Palms For California

Pronunciation: kam-uh-DOOR-ee-uh car-CHEN-siss

Common Name: none

Chamaedorea carchensis has been grown for about 20 years in California under the name Chamaedorea benziei, a name which nearly everyone suspected was not a good name, but seemed reluctant to apply the carchensis name to this rather robust, rapidly growing Chamaedorea. In the wild, Chamaedorea carchensis seems a tall, more spindly palm but many grow in shady, tropical locations where the availability of full sun may not be that available. Here in California it is a very easy, large, thick-stemmed palm with nice, deep green, pendent leaves. Don Hodel may have finally figured out this plant was indeed Chamaedorea carchensis as he has directed the plants in Lotusland, California to be labeled as such. However, Chamaedorea benziei is still listed as a 'good name by Kew, so the issue is still unclear.

Appearance and Biology Habit: solitary with a crown of 6-12 feather leaves Height: 8' tall Trunk: single; 2" thick; medium green; closely ringed with brown rings nearly as wide as green sections Crownshaft: incomplete made up of about 3 leaves; 6"-1' long; often covered with several dead leaf bases; much wider than stem below Spread: 8'-10' Leaf Description: pinnate; flat; arching with heavy, thick leaflets that are somewhat pendent as well; leaflets nearly 2" wide and have striations along their length with a central prominent rib; dark green; leathery; 5'-6' long Petiole/Leaf bases: 8"-10" long; nearly tubular; unarmed; medium green Reproduction: dioecious Inflorescence: vertical; orange; 2'-3' long; many branches at ends all facing upright; often multiple inflorescences at a time Fruit: spherical; 1/2"; dark green turning black when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 27F Drought Tolerance: moderate Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate Wind Tolerance: moderate Salt Tolerance: unknown Growth Rate: moderate Soil Preference: widely adaptable Light Requirement: partial to full sun Human Hazards: none Disease or Horticultural Problems: none Transplants?: fairly good Indoor?: unknown Availability: rare and intermittently very rare, only becoming available now and then