Pronunciation: chew-nee-oh-FEE-nix NAN-uh
Common Name:
Chuniophoenix nana is an underused, understory or smaller specimen palm for southern California. It is a highly ornamental and very tight, neat palm for smaller areas out of direct sun. Despite its relatively delicate appearance it is turning out to be a very hardy and durable plant, handling an amazing amount of frost without any obvious damage. True frost tolerance still not known. One of the few palms that virtually looks as good here as it does in Hawaii and Florida. Clumps stay narrow and do not spread, as does Rhapis excelsa, a very similar looking species.
Chuniophoenix humilis considered a separate species by Henderson, but synonym by Zona.
Appearance and Biology
- Habit: suckering with crowns of about 6-12 fan leaves per stem
- Height: 5'
- Trunk: tightly multiple; 1/2"; covered with old leaf bases, and sometimes for much of its height, living leaves; very bottoms often clean and ringed; deep reddish-brown in color
- Crownshaft: none
- Spread: 2'-3'
- Leaf Description: palmate; deeply divided all the way to base to about 4/5 of length of leaflets; leathery; deep green; arching/drooping leaflets; 1'-2' long (including petiole); upright in orientation
- "'Petiole/leaf bases"': fine, arching; 12"-28"; unsplit; retained along stem nearly entire length
- Reproduction: monoecious
- Inflorescence: 2'; upright; often multiple at same time; from lower to middle stems where still some living leaves; small side branches; creamy white flowers
- Fruit: green to yellow to red-orange when ripe; spherical; 1/4" diameter
- Seed:
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 24F
- Drought Tolerance: low
- Dry Heat Tolerance: low
- Wind Tolerance: low
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: slow
- Soil Preference: moist and well draining/rich/ acidic
- Light Requirement: filtered sun
- Human Hazards: none
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
- Transplants?: very good transplanter
- Indoor?: possibly a good choice (not tried yet)
- Availability: rare but often available at on line tropical palm nurseries
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