Difference between revisions of "Hyphaene petersiana"

Revision as of 18:25, 22 May 2015

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
Availability: very rare

Palm Desert, California
crown of Palm Desert palm
in the estate of Gary Levine, Escondido, California
suckering in Escondido, Levine garden
another shot of Gary's palm
mature palm in Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens, near Pattaya, Thailand
crown of solitary plant, Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 |}
 <gallery>
+File:Hyphaene petersitana maybe suckering AV.jpg|Palm Desert, California
+File:Hyphaene petersiana av crown.jpg|crown of Palm Desert palm
+File:Hyphaene petersiana shot again GL 14.jpg|in the estate of Gary Levine, Escondido, California
+File:Hyphaene petersiana now four stems GL.jpg|suckering in Escondido, Levine garden
+File:Hyphaene petersiana Levine.JPG|another shot of Gary's palm
+File:Hyphaene petersianaNN.jpg|mature palm in Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens, near Pattaya, Thailand
+File:Hyphaene petersiana in seed-above-NN.jpg|crown of solitary plant, Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens
 </gallery>
 [[Category: Hyphaene]]

Difference between revisions of "Hyphaene petersiana"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Revision as of 18:25, 22 May 2015