Pronunciation: VEECH-ee-uh ar-uh-SEE-nuh
Common Name: Montgomery Palm
Veitchia arecina is easily the hardiest of this genus and a number of mature, fruiting palms are in southern California. This is a fairly common, tropical looking palm from the Vanuatu Islands in the south Pacific. Though does well near the coast, is still a fairly marginal palm for most inland areas of southern California.
Synonyms: Veitchia montgomeryana; Veitchia macdaneilsii
|
Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary with a crown of 8-10 leaves
- Height: 20'
- Trunk: single; 10" thick; promiently ringed pale, light green to grey; widening or 'foot' at bottom
- Crownshaft: 2.5' long; narrow; pale green
- Spread: 10'
- Leaf Description: pinnate; premorse leaflets; flat to leaflets slightly angled downward to drooping; 6' long
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 6"-8" long, nearly tubular; leaf bases have blackish fuzz
- Reproduction: monoecious
- Inflorescence: 2' long, multi branched; upright; pale; greenish-white flowers (male and female on same inflorescence)
- Fruit: 1.5" long, oblong; olive green to pale yellow to finally red when ripe
- Seed:
|
Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 29F
- Drought Tolerance: moderate
- Dry Heat Tolerance: poor
- Wind Tolerance: moderate
- Salt Tolerance: moderate
- Growth Rate: slow
- Soil Preference: widely adaptable
- Light Requirement: full sun to filtered light
- Human Hazards: none
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: does OK in high light indoor situations
- Availability: rare but readily available at palm nurseries
|
