Yubeya is a surprisingly beautiful and unpretentious palm. Its homeland is the Chilean plateaus 1200 meters above sea level. It is also grown in open ground in the Caucasus and the Crimean peninsula. In the natural environment, it is a very tall tree with a classic palm look. Indoor specimens are modest in size and have a beautiful crown. Many flower growers consider it a great achievement to buy a Yubey palm. Such a plant will be a wonderful decoration for a house, a winter garden, and sometimes a yard.
Plant description
The genus Yubeya belongs to the Palm family and is represented by a single species - the Chubian Yubeya. Sometimes it is also called the "elephant palm" for a very thick trunk that looks like an elephant's foot. This evergreen tree has a developed root system. A wide upright trunk in the upper part is covered with large leaves. In nature, the height of the palm tree can reach 18 m. Its diameter reaches 1 m. The annual growth is very small and reaches its maximum height for the yubey by only 40 years. The trunk is covered with a smooth dark brown bark. There are horizontal stripes on it - traces of fallen leaves.
Yubeya juice has a high sugar content. It is harvested for making wine. For this reason, yubeya is sometimes called the wine palm.
The pinnate bright green foliage is located on long petioles. Smooth leaf plates are painted bright green. As they grow, the lower leaves fall off, leaving embossed marks on the trunk. At the same time, 60-100 leaves are in the crown. The diameter of the crown of an adult plant is about 9 m. Each leaf can grow by 3.7-4.5 m. Vaiyas are formed quite often in comparison with other palm trees. Almost every month a new sheet appears.
Among the lush crown, dioecious flowers form during the flowering period. The buds are collected in panicled inflorescences on direct peduncles. Their length is 1.2-1.4 m. At the base of the inflorescence are male flowers, and female flowers are located closer to the edge of the brush.
After pollination, oblong or rounded drupes ripen on the skirt. A dense, light brown flesh covers a large chocolate-colored seed. Locals use seeds to produce oil. In a nut, its share is up to 35% of the total mass. The diameter of the seed is 2.5 cm. The pulp and seeds can be eaten, but they have a rather specific taste, similar to laundry soap.
Breeding methods
Yubeya palm propagates by sowing seeds. This procedure is lengthy and requires a lot of patience. Cold stratification is recommended before landing. For a month, the seeds are kept indoors at an air temperature of + 3 ... +6 ° C. After that, the seeds are planted in a pot with a sand-peat mixture to a depth of 3-5 cm. The soil is moistened and covered with a film. The pot is kept at a temperature of + 15 ... +18 ° C. It is important to regularly ventilate the greenhouse and spray the soil from the spray bottle.
Shoots appear within 3-4 months. Young youbei grow quite slowly. Seedlings should not be dived and replanted until the rhizome occupies all the free space in the pot.
Transplant Rules
Yubeya is transplanted very carefully, being careful not to damage sensitive roots. The procedure is planned for early spring. The pot for transplant is selected quite deep, one size larger in width compared to the previous one. When the palm grows to the floor tub and it will be difficult to transplant it, it is enough to carefully replace the top layer of soil.
At the bottom of the pot must drain the drainage layer. It can be composed of clay shards, broken bricks, expanded clay or small stones. The soil for youbi should have a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. You can use a mixture of:
- turf land;
- river sand;
- sheet land.
The transplant is carried out by transshipment of an earthen coma, trying to save the maximum amount of old soil.
Care Features
Caring for youbei at home is simple. This is one of the most unpretentious palm trees in the world. Yubeya needs bright lighting. It can be placed in the southern rooms. In the summer it is recommended to take the pot to the balcony or to the garden. On the windowsill in summer you need to shade the crown from direct sunlight. On the street, such a need disappears.
In summer, even intense heat makes it. The optimum air temperature for it during the period of active growth is + 28 ... +35 ° C. In winter, the plant is provided with a dormant period and gradually lower the temperature to + 6 ... +14 ° C. If yubeya grows in open ground, then it can tolerate frosts to -15 ... -20 ° C. So that the shoots do not suffer too much from the cold, the crown and the base of the trunk are covered with snow. The gentle green of the palm tree under the weight of the snowdrifts looks very exotic. In snowless winters, a nonwoven fabric cover is used.
You need to water the yuba abundantly using soft water. Between watering, the topsoil should dry. The roots are located at a depth, so drought does not threaten them. With cooling, watering is less common. In winter, a break between irrigation should be 1-3 weeks. Preference should be given to ascending or wick irrigation. Stagnation of moisture at the growth point will lead to its decay and death of the entire plant. Signs of flooding and root rot are brown leaf tips.
Yubeya needs high humidity. In a dry environment, the tips of its leaves begin to turn yellow and dry. More often spray the crown from the spray gun. To do this, use soft water so that there are no traces of drops on the foliage. If the house has an aquarium, it is recommended to put a palm tree near it.
From March to July, youbeeye is fed twice a month with complex mineral fertilizers. The composition is diluted in large quantities of water and introduced into the ground. A high concentration of fertilizers can harm the rhizome, so you should strictly follow the recommended dosage or slightly reduce it.
Young yubeya forms a wide spreading crown. It does not need trimming and additional shaping. So that the palm does not turn over under the weight of the leaves, it is important to choose a stable pot. In order for the crown to develop evenly, you need to regularly turn the pot relative to the light source.
Possible difficulties
Yubeya has good immunity. Problems may be due to improper care. In too dry air the leaves turn yellow and dry. If the soil is regularly poured, root rot may develop.
Parasites rarely attack the palm of youbei. Sometimes traces of a spider mite appear on foliage. This tiny insect feeds on cell sap and can cause serious damage to the plant. Having found a small cobweb along the edges of the leaves, you need to bathe the shoots under a warm shower, and then treat them with an insecticide.
