Exotic Trees Or Palms

[MrWiggle]

Any recommendations for tree or palm species which grow easily and quickly. Something exotic, maybe something not common in Los and can be imported by seed easily ?

Cheers

[aircut]

I am not an expert in farming, but as a serious landscape design hobbyist i can tell you that หูกระจง (hoo grajong) is replacing the popularity of palmeria. Its quit a fast growing tree and there is a huge demand in the market for this type of tree for gardens, both public and private.

PS good for bonsai as well

[MrWiggle]

Thanks, yes see this tree all over the place, so after something a little different.

[GungaDin]

Fast growing trees for the Tropics

[GungaDin]

If you know a bit about propagating, I'd have a look at Golden Bamboo in pots,

Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Kerr Bamboo', I paid 400 each for 4, plus pots.

Also, Tabernaemontana Holstii, 300 each for 4, plus pots. 5' tall & in flower

Worth a look are Michaelia Champaca & Cananga Oderata, both used in the perfume trade and are very strong, night scented plants.

[Pierrot]

Worth a look are Michaelia Champaca & Cananga Oderata, both used in the perfume trade and are very strong, night scented plants.

Do you have a Thai name for the last two trees (Michaelia Champaca & Cananga Oderata)?

Also looking for a tree nursery and other related matters on Google, I found a site that describes Sanam Luang 2 as a "haven for horticulturist". Is that really true?

Edited June 3, 2009 by Pierrot

[Pierrot]

I made some progress since yesterday. When showing the picture of Michaelia Champaca to my wife, she said it's called "Champa" in Thailand, which seems to be corroborated by what I found. But according to her it's a relatively slow growing tree, she reminded me of some relative who have this tree in their garden and it's true it's a old but not very tall tree.

Furthermore that's what I found :

Biophysical limits

Altitude: 600-2 000 m Mean annual temperature: 7-38 deg C Soil type: M. champaca requires moist, deep and fertile soils.

So far so good. I guess it can survive the dry season with proper irrigation.

Tree Management

Trees propagated from seed take 8-10 years to flower whereas asexually propagated trees flower in 2-3 years. In Java the mean annual increment of 10-27-year-old trees is 1-1.8 m in height and 1.5-2 cm diameter, annual increment of 20-25 cu m/ha during the 1st 10 years are possible. It is planted at 3 m x 2.5-3 m but the open canopy makes weed control necessary. A rotation of 50 years is recommended to produce sawn timber.

Here it doesn't fit with the tree we have, but as it is grown in a small Bangkok garden, maybe a better environment will help with faster growth.

Then when you look for the "usefulness" of the tree, it's getting really great : flowers for ornmental and medecine purpose, wood for furniture ... The perfect tree !

[Pierrot]

By the way, is there any thread running on about how to buy trees : right size /age, what to look at, address of good nurseries ....

I check in different places in the forum but couldn't find anything.

We bought a few trees last year with mixed results, I'll post pictures later for advise. We will back in two weeks time to buy a few more and I would like to avoid making the same mistakes which seems basically to buy too old trees. We have been advised to buy younger trees, usually they catch up with the older trees within a couple of years and they are much healthier.

One funny things is we have trees that look like dead but since the beginning of the rainy season, we have seen new leaves and branch growing from the bottom of the tree (tree around 2m high, new leaves at around 30/50 cm from the ground). What should we do ? Cut the upper part, above the new branches? Or just let it grow like that ?

[MrWiggle]

I usually cut the upper part, not sure if correct or not. My reasoning is that if it is deadwood, it can attract ants and termites and it looks stupid anyway. So cut and let the new growth takeover.

We purchased around 50 large trees. All but one golden shower and one large palm survived so far. We also planted 10 1.5m coconuts and 4 died, seems coconuts harder to transplant and I have heard this before.

[MrWiggle]

If you know a bit about propagating, I'd have a look at Golden Bamboo in pots,

Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Kerr Bamboo', I paid 400 each for 4, plus pots.

Also, Tabernaemontana Holstii, 300 each for 4, plus pots. 5' tall & in flower

Worth a look are Michaelia Champaca & Cananga Oderata, both used in the perfume trade and are very strong, night scented plants.

Thanks, I have considered Bamboo and would like to try it. know nothing of propogation though, but usually know nothiong about everything before I start.

I have 2 rai of flood prone area that I would love to plant with several bamboo species. seems to be the best use for the area so far I can come up with. The area only floods for short periods.

[Pierrot]

Sorry to insist, but it's the time of the year when we go for our shopping spree for trees. I really would like to try growing a few "Michaelia Champaca", maybe start with 10 - 20 this year and see how it goes. My wife doesn't really like these trees and she's no help. Any idea where I can find a good nursery that sell healthy trees ? I will be between Bangkok, Pak Chong and Korat these few days, any advise will be very much appreciated

Thanks in advance

[MrWiggle]

Turn left at Khaneg Koi on highway 2 where the sign says for Ban Na heading from PakChong to Bkk......along here are many tree farms and they should have what you want.

About 20k down this road, you will pass a police box, take the next left around the corner also and down this road are many more tree farms......hundreds.

[Pierrot]

Turn left at Khaneg Koi on highway 2 where the sign says for Ban Na heading from PakChong to Bkk......along here are many tree farms and they should have what you want.

About 20k down this road, you will pass a police box, take the next left around the corner also and down this road are many more tree farms......hundreds.

Thanks

[Pierrot]

As we left quite late yesterday, we didn't have time to go very far, so we went to the tree market located inside the barracks of the 11 Garrison, close to Kaset university, very nice, a lot of big trees. A bit expensive compare to Isan's prices but very convenient and much less crowded than Chatuchak. We bought to campacas orange for 60 bahts each and one white (bigger, around 1m) for 150.

Today we going to drive around Saraburi, we hope we will have more luck.

[MrWiggle]

So turn right at Khaeng Koi then for ban na.....or come the Rangsit road at Future park to Nakhon Nayok and there are tree farms all along the highway 305 and then you hit highway 33, turn left and about half a k past the lights in Ban na you can turn right to Khaeng Koi, cannot remember highway number now....but takes you to highway 2 and either Saraburi or Nakhon Ratchashima.....tree farms everywhere along there.

[Pierrot]

So turn right at Khaeng Koi then for ban na.....or come the Rangsit road at Future park to Nakhon Nayok and there are tree farms all along the highway 305 and then you hit highway 33, turn left and about half a k past the lights in Ban na you can turn right to Khaeng Koi, cannot remember highway number now....but takes you to highway 2 and either Saraburi or Nakhon Ratchashima.....tree farms everywhere along there.

We went to Pak Chong (from Korat) this morning to buy a pomp and some other equipments, then took the highway 2 direction Saraburi, there are really a lot of trees and flower shops both side of the highway, but young trees, usually no more than 1.5m, and really "tourist" oriented, meaning strong bargaining mandatory. Anyway we managed to find the trees we were looking for and tomorrow we will be busy planting them and checking if our new water reservoir hold the water. If you hear in the next few days of a falang drown in a flash flood in WNK area, obviously there was some flaws in the design of our reservoir

PS : people recommended us Lex's restaurant in Pak Chong. The food is ok but it's awfully expensive, almost 1,000 Bahts for two, no wonder we were the only ones in the restaurant

[Pierrot]

For information about trees in Thailand, I recommend this book :

"Plants for landscape architectural uses in Thailand I"

ISBN : 978-974-93321-2-2

A lot of information about trees that grow in Thailand, with a lot of pictures, the best tool to make an informed choice when buying trees.

[MrWiggle]

Is it only trees or all types of plants included ?

Particulalry want vines. creepers and groundcovers now.