Palms For California

Pronunciation: NAN-uh-rops rich-ee-ANN-uh

Common Name: Mazari Palm

Nannorrhops ritchiana is one of the hardiest palms for southern California, but you wouldn't know it based on its rarity and difficulty as a young palm. But it comes from the Middle East where conditions are truly brutal- high heat, drought, cold winters, windy. And once established and growing well, it is indeed a wonderful, ornamental and tough palm, good for most areas of southern California. Some considering this the most hardy palm due to its extraordinarily wide climate tolerances, though not as cold hardy as Rhapidophyllum.

Synonym: Nannorrhops stockiana

Appearance and Biology Habit: suckering with a crown of 20-40 leaves per stem Height: 10' tall trunk (13'-15' overall height) Trunk: multiple; 8" diameter; covered tightly with retained leaf bases; top 2' of trunk also covered with a brownish-yellow cottony fiber (looks a bit like fiberglass insulation); with age trunks begin to branch/split dichotomously, often with one flowering and dying while other keeps on growing for a while Crownshaft: none Spread: 6'-10'+ Leaf Description: mildly costapalmate (palmate until maturing); blue-green to sea green, rarely whitish-blue; leaves split about 3/4 of their length, leaflets fairly stiff by floppy at tips sometimes (some forms have markedly drooping leaflets); 3'-4' long; relatively narrow leaf blade (maybe 1/4-1/3 of a full circle only) Petiole/Leaf bases: smooth and unarmed; flat on top and curved below; leaf bases split and tend to remain on trunk forever Reproduction: monoecious and monocarpic behavior (stem or branch dies after flowering, but plant continues to grow on) Inflorescence: 4'-6' and over 1" in diameter; from top of stem next to newest leaf; upright, with multiple side branches; white flowers Fruit: green in adhered clusters, to brownish orange when ripe; 1/2" in diameter Seed:

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 14F Drought Tolerance: good (once established, which if moved, can take years) Dry Heat Tolerance: excellent Cool Tolerance: good Wind Tolerance: good Salt Tolerance: moderate Growth Rate: very slow to moderate with age Soil Preference: well drained but tolerant of types Light Requirement: full sun Human Hazards: none Disease or Horticultural Problems: difficult when seedling Transplants?: poor as adult, and seedling if roots disturbed, but can be done Indoor?: very poor choice Availability: rare but often available from plant specialty nurseries