Palms For California

Pronunciation: kam-uh-DOOR-ee-uh cat-uh-RACK-tar-um/ cat-uh-rack-TAR-um

Common Name: Cat Palm; Cascade Palm

Chamaedorea cataractarum is one of the more commonly grown Chamaedoreas (an palms overall) in California, being available at many outlet garden nurseries. It is not only a great landscape palm, but a good indoor palm as well. It looks superficially like a clump of Chamaedorea elegans, but after closer inspection of the stems, and the leaf color/consistency these palms can be told apart from other Chamaedorea palms.

Synonym: Chamaedorea atrovirens; Chamaedorea flexuosa; Chamaedorea martiana

Appearance and Biology Habit: clustering with a crown of 5-7 pinnate leaves per stem Height: stems very short to non-existent; overall height up to 7' Trunk: multiple in very dense groups; 0"-3"; 1" in diameter Crownshaft: incomplete, made up of several leaf bases; deep green; often covered with dead leaf bases; 3"-5" long Spread: 4'-8'+ Leaf Description: pinnate; deep green and somewhat shiny; 2'-6' long; flat to slightly 'V'd; leaflets have slightly raised, linear ridges their entire length; Petiole/Leaf bases: 1'-2' long; nearly tubular; unarmed; come out of ground or barely exposed stem usually at angles away from center of plant; pale yellow wide line ventral surface Reproduction: dioecious Inflorescence: 1' long; from leaf bases/ground level; few branches near tip; orange when older; pale yellow flowers Fruit: 1/2"; ovoid to spherical; dark brown when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 25F Drought Tolerance: good Dry Heat Tolerance: good Wind Tolerance: good Salt Tolerance: unknown Growth Rate: slow Soil Preference: widely adaptable Light Requirement: shade to full sun Human Hazards: none Disease or Horticultural Problems: none Transplants?: easy Indoor?: fairly good indoor Availability: moderately common