Pronunciation: THRYE-nax ray-dee-AUH-tuh
Common Name: Florida Thatch Palm
Thrinax radiata is one of this country's native palm species, and though a Florida native, can grow in California as well. However, it is extremely slow growing here, and only with patience and extreme age can one grow this palm to an appreciable size in California.
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary with a crown of 8-20 fan leaves
- Height: 10' estimate
- Trunk: single; 3"-4"; covered with fiber when young, or a short skirt of retained leaves with age; trunk otherwise clean
- Crownshaft: none
- Spread: 6'-8'
- Leaf Description: palmate; leaf a complete circle; leaves split to about 2/3 of their length with exposed leaflets drooping; prominent hastula; 5' long
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 3' long; tubular; arching slightly; unarmed; leaf bases unsplit
- Reproduction: monoecious
- Inflorescence: 3'-4' upright to arching; from within crown; white-cream flowers
- Fruit:
- Seed:
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 27F
- Drought Tolerance: moderate
- Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate
- Wind Tolerance: good
- Salt Tolerance: good
- Growth Rate: very slow
- Soil Preference: widely adaptable
- Light Requirement: full sun
- Human Hazards: none
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
- Transplants?: fairly good
- Indoor?: can be used, but suffers eventually from lack of light
- Availability: somewhat rare in California, but readily available from Florida growers; sometimes shows up in garden outlet nurseries as house plants
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