Gioforba – Real Bottle Palm – Beautiful Houseplants

Despite the popularity of the popular nickname “bottle palm”, it is very difficult to confuse the genuine bottle palm gioforba with its relatives. A real indoor giant and a rather rare plant, gioforba is one of the most elite palms. She became famous not only for her special, bottle-like barrel, but also for her very difficult character. Gioforba is no more difficult to care for than ordinary indoor palms. But the conditions will have to be selected more carefully. It is demanding on lighting and temperatures, which are not always easy to recreate in living rooms. And he loves humid air very much.

Gioforba is a real bottle palm. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com palm.boutique
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Legendary Mauritian gioforba palm

Today, all palms with a thickened, vessel-like trunk are so fond of being called bottle palms that it is far from easy to figure out which particular plant is in question.

Gioforba remains a true bottle palm – a plant with a rather limited distribution area and special in character. But under this name, we often sell nolins-bokarnei, and sometimes other caudex palms, which are much more compact and require other conditions and other care.

Before buying a bottle palm, you should definitely clarify its botanical name, because if you try to put nolins in conditions for gioforbes and vice versa, you can ruin your rather expensive purchase.

Bottle palm, or Gioforba (Hyophorbe) – a plant from the family Arekovs (Araceceae) with a rather narrow distribution area. Unlike many other varieties of palms, the homeland of gioforbes has been determined for a long time.

This extraordinary, slowly growing palm tree came to us from the Round Island. This is one of the islands of the Mascarene group, known primarily for the oldest island of Mauritius with its legendary beaches and no less legendary flora. The middle name is gioforb – masquerade – just indicates its origin, although the plant is often called and Mauritanian malmo.

Gioforbes are one of the rare, endangered species that are under strict control and protection in nature. Potted forms of gioforbes that have spread throughout the world are reminiscent of natural giants and help preserve this unique plant, preventing it from disappearing.

The nature and requirements of gioforbes to the conditions of detention are directly determined by their habits. The volcanic Mascarene Islands east of Madagascar have an absolutely unique microclimate and it is no coincidence that they are considered one of the most special places on our planet. Of course, as an ornamental plant, gioforbes have spread to almost all tropical countries. And, oddly enough, they are grown in soil less often than in tubs and pots.

Indoors, gioforbes rarely bloom. Straight horn-shaped inflorescences at the base of the leaves gradually tilt, conquering with snow-white, tight-fitting, small, but very original flowers. The legendary fruits of gioforba are round, up to 5 cm in diameter, repainted from light green to black as they ripen.

Indoor gioforbes-palms up to 2 m high, but still large and voluminousIndoor gioforbes-palms up to 2 m high, but still large and voluminous. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com edible_plum

Compact dimensions of luxurious gioforbes

Gioforba is a fairly compact palm. Low growth, beautiful silhouette and slow development make it possible to actively use it in urban landscaping where the climate pleases with tropical prosperity. But the compactness of gioforbes is still relative.

In nature, this palm is limited to 3–5 m in height, which, compared to its giant relatives, seems impressively compact. Indoor gioforbes-palms up to 2 m high, but still large, voluminous, luxurious, requiring a lot of space.

True, it will take decades for gioforbes to reach their true size. They grow so slowly that they seem unchanged over the years. Growth rates are directly dependent on care and conditions. This effect is especially enhanced after the formation of a bloated trunk, when the plant does not seem to change at all, apart from the release of several leaf lobes per year and a few millimeters of increase in diameter.

The most notable feature of gioforbes is certainly their trunk. It is more attractive in young palms, changing somewhat with age, but still resembling vessels. First, the lower part of the trunk begins to swell in palms, gradually expanding and flattening into cones in older plants. At the same time, the thickened, bottle-shaped, very light, grayish-beige trunk creates an “impressive” base.

In shape, the trunks appear to be strikingly symmetrical, their shape appealing to the classic Greek vessels and vases, with a thickening in the lower third and gradual tapering at the top. The change with a return occurs not due to the straightening of the trunk, but due to the soft smoothing of the thickening: from the bend, the silhouette turns into an almost perfect cone.

Gioforbes cannot boast of a very lush crown. But this does not make it seem less massive. Depending on the conditions, the compact rosette at the top of the trunk consists of 4 to 8 leaves. They are feathery, large, up to 3 m long, with very rigid sori and ideally lanceolate lobes exceeding 50 cm in length.

The leaves are bent in a beautiful arc, they look impressive. The lobes sit so densely that the palm tree appears fluffier than its relatives. One sheet contains from 30 to 50 pairs of shares. The petioles of the leaves turn into a very bright base, superimpose and tightly close with other leaves, forming a kind of “neck”, passing into the trunk, as if continuing the “bottle”.

Gioforba bottle-barreled (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis)Gioforba bottle-barreled (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Maxtree

Types of indoor gioforbes

Despite the fact that only 5 types of gioforbes are found in nature and they differ quite strongly in size and shape of the trunk, gioforbes in room form most often remain unnamed.

In most cases, we are talking about bottle-bore gioforbe (Hyphorbe lagenicaulis), but instead of its seeds, other species are increasingly on sale. Understand if you are purchasing a bottle palm sapling, Vershaffelt’s gioforbes (Hyophorbe verschaffeltii), Indian gioforbes (Hyophorbe indicates) or other types is practically impossible. Moreover, cultivated gioforbes are plants, most often varietal and hybrid ones.

Growing conditions for indoor bottle palms

Heat-loving and light-loving, gioforbes adapt to indoor conditions much better than can be expected from such rare plants. The main thing is to take care of compensating the short winter daylight hours by increasing the illumination intensity and providing a relatively warm winter. It is a grateful palm tree that loves stable, protected conditions.

Lighting and placement

Gioforbes are light-loving plants. They cannot stand the midday rays, which leave burns on the leaves and lead to accelerated drying of the tips of the wai lobes, but still the lighting should be as bright as possible.

When choosing a place for a gioforba, they are primarily guided by the possibility of placing it near the windows. On windowsills, this palm tree can only be placed at a young age. And the expressive silhouette of the gioforba looks much better when placed on separate stands or outdoor.

Light partial shade, bright diffused lighting or a place where morning and evening rays fall on the plant will suit her equally. But the brighter the lighting, the more actively the palm tree will grow and the more beautiful the color of the leaves will look.

When choosing a place, it is worth considering two modes of detention – summer and winter. In winter, the palm tree needs to be moved to more illuminated places to compensate for the seasonal decrease in lighting. Therefore, in the summer, the palm is placed so that the ability to move it still remains.

Gioforba is ideal as a single accent – its crisp, austere silhouette with beautiful curves looks great as an eye-catching and dividing point. But gioforba is one of the palms that is not afraid of group placement. Combining it with other moisture-loving crops, you can significantly simplify care: there is enough space under the leaves of a palm tree due to the elongated shape of the trunk for various decorative deciduous plants.

Гиофорба Вершаффельта (Hyophorbe verschaffeltii)Hyophorbe verschaffeltii. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Achat Vente Palmiers

Temperature control and ventilation

The more stable the conditions for gioforbes, the better they grow, and, first of all, we are talking about temperature indicators. Gioforbes prefer warm, sheltered, cozy places. A standard room temperature of 21 degrees from spring to autumn is fine for them.

The wintering mode for gioforba can be selected at your discretion from among the warm options. These plants are able to withstand temperature drops of up to 5 degrees Celsius, but only for a short time.

Cold wintering is often perceived by the palm tree as too serious stress. The average temperature should not drop below 16 degrees at night. If it is more convenient to place the palm in a relative coolness, then the gioforba is kept at temperatures of about 18 degrees Celsius. When wintering in ordinary living rooms, the plant is placed in the coolest (possible) conditions – about 20-21 degrees.

This plant must be carefully protected from air currents from heating appliances and air conditioners. Gioforbes are especially afraid of the effects of colder air currents, but central heating also affects foliage very strongly.

It is also necessary to protect gioforbes from drafts, especially in spring and autumn, when conditions are already extremely unstable. But at the same time, while staying in the rooms of the gioforb, it will look the better, the more regular neat ventilation is carried out. It is undesirable to take out gioforbes to fresh air due to night temperatures in regions with severe winters.

Caring for gioforbes at home

In order to avoid mistakes in caring for gioforbes, it is enough just to carefully observe the plant: this palm tree usually signals very quickly that it does not like something. High humidity for gioforbes is also necessary, as well as keeping the leaves clean. But otherwise, the care is standard – abundant watering without extremes and omissions, neat feeding and pruning only as a last resort.

Watering and air humidity

It is important for gioforb to create a stable substrate moisture. This palm tree does not die from drought and is no longer afraid of drying out the soil, but of waterlogging. But if the watering does not meet the needs of the plant, the palm tree will dry out the tips of the leaves quickly enough.

In spring and summer, watering is carried out generously, draining excess water only 1-2 hours after watering and allowing only the upper 3–4 cm of soil to dry out between waterings. In winter, watering is reduced, draining water immediately and trying to maintain a slightly lighter, but stable soil moisture. The best strategy is to wait 2 or 3 days after the top of the substrate has dried.

Gioforba is afraid of watering with hard and cold water. For her, thawed, filtered or rainwater with a temperature of about 30 degrees Celsius is preferable, regardless of the season.

Gioforba is a tropical palm, extremely hygrophilous, does not grow very well in dry air. With above average moisture levels, it can become one of the brightest palms in the collection. But at the same time, the value of air humidity above 80% is out of the question. For gioforba, 55-75% is enough.

The plant tolerates spraying well. It is carried out for any gioforb during the entire active or warm phase of the maintenance every day, and in the summer – up to several times a day. This plant can only be sprayed with small spray nozzles. In winter, spraying can be replaced by the operation of steam generators.

For spraying, use warm water with soft characteristics. But due to the size of the leaves, it is not enough to create stable conditions. Measures to create a stable, constantly high humidity are indispensable.

The simplest, but not the most affordable option is to install humidifiers and keep palm trees in groups of tropical crops, for which they create equally high air humidity. Industrial appliances can be replaced by installing containers of wet materials or water around the plant. Large sizes of containers do not allow the use of pallets filled with pebbles or expanded clay. But it is quite possible to place any containers and artisanal moisturizers around the plant.

If the size of the palm tree allows it, it will gratefully respond to a warm shower. One such procedure per month is enough to protect the soil from getting wet.

It is better not to use polishes for the leaves of gioforb, but if the shower is not carried out, the dust must be carefully and regularly removed from the surface of the leaves.

The most notable feature of gioforbes is certainly their trunk.The most notable feature of gioforbes is certainly their trunk. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com popscreen

Top dressing and composition of fertilizers

Despite the slow growth, feeding for gioforba should be carried out regularly. This palm tree prefers year-round feeding with frequent 1 time in 3-4 weeks (or 1 time in 2 weeks with a halved dosage). In the spring and summer, a standard portion of fertilizers is used, and in the fall and winter, half the concentrated fertilizers are applied compared to the summer ones.

For gioforb, it is preferable to use special fertilizers for palm trees or conventional complex fertilizers. It is permissible to alternate organic and mineral dressings, but you can simply carry out 3-4 additional dressings with organic fertilizers in the summer.

Pruning and shaping the bottle palm

Gioforbes do not respond well to pruning. Even when the tips of the leaves dry out, it is better to restore comfort and stop the process than to trim the damaged tissue. The lobes of the leaf and frond are cut off only if they completely turn yellow and dry, very carefully, leaving a large stalk. As with all palms, the dry parts are not trimmed to the healthy part, but by leaving a strip of dry cloth around the edge.

Transplant, containers and substrate

Gioforbes are slow-growing plants, but very vigorous. They are transplanted even at a young age only when the rhizome has completely mastered the substrate and roots appear in the drainage holes. Fortunately, replanting this palm tree only in March is not necessary: ​​the gioforba can be transferred into a new container during the entire period of active growth.

Since the transplantation of gioforbes is painful even with the complete preservation of the earthen coma, adult palms should not be reloaded more often than once every 1 years. In the years when the transplant is not carried out, the top layer of the substrate must be replaced.

Any substrate will not work for this palm. Unlike many indoor giants, gioforba will not feel good in heavy clay soil. This plant is very demanding on drainage and soil permeability. Even for mature palms that have not been replanted for years, the soil must remain light and water-permeable.

For this palm, even in a special substrate for palms or tubs, it is worth adding loosening additives – coarse sand, perlite and other materials. A commercially available palm formulation or a classic mix of turf, leafy soil and sand in equal proportions is preferred.

The drainage layer should be at least ¼ of the tank height. For gioforba, large-scale drainage is necessarily used – shards, expanded clay, pebbles, etc., covering them on top with a layer of sand, and only then pouring a layer of substrate.

Gioforbes cannot be transplanted even with partial exposure of the roots: these palms cannot stand contacts with the rhizome. Bottle palms are handled carefully, removing only the contaminated topsoil, completely preserving the earthen lump.

For gioforba, the stability of the container plays an important role. Despite the neat shape of the crown, it is still unbalanced, and in light plastic pots, palms often turn over. For a plant, containers with the same height and diameter are preferred, only young gioforbes are grown in classic pots.

The width of the container is usually selected according to the diameter of the trunk: the diameter of the container should be 2-2,5 times the diameter of the thickest place on the trunk of the palm tree. For young plants, you can use more spacious containers, but in this case, root growth will occur to the detriment of the growth of leaves and trunk.

Diseases, pests and problems in bottle palm cultivation

Gioforba is very sensitive to improper care and conditions, she quickly reacts to any procedures that are not suitable for her. Heat, direct sun, insufficient humidity of the substrate or air equally quickly lead to drying out of the tips of the leaves.

From excessive watering, the trunk begins to soften, wrinkle, the roots of the plant are affected by rot. An emergency transplant requires pruning of damaged roots, the plant most often does not survive it, because gioforba is extremely afraid of any transplant. It is one of the most sensitive to excess calcium in the soil of palm trees.

Gioforbes in a neglected state and with irregular care can also suffer from scale insects or spider mites. Usually on this plant, the fight begins with biological and mechanical methods, resorting to insecticides only as a last resort.

The only breeding method for bottle palm is growing from seeds.The only breeding method for bottle palm is growing from seeds. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Dave’s Garden

Reproduction of gioforba

Unlike other palms, gioforbes do not sprout, and they cannot be propagated by separating daughter plants. The only breeding method for bottle palm is growing from seeds. This is not the easiest, requiring a lot of patience and endurance, but a very exciting process.

Gioforba seeds must be soaked for a day before planting, trying to keep the water warm throughout the entire period. Sowing is carried out in light soil, half of the substrate typical for gioforbes, and half of sand.

The seeds are buried a few centimeters and germinated at temperatures of about 30 degrees (up to 32), with a stable light soil moisture. It is better to display crops immediately on the brightest, sunny windowsills, on cloudy days – with supplementary lighting. The emergence of seedlings can be expected from 6 weeks to 6 months, and the substrate should not be allowed to dry out.

Young gioforbes develop very slowly, but do not require any complicated care and are practically invulnerable (only swampy soil or a very long drought can harm them), but they are afraid of the direct sun. Plants can be planted in separate containers only after the release of 4–5 leaves.

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Anna Evans

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