Difference between revisions of "Medemia argun"

Revision as of 20:03, 7 October 2014

Pronunciation: muh-DEE-me-uh AHR-goon

Common Name: Medemia Palm; Nubian Desert Palm

Medemia argun is a very rare North African fan palm that was thought extinct for many years until it was rediscovered in the 1990s in the middle of the desert. Though it has been a real challenge to get this finicky palm to grow here (despite its obvious hardiness in the brutal heat are aridity of the desert), some have managed to eke this one along in California… so far nothing with a real trunk yet, though. Though seems ideally suited for desert life, growing very well in tropical climates where it rains an awful lot (Miami and Thailand).

Appearance and Biology

Habit: solitary with a crown of 15-25 fan leaves
Height: 15' estimate
Trunk: single; 1' thick; retained leaf bases until large enough (maturing) to have those fall away and reveal a clean trunk
Crownshaft: none
Spread: 10'-14'
Leaf Description: markedly costapalmate; 6'-8' long; blue-grey to grayish-green; leaves fairly deeply divided (3/4 or more of the length of the leaflets); yellow midrib; often a skirt of dead leaves retained for a few years before they fall off
Petiole/Leaf bases: 2' long; yellow to yellow-green with blackish-purple near leaf base; sparsely armed with sharp black teeth; split leaf bases, often retained on trunk for many years
Reproduction: dioecious
Inflorescence: from within crown; 2' long; branched; look like Bismarckia flowers
Fruit: ovoid; 2"; jet black when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics

Minimum Temp: 32F
Drought Tolerance: excellent (once established)
Dry Heat Tolerance: excellent
Wind Tolerance: good
Salt Tolerance: unknown
Growth Rate: very slow
Soil Preference: alkaline; sandy possibly; extremely well draining; constantly warm
Light Requirement: full sun
Human Hazards: petiolar teeth, though spread out, still sharp
Disease or Horticultural Problems: very difficult to grow in most areas of California
Transplants?: unknown, but likely poor
Indoor?: no way
Availability: very rare, only occasionally showing up on seed lists and rare occurrence in palm specialty nurseries

Nong Nooch tropical gardens, Thailand
Montgomery Foundation, Miami, Florida

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 '''Common Name''': Medemia Palm; Nubian Desert Palm
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-'''''Medemia argun''''' is a very rare North African fan palm that was thought extinct for many years until it was rediscovered in the 1990s in the middle of the desert.  Though it has been a real challenge to get this finicky palm to grow here (despite its obvious hardiness in the brutal heat are aridity of the desert), some have managed to eke this one along in California… so far nothing with a real trunk yet, though.
+'''''Medemia argun''''' is a very rare North African fan palm that was thought extinct for many years until it was rediscovered in the 1990s in the middle of the desert.  Though it has been a real challenge to get this finicky palm to grow here (despite its obvious hardiness in the brutal heat are aridity of the desert), some have managed to eke this one along in California… so far nothing with a real trunk yet, though.  Though seems ideally suited for desert life, growing very well in tropical climates where it rains an awful lot (Miami and Thailand).
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Difference between revisions of "Medemia argun"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Revision as of 20:03, 7 October 2014