Pronunciation: pirh-CHAR-dee-ih HAR-dee-eye
Common Name: Hardy's Loulu Palm
Pritchardia hardyi is still a fairly rare species for California, but some are growing it quite successfully here. It is one of the more ornamental and unique Pritchardias with near oure white leaf undersides. Unfortunately this palm is very hard to find and rarely offered for sale.
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary with a crown of 6-7 fan leaves
- Height: 25' estimate
- Trunk: single; 8" thick; grey, relatively smooth trunk
- Crownshaft: none
- Spread: 10'
- Leaf Description: palmate; moderately pleated; very stiff; divided 1/3 length of blade; glossy green above and silvery grey below; 5'-6' long (about half that petiole)
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 2.5' long; unarmed; un-split leaf bases, rarely retained for long on trunk; green with whitish margins on underside
- Reproduction: monoeciouis
- Inflorescence: 6'-8' long, extending well beyond the leaf blades; upright to laterally, very stiff and unbranched past the very base
- Fruit: ellipsoid; 1.4" long; black when ripe
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 30F estimate
- Drought Tolerance: unknown
- Dry Heat Tolerance: unknown
- Cool Tolerance: low
- Wind Tolerance: unknown
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: slow
- Soil Preference: well draining
- Light Requirement: filtered to partial sun
- Human Hazards: unknown
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: unknown
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: unknown
- Availability: very rare
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garden of Matt Bradford, San Diego county, California
