Copernicia ekmanii

Copernicia (koh-pehr-nee-SEE-ah) ekmanii (ek-mahn'-ee)
Scientific Classification
Genus: Copernicia (koh-pehr-nee-SEE-ah) Species: ekmanii (ek-mahn'-ee)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
America
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Costapalmate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Om de Pay, Jamm de Pay. Ekman's Silver Palm

Habitat and Distribution

Copernicia ekmanii is endemic to Hispanola esp.

Very old specimen, Miami FL.

Northern Haiti.

Description

Medium sized fan palm to about 12 m tall, with glaucous tightly grouped leaves. Editing by edric.

Culture

Lightly shaded, moist, but well drained position.

Comments and Curiosities

Easily one of the most beautiful and most rare Copernicia, this medium-sized palm is found only along the dry northern coast of Haiti, where a few small and overexploited populations cling to life in rocky scrubland. They are used, some overused, for thatch and regeneration is poor. It forms a slender trunk to about 12 m tall that holds a dense crown of stiff, light blue leaves. Dead leaves form a thick skirt below the crown if left untrimmed. The slender inflorescences reach far beyond the leaves. Although easy to grow in most tropical and many warm temperate climates, in cultivation it is only found in very few collections. (RPS.com)