Pronunciation: HI-fan-ee pee-tur-zee-AHN-uh Common Name: Vegetable Ivory Palm
Hyphaene petersiana is still a fairly rare palm for California, but it is one of the most striking of the Hyphaene palms, in having very large, often bluish leaves on top of one or two trunks. No mature palms exist in California yet, but it should not be too many years before some are finally old enough to flower (maybe by 2025?)
Appearance and Biology
Habit: solitary or twin trunks with a crown of 10-15 costapalmate leaves
Height: 25' estimate
Trunk: single or double; 16" thick; grey and only subtly ringed; upper trunk often with split retained leaf bases
Crownshaft: none
Spread: 15'-25'
Leaf Description: markedly costapalm with tip of midrib nearly curling back on itself; leaves very large with blade over 6' long; often blue-green in color; stiff and somewhat waxy with minimal leaflet droop; entire leaf, with petiole 10'-12' long
Petiole/Leaf bases: 5'-6' long; pale green or yellow-green to blue green near distal end and blackish near base; heavily armed with fuzz-covered teeth; leaf bases split and retained on upper trunks
Reproduction: dioecious
Inflorescence: from within leaves 3'-4' long arching and pendulous
Fruit: spherical; brown; 3" in diameter
Horticultural Characteristics
Minimum Temp: 30F
Drought Tolerance: excellent once established
Dry Heat Tolerance: excellent
Cool Tolerance: low
Wind Tolerance: good
Salt Tolerance: unknown
Growth Rate: slow
Soil Preference: adaptable
Light Requirement: full sun even as a small seedling
Human Hazards: sharp, large petiolar teeth
Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
Transplants?: unknown
Indoor?: likely poor choice due to high light needs
