Palms For California

Pronunciation: lih-vih-STONE-uh jen-kin-zee-AHN-uh

Common Name: Himalayan Fan Palm; Major Jenkin's Palm

Livistona jenkinsiana is a fairly marginal species for California, but is often tried because of its amazingly beautiful nearly circular, giant, plate-like leaves. This Asian species grows easily in warm humid climates like in Florida or Hawaii, but in California needs just the right mix of climate qualities to survive to trunking (relatively high humidity, minimal cold and wind and ver well draining, moist soils). For some time this palm was synonymous with Livistona speciosa, but it has be returned its species status, per Dowe. As for telling the two apart, they are basically identical for Californians, as none have, and likely never will, flower and fruit in California, and never show the primary minor differences listed (the fruit shape and color is a bit different). For that reason, Livistona speciosa is not listed as one of the palms for California as realistically no one could really know for sure.

Appearance and Biology Habit: solitary with a crown of 6-10 large fan leaves (many more in tropics) Height: 15' estimate (2x that in tropics) Trunk: single; 7" thick; retained, un-split leaf bases, at least until trunk height significant (not happened yet in California) Crownshaft: none Spread: 10' Leaf Description: palmate; very large (up to 6; across), nearly circular blades; only divided about 1/10 its diameter; moderate leaflet droop near the tips; deep and shiny green; leaves look like perfectly geometric, pleated plates Petiole/Leaf bases: deep, shiny green; only barely arching; heavily armed with large teeth; un-split retained leaf bases along trunk Reproduction: monoecious Inflorescence: 2'-3' long (not occurred, yet, in California Fruit: spherical to ovoid; 1" thick; purply blue when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 32F Drought Tolerance: low Dry Heat Tolerance: low to moderate Cool Tolerance: very low Wind Tolerance: low Salt Tolerance: unknown Growth Rate: very slow to slow with age Soil Preference: moist and well draining Light Requirement: filtered sun to full sun near coast Human Hazards: very dangerous petiolar teeth Disease or Horticultural Problems: tricky palm to grow in California Transplants?: unknown Indoor?: unknown Availability: very rare