Copernicia alba

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Pronunciation: coe-purr-KNEE-see-uh AL-buh


Common Name: Caranday Palm, Palma Blanca, Wax Palm

Copernicia alba is probably the hardiest and fastest growing of the Copernicias we can grow here in California. This South American Palm is well represented in southern California and there are several mature specimens in gardens from Santa Barbara to San Diego. It is a highly ornamental, compact-crowned fan palm with waxy leaves, black, closely spaced leaf-bases and very dangerous petiolar teeth. It is a good palm for both deserts and coastal communities. Very closely related to Copernicia prunifera, the Carnuba Wax Palm, a plant some consider a variation of the same species.

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: solitary with a crown of 20-50 fan leaves
  • Height: 30'
  • Trunk: single; 7"-10" thick; either clean in older palms, or with retained leave-bases
  • Crownshaft: none
  • Spread: 6'-8'
  • Leaf Description: palmate; 3'-4' long; fairly stiff, thick leaves but leaflets tend to droop and seem less thick with age; green on top and whitish-green underside; both surfaces have a thin waxy layer
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: long (2'-3' long), thin and very heavily armed with exceptionally sharp dark brown teeth (sometimes a bit hooked); green with brownish stripe down ventral midline; leaf bases closely spaced on trunk and nearly black; unsplit
  • Reproduction: monoecious
  • Inflorescence: 4' long (extending beyond leaf canopy); from middle of crown; multi branched and somewhat wispy
  • Fruit: oval and green to black when ripe
  • Seed:
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 25F
  • Drought Tolerance: moderate
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: good
  • Wind Tolerance: good
  • Salt Tolerance: moderate
  • Growth Rate: slow to moderate with age
  • Soil Preference: very widely adaptable
  • Light Requirement: full sun
  • Human Hazards: very sharp petiolar teeth- caution when trimming
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
  • Transplants?: moderately successful as a transplant species
  • Indoor?: poor choice
  • Availability: rare but readily available at many palm specialty nurseries


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