Palms For California

Pronunciation: sir-OX-ih-lawn PAR-vih-fronz

Common Name: Golden Wax Palm, Ramo Palm

Ceroxylon parvifrons is so far a very rare palm in cultivation, partly due to its extreme fastidiousness, and partly due to its rarity in the wild (endangered palm)… from the mountains of Andes of several South American countries where it grows up to 10,000 feet, the highest altitude of any palm in the world. It is a relatively small Ceroxylon, though not the smallest, but it has probably the best appearance of all the Ceroxylons, having neatly recurved leaves and a nice crownshaft as well. The trunk, as in most Ceroxylons, is waxy and strikingly white, adorned with grey rings. Sadly it is not a great palm for most of California, though does well in the bay area in northern California, particularly in San Francisco, where the lack of frosts and heat waves and relatively consistent cool humidity support the growth of this species. Some have tried growing this in southern California, but generally failing to make it thrive and there are no mature palms in that end of the state.

Appearance and Biology Habit: solitary with a crown of 6-7 feather leaves Height: 30' estimate Trunk: single; about 6" in diameter; smooth and waxy; white and ringed with irregular dark grey rings Crownshaft: 1' tall; rough and coppery tan Spread: 8' Leaf Description: pinnate; deep green dorsally and coppery on the undersides; recurved with closely spaced, non-plumose leaflet pattern; 4'-5' long; spreading though rarely hanging below the horizontal Petiole/Leaf bases: 10"; slightly channeled; unarmed; un-split; coppery on the undersides Reproduction: dioeceous Inflorescence: 5' long and pendulous, with a few branches Fruit: spherical; orange red when ripe; 1/2-1" in diameter

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 30F Drought Tolerance: low Dry Heat Tolerance: very low Cool Tolerance: excellent Wind Tolerance: moderate Salt Tolerance: low Growth Rate: slow Soil Preference: moist and acidic Light Requirement: partial to full sun as matures, but partial to full shade when young Human Hazards: none Disease or Horticultural Problems: very narrow 'happy' temperature range Transplants?: unknown Indoor?: poor choice (too needy of humidity) Availability: very rare