Basselinia pancheri

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Pronunciation: bass-uh-LIN-ee-us PAN-churr-eye


Common Name: none

Basselinia pancheri is a very colorful New Caledonian species that has been successfully grown in California on multiple occasions. However, no adults exist (yet) as it is a very fastidious and slow palm. But it is a strikingly colorful palm, particularly in flower. It does need a very warm, relatively windless, frost free climate and somewhat humid/moist climate to do well.

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: solitary with a crown of 8-10 pinnate leaves
  • Height: 8' estimate
  • Trunk: single; 2"-4" thick; ringed; black-green trunk with red-brown rings
  • Crownshaft: 1' tall; blackish; faintly lined; slightly wider than stem below
  • Spread: 5'-8'
  • Leaf Description: pinnate; flat; wide leaflets to incompletely divided leaves (as immature palm leaves mostly fused with only several divisions); light green; 3'-5' long
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: 4"-6"; unarmed; greenish black fading to olive green more distal rachis
  • Reproduction: monoecious
  • Inflorescence: 18" long; below crownshaft; multiple flowers at one time common; highly branched; branches tortuous
  • Fruit: 1/3"; ovoid with a depression in one side; olive green turning shiny black when ripe
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 32F
  • Drought Tolerance: low
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: low
  • Wind Tolerance: low
  • Salt Tolerance: unknown
  • Growth Rate: very slow
  • Soil Preference: moist, acidic, well draining
  • Light Requirement: shade to filtered light
  • Human Hazards: none
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: touchy plant
  • Transplants?: unknown
  • Indoor?: unknown
  • Availability: rare


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