Pronunciation: lah-NO-nee-uh dah-zee-AN-thuh
Common Name: Vietnamese Paradise Palm
Lanonia dasyantha was, until the early 2000s, known as Licuala radula and many will still know at such. It is the only mottled Licuala-like palm that can survive outdoors in California (so far) and some enthusiasts of had success with this palm in their gardens here. There was a lot of excitement about this palm in the late 1990s, but it has turned out to a bit tougher to keep happy than was at first thought. But it still exists in some gardens, though it is unlikely any will produce viable flowers
Synonym: Licuala radula
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: clustering or solitary with a crown of 3-6 fan leaves
- Height: 3' overall (stemless or nearly so- 1' maximum height estimate)
- Trunk: non-existant or single/multiple stems up to 1' (estimate); 1" thick; retained leaf bases on stems
- Crownshaft: none
- Spread: 3'-5'
- Leaf Description: palmate; deeply divided (to the petiole); 3/4 circle to nearly circular; 2'-3' long; deep green with mottling of pale green
- Petiole/Leaf bases: bright green; flattish; arching; un-split and retained on stem, if any; unarmed or with very short, widely spaced teeth
- Reproduction: dioecious
- Inflorescence:
- Fruit: 1/3" in diameter; globoid; red when ripe
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 30F
- Drought Tolerance: low
- Dry Heat Tolerance: low
- Cool Tolerance: low
- Wind Tolerance: low
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: very slow
- Soil Preference: moist
- Light Requirement: shade to filtered light
- Human Hazards: virtually none
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: likely a good candidate
- Availability: very rare
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