Palms For California

Pronunciation: tuh-HEE-nuh speck-TAB-bill-iss

Common Name: Tahina Palm

Tahina spectabilis is not only a very new palm for California, but for the world as well, as it was only discovered 2006. So of course enthusiasts clambering to see if this palm will grow here in California have been thirsting for this very rare Madagascan palm. And surprisingly it is a viable option for the warmer, basically frost free California gardens. This is a monocarpic species that develops a massive crown of leaves and then a huge terminal flower, not unlike that of several Coryphas. As a young palm it is quite attractive having nearly pure white, long petioles, a literally circular, deeply split leaf and a distichous habit initially. Obviously there are no mature palms in California… yet.

Appearance and Biology Habit: solitary with a crown of 10-15 fan leaves Height: 15' estimate Trunk: single; 10" estimate; closely ringed Crownshaft: none Spread: 10'-15' Leaf Description: palmate; circular; divided about 2/3 its length; leaf blades up to 4' across; along with petioles, leaves 8'-10' long; lime green Petiole/Leaf bases: 4'-5' long; pale yellow-green fading to white near bases; unarmed; deeply channeled with sharp margins; leaf bases white (with tomentum) and split, though only retained for a short time on trunk, which is eventually self-cleaning Reproduction: monoecious; monocarpic Inflorescence: terminal in leaf crown and huge (10'+) and tree-like with many branches Fruit: 1" long; ovoid; pale green turning light brown when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 32F estimate Drought Tolerance: moderate Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate (so far) Wind Tolerance: poor Salt Tolerance: unknown Growth Rate: slow Soil Preference: well draining but so far not very picky Light Requirement: partial to full sun Human Hazards: sharp petiolar blades Disease or Horticultural Problems: always yellowy, but suspect that may be 'normal'; perhaps prefers somewhat alkaline soils Transplants?: unknown Indoor?: unknown Availability: very rare, but seed is available through at least one source so far