Difference between revisions of "Allagoptera arenaria"

Latest revision as of 07:50, 24 September 2015

Pronunciation: al-uh-GOP-ter-uh ahr-en-NAR-ee-uh

Common Name: Sand Palm, Seashore Palm, Restinga Palm

Allagoptera arenaria is a wonderful, very 'user-friendly' plant that is very hardy and well adapted to many areas about California, including near the beach. It is native to the Brazilian coast where it sometimes is the primary plant growing near the ocean. It is basically a stemless (sometimes short-stemmed) shrubby palm with no sharp edges anywhere- just a lush green fountain of curling leaves about waist high (old plants can get up to one's head).

Appearance and Biology

Habit: stemless to short-stemmed, clustering feather palm with a crown of 10-15 leaves per stem
Height: stem up to 2' above ground; overall height 5'
Trunk: subterranean to 2' above ground; not a true offsetting palm- clustering habit is a result of subterranean stem having multiple areas of branching; 4" thick; covered with leaf bases; dark brown and covered with a weave of thick fiber
Crownshaft: none
Spread: 6'-8'
Leaf Description: pinnate; markedly plumose; leaflets curled and partially pendulous; bright green above, silvery below; 4'-5' long; leaflet clusters every 3"-4" and nearly 360 degrees in symmetrical radial array; leaflets have prominent yellowy midrib
Petiole/Leaf bases: 18"-24" long; unarmed; yellowish; arching; flat on top
Reproduction: monoecious
Inflorescence: 1'-3' long peduncles ending in 6"-8" corncob-like structure; greenish-white flowers
Fruit: 1/2"-1" and yellow-green when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics

Minimum Temp: 24F
Drought Tolerance: fair
Dry Heat Tolerance: good
Wind Tolerance: good
Salt Tolerance: good
Growth Rate: very slow
Soil Preference: very adaptable
Light Requirement: full sun
Human Hazards: none
Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
Transplants?: fairly tolerant
Indoor?: unknown but probably too light needy
Availability: rare but available usually at some palm specialty nurseries; large plants hard to find and very costly

@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 File:Allogoptera leaf.jpg|leaf details
 File:Allogotera arenaria leaf close Osborne.jpg|leaflets
+File:Allagoptera underside leaves 1.jpg|leaf underside
+File:Allagoptera underside leaves 2 H.jpg|some silvery to underside of leaflets
 File:Allogoptera arenaria stems.jpg|petioles and flower, Hawaii
 File:Allagoptera with old inflorescences H.jpg|Huntington gardens showing all inflorescences

Difference between revisions of "Allagoptera arenaria"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Latest revision as of 07:50, 24 September 2015