Dictyosperma album

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Pronunciation: dick-tee-oh-SPUR-muh AL-bum


Common Name: Hurricane Palm; Princess Palm

Dictyosperma album is a very common landscape palm in the tropics and southern Florida, but in California it is a bit marginal, and though survives in many enthusiasts yards, it rarely looks that good, at least compared to its potential beauty. Unofficial variety rubrum has reddish flowers and red in leaves in young palms. Dictyosperma 'furfuraceum' not recognized as a separate species so included here.

Synonyms: Dictyosperma album 'rubrum'; Dictyosperma furfuraceum

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: solitary with a crown of 8-15 feather leaves
  • Height: 20'
  • Trunk: single; 6" thick; closely ringed; brown
  • Crownshaft: 18"; whitish-green fading to tan near leaf bases; often bulging near base (wider than trunk diameter) but narrowing at top to thinner than trunk diameter
  • Spread: 10'
  • Leaf Description: pinnate; 6' long; flat; gracefully arching; most leaves above horizontal; dark green, ridged leaflets; leaflets gracefully pendulous near tips
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: 1' long; pale tan; unarmed; un-split bases
  • Reproduction: monoecious
  • Inflorescence: 1' long; dust-broom-like; upright at 45 degree angle; from below crownshaft; spathes torpedo-like; flowers yellowish
  • Fruit: spherical; 1/2"; purply-black when ripe
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 30F
  • Drought Tolerance: poor
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: low
  • Cool Tolerance: low
  • Wind Tolerance: good
  • Salt Tolerance: moderate
  • Growth Rate: slow
  • Soil Preference: adaptable
  • Light Requirement: filtered sun to partial sun
  • Human Hazards: none
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
  • Transplants?: unknown
  • Indoor?: unknown
  • Availability: somewhat rare


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