.
In addition to these species, it is customary to cultivate the "Vulcano" variety in culture, which is distinguished by even more compact size and short stature. The crown of a palm tree is even denser, composed of leaves with a greater surface rigidity. But the dimensions of the leaf plate are smaller than that of the base variety and there is a silvery shade of different intensity on the back of the leaf lobes. And the petioles of the foliage are devoid of thorns, thorns, so the plant is safer to care for. During flowering, both unisexual and bisexual flowers are formed, the petals of which are cast in bright yellow color. From such flowers, strongly branched dense inflorescences are collected, which crown the tops of the stems. The pollen is usually captured by the plant even before the pollination process begins. Then a flower is formed from the upper petals, which resemble triangles in shape. The number of flowers depends on the sex of the bud, for example, there are three of them in a female flower. The flowering process takes place from April (sometimes March) to June.
After pollination, the fruit ripens, which has a green color, which over time, when fully ripe, changes from a yellowish to brown tone. Fruits begin to fall from the very beginning of autumn and this continues until October. Inside the fruit there are seeds that differ in a cylindrical shape (something like an embryo), weighing no more than 1 gram (0, 6–0, 8). It is surrounded by several layers. Outside there is a thin layer, which is an exocarp, then the pulp comes in the form of a fleshy and fibrous part, followed by a layer of endocarp (wide and woody in structure) and the last is endopersa (a component of the nutritive part).
The growth rate of this palm tree is rather slow, but the plant is not very demanding in care, but since the overall size of the hamerops is significant, it is customary to use it for landscaping large rooms: offices, halls, terraces, halls, foyers, and the like. Lovers of indoor flora also appreciated the unpretentiousness of the palm tree and its property to take root perfectly in the dry microclimate of living rooms. However, it should be remembered that if the rules of maintenance are violated, the plant does not die, but it loses much in its decorative effect. However, when leaving, you should not forget about the thorns-thorns that "decorate" the cuttings and can injure your hands.
Tips for caring for a hamerops at home
- Lighting. Most of all, a fan palm is suitable for a room in the southern location, since the plant is not afraid of direct sunlight. But in this case, frequent ventilation is needed so that overheating does not happen.
- Growing temperature hamerops in the spring-summer period should be 22-26 degrees, but if it grows, then frequent spraying of the foliage and airing of the room will be required. In winter, it is recommended to reduce heat indicators to 6-12 degrees, to create winter recreation.
- Air humidity should be high when grown. It is recommended not only to spray the leaf plates from a spray bottle with soft and warm water, but also to regularly wipe the leaves with a soft, damp sponge. However, in the autumn-winter period, such operations are stopped if the temperature of the content is low.
- Watering the hamerops. With the onset of spring and throughout the summer, abundant soil moisture is recommended for the palm tree. But the slightly dried topsoil acts as a guideline for irrigation. With the arrival of autumn, it is recommended to reduce the frequency of humidification, especially if the plant will be in a cool room or exposed to a draft during the winter months. Chamaerops will be able to survive even a small drying out of an earthen coma, while the bay will immediately negatively affect it. But here it is also important not to "go too far", because if the soil in the pot dries out, the plant may die. It is also necessary to ensure that no water remains in the pot holder from irrigation. Only soft and warm water is used; rainwater, distilled or bottled water can be used.
- Fertilizers. For the fan palm, it is recommended to make top dressing from the beginning of spring days until September, when it is undergoing the process of vegetative activity. It is recommended to apply complex mineral fertilizers intended for palms with a frequency of once every 7 days. If during the winter months chamaerops is kept in a well-lit room, then they do not stop feeding it at this time, adjusting the frequency of introducing drugs once every 1–1, 5 months.
- Transplant and recommendations for soil selection. When the hamerops is still young, the pot and soil are changed every 2-3 years. But if the palm tree becomes large, then the transplant is carried out only as needed (about once every 4-6 years). The time for transplanting is in the spring, but you can also carry out this procedure when the flowering process is completed (in summer). The root shoots of the plant are quite tender and should be transplanted using the transshipment method, that is, without destroying the earthen lump. The pot is selected most of all 4-5 cm in diameter. Since waterlogging of the soil is a greater problem for the plant than drying out, a drainage layer is laid on the bottom of the new container.
Since in nature, hamerops settles on rocky and sandy soils, a substrate that is too heavy and wet will not work for it. You can use ready-made commercial soil mixtures intended for palms or compose them yourself from sod, compost, humus earth, coarse sand, while the volume of each of the components should be equal. Experienced flower growers recommend mixing crushed charcoal into such a substrate. As the chamaerops mature, some of the sand should become less and less, and heavy (loamy) sod soil is introduced into the composition.
Recommendations for breeding hamerops - transplanting shoots and growing from seeds
To get a new plant of a low-growing palm, you should sow its seeds or separate the root shoots during transplantation.
For seed reproduction, it is recommended to place the material in warm water for five days. Then the seeds are planted, and the planting depth should be equal to the size of the chamaerops seed. It is necessary to pour a substrate consisting of turf, compost, humus and river sand into the pots. But before pouring soil into the container, it is imperative to lay a drainage layer, since the plant suffers greatly from waterlogging, and the fragile roots of the seedlings may suffer.
Hamerops seeds are germinated at a temperature not less than 22 degrees and it is recommended to provide bottom heating of the soil. Seedling germination is slow, only after 1–4 months the first shoots can be seen. But the appearance of the palms for the first 2-3 years will not at all resemble beautiful fan outlines. Only after the specified period the foliage will become fluffy, usually this occurs on the 7-10th leaf plate. For the successful cultivation of such a palm tree from seeds, it is important to maintain the thermometer readings in the range of 25-30 units and once in 7 days to carry out fertilizing with mineral preparations.
Hamerops is distinguished by the property of forming basal processes. However, you should be careful here, since those shoots that come from the root are suitable - the lateral ones are not suitable for vegetative propagation. But if shoots are identified at the root, then you should not rush to immediately separate them from the mother plant. It is necessary to wait until they have well-developed roots. To do this, it is recommended to lay chopped and then moistened sphagnum moss at the base of the palm tree. It is necessary to keep it constantly moist for some time, which will stimulate the growth of the root system. And when the shoots of the chamaerops palm have formed a sufficient number of roots (with a length of at least 2-3 cm), when the mother palm is transplanted, it is separated and planted in pots with a selected substrate and drainage.
Difficulties arising in the process of home growing hamerops
Although this undersized palm tree has rather resistant properties in relation to harmful insects, with constant non-compliance with the rules of maintenance, it can be affected by spider mites, scale insects or mealybugs. If symptoms of pests are detected, it is recommended to spray with insecticides.
If the owner cannot adjust the irrigation regime for the hamerops, then due to waterlogging of the soil, the root system may begin to rot, and brown spots are also formed on the leaf plates.
Curious notes about hamerops, photo of a palm tree
The properties of the hamerops have long been familiar to the inhabitants of the areas in which it grows. It was customary to make ropes and cords from its leaves, as well as fabric for sacks. The tough fibers that cover the stems of the plant are used to make stuffing for mattresses and pillows. When the foliage takes on an adult shape, rugs, baskets and panicles (various household utensils) are made from it. The young leaves of the master are first impregnated with sulfur, this process will give them softness, and then used to make products. Moreover, such work is considered quite delicate, almost jewelry.
The fruits of this fan palm are not used for food, but they have long been known to folk healers because of their high tannin content, as well as a bitter taste, which provide astringent action.
The plant is in close "kinship" with a genus that grows in Asia and bears the name Trachicarpus, but chamaerops differs from it in the possession of thorns-thorns on leaf cuttings, as well as the presence of several thin trunks.
Like any other palm tree, if hamerops is grown indoors, it will help purify the air, collect dust on its leaves and enrich the microclimate with life-giving oxygen. It has been noticed that if such a plant is regularly and abundantly watered, then it begins to give moisture back into the air through the surface of the leaves, therefore there is always high humidity around.
By the way, the palm tree responds best to the owner born under the constellation Capricorn (from December 22 to January 20). Since this star sign is the 3rd of the terrestrial ones (except for him, Taurus and Virgo are included in this group), it is considered the most restrained. And since the constellation is under the rule of Saturn, he bestowed his sign with strict outlines, stability, and it is because of this that many plants that are suitable for Capricorn have a strong straight stem.
It is the hamerops that is one of those representatives of the flora that help the owner born under this constellation to acquire stability on the path of life, stability and peace of mind. Also, chamaerops "assists" in promotion, due to the fact that it has the ability to attract energy from the surrounding space, which will help to acquire the abilities of both the administrator and the organizer. Therefore, the fan palm serves as a talisman for people holding the position of a leader or for those who want to climb the career ladder.
