Pronunciation: FEE-nix roo-pih-COE-luh
Common Name: Cliff Date Palm
Phoenix rupicola is one of the favorite Phoenix among palm enthusiasts, thanks to is 'softer', more ferny look and feel, lacking many of the vicious petiolar spines many other Phoenix arm themselves with. Unfortunately along with its more tropical appearance comes a more tropical intolerance of deep freezes and arid winds.
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary with a crown of 15-30 feather leaves
- Height: 24' overall (trunk height maximum of around 15')
- Trunk: single; 10" thick; usually clean; covered with flattened, diamond-shaped leaf scars
- Crownshaft: none
- Spread: 15'
- Leaf Description: pinnate; flat; 90 degree twist so that leaflets parallel with trunk; marked arch to leaves; deep green (often showing some signs of nutrient deficiency and so yellow-tipped leaflets); 10' long
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 12"-18" long; weakly armed with a few soft modified leaf-spines; un-split leaf bases, rarely retained on trunk
- Reproduction: dioecious
- Inflorescence: 2' long; upright; arching; white flowers
- Fruit: 3/4" long; ovoid; purple-brown when ripe
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 24F
- Drought Tolerance: moderate
- Dry Heat Tolerance: good
- Cool Tolerance: moderate
- Wind Tolerance: moderate
- Salt Tolerance: moderate
- Growth Rate: slow to moderate with age
- Soil Preference: adaptable
- Light Requirement: filtered sun to full sun
- Human Hazards: rare weak leaf-base spines
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: often nutrient deficient in certain California soils (Magnesium and Potassium)
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: unknown
- Availability: rare to very rare
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San Diego Zoo, California
Fullerton arboretum, Orange county, California
Huntington Gardens near Pasadena, California
Orange county, California
garden of Jim Denz, somewhat inland, northern California
Huntington gardens, showing nutrient problems
yellow from nutrient deficiency
young palm in garden of Matt Bradford, San Diego county
Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida
