Pronunciation: burr-ret-ee-oh-KENT-ee-uh vee-YARD-ee-uh
Common Name: none
Burretiokentia vieillardii is a pretty good New Caledonian palm for California. Several have managed to grow this palm up to flowering and fruiting size here. It is however a pretty marginal palm, VERY slow growing as a seedling. As an adult it is similar in appearance to Burretiokentia hapala except for its striking elongated and striated crownshaft.
Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary with a crown of 8-14 pinnate leaves
- Height: 25'
- Trunk: single; 8" thick; green, sometimes with a white patina on it; closely and prominently ringed
- Crownshaft: 2'-3' long; brown to greenish with striations
- Spread: 10'-12'
- Leaf Description: pinnate; flat; moderately wide leaflets; light green; 6' long
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 4"-10" long; light green with whitish patina; unarmed; un-split leaf bases (not retained)
- Reproduction: monoecious
- Inflorescence: 18" long; from below crownshaft; many thick, rope-like branches; horizontal orientation; palms tend to have multiple inflorescences at a time
- Fruit: ellipsoid; 1/2" long; dark red when ripe
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 31F
- Drought Tolerance: poor
- Dry Heat Tolerance: poor
- Wind Tolerance: poor
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: very slow to slow with age
- Soil Preference: rich, moist, well draining soil- acidic
- Light Requirement: filtered sun to partial sun
- Human Hazards: none
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: difficult sometimes due to very slow growth and cold sensitivity when young; leaf brown tipping common with dry winds and salts in soils
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: unknown
- Availability: rare
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