Desmoncus orthacanthos

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Pronunciation: dez-MON-cuss oar-thuh-CAN-thus


Common Name: Basket Tie-Tie

Desmoncus orthacanthus is a rather unpopular, clustering Central American 'rattan' palm that has been grown in California probably more as a curiosity rather than a beautiful ornamental. This is a potentially tall and very spiny, sprawling, climbing palm that has very 'un-palm-like' leaflets. This plant needs to be grown far from traffic areas and tied up or trained to make movement around it less hazardous (as with any large rattan palm). Actual cold hardiness unclear as it has not been tried often by many growers.

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: clustering with a crown of 10-30 pinnate leaves per stem
  • Height: 25'-30'
  • Trunk: multiple; 1'2"-3/4" in diameter; sparsely ringed; intensely spiny with 1/2"-2" black to gray, stiff, very sharp spines; dull to olive green in color
  • Crownshaft: none
  • Spread: 5'-30'
  • Leaf Description: pinnate; short, ovoid leaflets in clusters of 2-4 along rachis; 5'-6' long; bright green; long black spines along underside of rachis; leaf tips have backwards, stiff, shortened leaflets that act like 'grappling hooks'
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: nonexistent (rachis and leaflets begin right off of stem)
  • Reproduction: monoecious
  • Inflorescence: among leaves; spiny spathe
  • Fruit: spherical to elipsoid; 3/4" long; yellow-orange to red when ripe
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 30F estimate
  • Drought Tolerance: low
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate
  • Wind Tolerance: moderate
  • Salt Tolerance: unknown
  • Growth Rate: slow to moderate with age
  • Soil Preference: adaptable
  • Light Requirement: filtered sun
  • Human Hazards: very spiny palm
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: needs to be 'trained' up a trunk or wall, or can become hard to manage and dangerous
  • Transplants?: unknown
  • Indoor?: can think of few worse choices
  • Availability: very rare


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