Palms For California

Pronunciation: lih-vih-STONE-uh MEW-lurr-eye

Common Name: Dwarf Livistona Palm; Cairns Fan Palm

Livistona muelleri can be one of the trickier palms to grow in California, but the reasons for this are unclear. It tends to grow very slowly, and though mature palms have been grown, they tend to suddenly die for no obvious reasons. This is a smaller species, with smaller, more compact leaves and very compact crowns without any of the leaflet droop seen in so many other Livistona species. In California, most palms have trunks covered with retained leaf bases, no clear trunk at all. In the tropics it is a very ornamental palm but in California it tends to be a bit more ratty and unhappy looking.

Appearance and Biology Habit: solitary with a crown of 15-25 fan leaves Height: 10' estimate Trunk: single; 8" in diameter; completely covered with un-split, retained leaf bases Crownshaft: none Spread: 6' Leaf Description: palmate; semicircular; stiff leaflets; medium to light green; 2.5'-3' long Petiole/Leaf bases: 1'; heavily armed with blackish to reddish-brown, straight, very sharp teeth; leaf bases un-split and enmeshed in a tight, fibrous pale to reddish brown weave Reproduction: monoecious but functionally dioecious Inflorescence: 2' long; maroon to red in color (rarely if ever flowers in California) Fruit: oblong; 1/3" long; reddish black to blue-black when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 24F Drought Tolerance: moderate Dry Heat Tolerance: good Cool Tolerance: moderate Wind Tolerance: good Salt Tolerance: unknown Growth Rate: very slow to slow with age Soil Preference: adaptable but prefers very well draining soil Light Requirement: full sun Human Hazards: dangerous petiolar teeth Disease or Horticultural Problems: unpredictable Transplants?: unknown Indoor?: likely poor choice Availability: very rare

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  Huntington Gardens, Pasadena, California (no longer exists… dropped dead for unknown reason, though some suspect bud rot from overhead sprinkler watering)

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  San Diego county, California

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  Pauleen Sullivan's estate, Hawaii

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  Sullivan palm

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  Hawaii, in estate of Pauleen Sullivan

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  Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens, Thailand; showing bright red flowers

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  San Diego county palm with flash

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  Hawaii

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  in Californnia