Trithrinax campestris

Pronunciation: try-THRIN-ax cam-PESS-tris

Common Name: Caranday Palm

Trithrinax campestris is an eye-catching, suckering palmate species with a good deal of durability for a variety of southern California climates.

Appearance and Biology

Habit: suckering with a dense crown of 30 leaves
Height: 15'
Trunk: multiple, usually covered with skirt of dead leaves for 5'+ but eventually showing a spine-covered trunk with 6" slight wavy, very stout, sharp spines in lateral-ventral orientation; sometimes very bottom of trunk clean in old specimens; 8" diameter
Crownshaft: none
Spread: 7'-10'+
Leaf Description: palmate; grey-green to silvery; extremely stiff; leaves divided nearly entire length; 4' with petiole; leaflets end in split with a 1" division and two intensely sharp spines at each leaflet division- caution!
Petiole/Leaf bases: 2' long, flat on top, unarmed, stiff/unbending
Reproduction: monoecious
Inflorescence: 18" multibranched with bright yellow flowers
Fruit:
Seed:

Horticultural Characteristics

Minimum Temp: 21F
Drought Tolerance: good
Dry Heat Tolerance: very good
Wind Tolerance: excellent
Salt Tolerance: low
Growth Rate: very slow to slow with age
Soil Preference: very adaptable palm to most soil situations
Light Requirement: full sun
Human Hazards: extremely sharp, stiff spines all over this palm- pruning is very hazardous even with thick gloves on
Disease or Horticultural Problems: none known
Transplants?: fairly good
Indoor?: terrible palm for indoors- too light needy and extremely hazardous
Availability: rare but usually available at specialty nurseries; larger palms very rare an extremely pricey