Pronunciation: kam-mee-DOOR-ee-uh wood-soan-ee-ANN-uh
Common Name:
Chamaedorea woodsoniana is the largest of all the Chamaedorea and is not a true understory palm. However, it is not a great full sun palm, either, so best to grow this one under some tall canopy trees. It is one of the only Chamaedoreas with a true 'trunk', and nice, attractive green, ringed one, too. From Central America, and Colombia. Despite its ornamental look and impressive size, it is still a relatively rare palm in southern California.
Chamaedorea vistae is a synonym
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary with a crown of 3-6 pinnate leaves
- Height: 20'-25'
- Trunk: single; smooth; prominently ringed; bright green (looks like a big bamboo culm); 3"-4" thick
- Crownshaft: 12"-18"; green; same diameter as trunk
- Spread: 8'
- Leaf Description: pinnate; upright (falls off before reaching horizontal); flat to slightly 'Vd' in cross section; leaflets stiff and not drooping except at very tips; leaflets grooved; 4'-5' long
- Petiole/Leaf bases: smooth 360 degrees with slight depression on dorsal surface; unarmed; 1' long
- Reproduction: dioecious
- Inflorescence: 2' long and projecting laterally from trunk below crownshaft; branched
- Fruit: spherical; 1/2"; light orange to red to red-black when ripe
- Seed:
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 25F
- Drought Tolerance: poor
- Dry Heat Tolerance: poor
- Wind Tolerance: poor
- Salt Tolerance: poor
- Growth Rate: very slow to moderate with age
- Soil Preference: moist and rich/acidic
- Light Requirement: filtered sun
- Human Hazards: none
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: unknown
- Availability: rare, but occasionally available at palm specialty nurseries; note many times seedlings sold as this end up being something else
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