Pronunciation: GOW-see-uh MY-uh
Common Name: Maya Palm
Gaussia maya is somewhat of a curiosity palm, grown by collectors who want to grow something they can, but not necessarily for ornamental value. Young palms do have interesting and ornamental ringed, bottle trunks, but these eventually become columnar with age. This palm only tends to hold a few leaves at a time in California (not much more impressive in the tropics, though), so it always seems a bit anemic. This is by far the most cold tolerant member of the genus.
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary with a crown of 3-5 pinnate leaves
- Height: 18' estimate
- Trunk: single; 6"-7" diameter; ringed trunk with top few trunk segments being green; rest below turn a pale tan; young palms have a bottle-shaped trunk when 1'-2' of trunk
- Crownshaft: 12" tall; hidden often by retained dead leaves; glaucous green and somewhat incomplete; narrower for most of its length than the trunk diameter
- Spread: 4'-5'
- Leaf Description: pinnate; plumose; leaves vertically oriented with gradual arch to about 45 degrees from vertical; glaucous green; leaflets pendulous
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 1' long; channeled; unarmed; glaucous green
- Reproduction: monoecious
- Inflorescence: 1'-2'; very vertically oriented (to being pressed up against crownshaft); from below crownshaft; usually several present at a time, often circling the trunk; branched
- Fruit: spherical; 1/2"; reddish-orange when ripe
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 25F
- Drought Tolerance: moderate
- Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate
- Wind Tolerance: moderate to poor
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: slow
- Soil Preference: adaptable
- Light Requirement: filtered light to full sun
- Human Hazards: none
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: has been used but needs a lot of light and good air circulation
- Availability: rare but often available from palm specialty nurseries
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