Difference between revisions of "Wodyetia bifurcata"

Revision as of 22:39, 12 August 2015

Pronunciation: wod-UET-ee-uh buy-fur-KA-tuh

Common Name: Foxtail Palm

Wodyetia bifurcata was a very rare and endangered palm in the late 1900s, yet now it is universally grown and is even becoming somewhat 'common' in California landscapes. It is an exotic and highly ornamental Australian native that has shown some remarkable versatility in terms of climate tolerance (though still not a great palm for areas with substantial frost)- even growing in the hot inland deserts if protected from full sun. There are second and probably third generation palms growing in California. Leaves are highly plumose and somewhat resemble a foxes tail.

Appearance and Biology

Habit: solitary with a crown of 8-14 plumose leaves
Height: 30'
Trunk: single; 10" diameter; ringed; whitish near the top but lower rings brown
Crownshaft: 18" tall; slate green to light, glaucous green; about same diameter as trunk tapering slightly near crown
Spread: 6'-10'
Leaf Description: pinnate; markedly plumose with leaflets coming off in nearly 360 degrees along rachis; leaflets narrowly 'fish-tail' with premorse tips- young palms have more prominently triangular leaflets, but narrow and lengthen with age; yellow-olive-green to deep green; 3'-6' long
Petiole/Leaf bases: 1' long; glaucous light green to blue-green; black at very base of leaves
Reproduction: monoecious
Inflorescence: 1'-2' long; horizontally oriented; highly branched; from below crownshaft; yellow-green flowers
Fruit: 2"; slightly ovoid with nipple at distal end; olive green maturing to orangish-red when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics

Minimum Temp: 27F
Drought Tolerance: moderate
Dry Heat Tolerance: good (excellent for a crownshafted palm)
Wind Tolerance: moderate
Salt Tolerance: low
Growth Rate: slow to moderate with age
Soil Preference: widely adaptable
Light Requirement: full sun (filtered in inland deserts)
Human Hazards: none (reports of toxic fruit are in error)
Disease or Horticultural Problems: prone to some nutrient deficiencies in sandy soils
Transplants?: unknown, but suspect can be done
Indoor?: not a good choice (too light needy)
Availability: relatively common (even at garden outlet stores)

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 '''''Wodyetia bifurcata''''' was a very rare and endangered palm in the late 1900s, yet now it is universally grown and is even becoming somewhat 'common' in California landscapes.  It is an exotic and highly ornamental Australian native that has shown some remarkable versatility in terms of climate tolerance (though still not a great palm for areas with substantial frost)- even growing in the hot inland deserts if protected from full sun.  There are second and probably third generation palms growing in California.  Leaves are highly plumose and somewhat resemble a foxes tail.
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 *'''Availability''': relatively common (even at garden outlet stores)
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 File:Wodyetia better K.jpg|Huntington Beach, California

Difference between revisions of "Wodyetia bifurcata"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Revision as of 22:39, 12 August 2015