Pronunciation: tie-coe-SPUR-much muck-AR-thur-(ee)-eye
Common Name: MacArthur Palm
Ptychosperma macarthurii is one of the more commonly grown landscape palms around the world, but in California it is a bit marginal and only succeeds in protected microclimates. It has some mild cold tolerance but seems very unhappy about drying winds or drying out in general. Though this Australian native grows well over 20' tall in the tropics, getting one to half that height is an accomplishment in California. However it is a very ornamental palm and worth trying if you live in a relatively frost free climate. It is at least relatively easy to acquire and sometimes even larger specimens can be obtained and are fairly affordable.
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: suckering with crowns of about 8-10 leaves
- Height: 10'
- Trunk: multiple; 2"-3" thick; prominent ring, bamboo-like; green
- Crownshaft: 1' long dull green to grayish at the top; same diameter as the stems
- Spread: 6'+
- Leaf Description: pinnate; premorse leaf tips; leaflets somewhat wedge-shaped; bright green; 6' long; upright to arching laterally
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 1' long nearly tubular
- Reproduction: monoecious
- Inflorescence: 2' long, branched; forming right below crownshaft, though by time fruit formed can be 3-4 rings down the stem; white flowers
- Fruit: pale yellow-green to bright red when ripe; 1/2" diameter; spherical; can be dozens and dozens of seeds weighing down infructescence; rarely makes fruit in California
- Seed:
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 30F
- Drought Tolerance: poor
- Dry Heat Tolerance: poor
- Wind Tolerance: moderate
- Salt Tolerance: low
- Growth Rate: slow
- Soil Preference: moist and well draining, but somewhat adaptable
- Light Requirement: full sun to nearly full shade
- Human Hazards: none
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: prone to sooty mold if ants around
- Transplants?: unknown but suspect fairly good
- Indoor?: if provided enough light can make a pretty good indoor palm
- Availability: moderately rare in California, but common elsewhere
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San Fernando valley, California, under large tree canopy
San Fernando valley, California
Huntington gardens in conservatory, California
leaves from above, indoor mall
