Palms For California

Pronunciation: HIGH-uh-for-bee ver-shuh-FELT-ee-eye

Common Name: Spindle Palm

Hyophorbe verscheffeltii is one of three species of Hyphorbe grown in California. It is much hardy than the ever popular Bottle Palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis) but a much easier palm to grow. However, it still is considered a marginal palm in most areas of California except for the nearly frost free zones nearer the coast. The other skinnier cousin, Hyophorbe indica, is the easiest to grow, but Hyophorbe verschaffeltii is probably the most ornamental of the tree, with great crownshaft and petiolar colors, along with a prominently ringed, creamy crownshaft and a unique crownshaft shape (like a spindle).

Appearance and Biology Habit: single with a crown of 3-6 pinnate leaves Height: 15' Trunk: single; 14" thick; prominently ringed; cream colored to grayer in older palms Crownshaft: 18" tall; grayish yellow-green to pale turquoise and covered with a thin white patina; bottom 1/4 as wide as trunk, but then tapers rapidly to half that diameter for remained of length Spread: 5'-6' Leaf Description: pinnate; arching/recurved; upright leaflets arranged in a fairly narrow 'V'; 3'-5' long; gold, thick rachis; leaflets tend to droop more near the tip of the leaf; bright green to yellow-green Petiole/Leaf bases: almost nonexistent to about 3"; mildly channeled; smooth-edged and unarmed Reproduction: monoecious Inflorescence: 2' long; right below crownshaft; projecting at about a 45 degree angle from crownshaft; cream flowers Fruit: spherical; 3/4"; orange to red when ripe; contain some oxalates

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 30F Drought Tolerance: moderate to poor Dry Heat Tolerance: low Wind Tolerance: moderate to low Salt Tolerance: moderate Growth Rate: very slow to slow with age Soil Preference: widely adaptable Light Requirement: filtered light to full sun at coast or excellent microclimate Human Hazards: mild fruit toxicity- do not ingest or even chew on them Disease or Horticultural Problems: tends to be a bit yellowy Transplants?: unknown Indoor?: unknown Availability: rare but usually available at some palm nurseries