Pronunciation: BACK-triss seh-TOSE-uh
Common Name: Ticum
Bactris setosa is so far the only Bactris that performs satisfactorily in California to be recommended grown by those in frost free climates (and cheap water). It is a lowland Brazilian species that almost always frequents soggy or wet areas, so recommending it for a state almost in a constant state of drought is a bit unethical. But it has surprising cold hardiness for such a tropically located species. This suckering, pinnate palm is very spiny (as almost all Bactris are) and though fairly ornamental when young, gets a bit ratty and unpleasant looking with age, so is a palm only for the true connoisseur.
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: clustering with a 4-6 plumose leaves per stem
- Height: 8'-10'
- Trunk: multiple; 2" in diameter; spiny where retained leaf bases exist (top half) and often spiny on the trunk's rings; finely ringed; brown-grey
- Crownshaft: none
- Spread: 6'-8'+
- Leaf Description: pinnate; plumose; leaves more markedly plumose when young, and leaflets wider with ridges; older palms have narrower leaflets; leaflets on two different planes that are barely offset, per side of petiole; bright green to yellowy green; flat to slightly 'V'd on cross section; about 6'-8' long and upright
- Petiole/Leaf bases: spiny; with gold-yellow spines about 2" long
- Reproduction: monoecious
- Inflorescence: short, branched and pendulous; shorter spines on spathe than rest of palm
- Fruit: spherical; purplish black; 1" diameter
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 30F
- Drought Tolerance: poor
- Dry Heat Tolerance: unknown
- Cool Tolerance: moderate to poor
- Wind Tolerance: unknown
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: slow
- Soil Preference: moist and well draining
- Light Requirement: filtered light
- Human Hazards: spiny
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: tends to brown tip
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: unknown, but likely poor choice due to spines
- Availability: rare
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