Pronunciation: sir-ROX-ih-lawn ven-trih-COE-sum
Common Name: Ecuadorean Wax Palm, Andean Wax Palm
Ceroxylon ventricosum is a very rare palm for southern California, but when well grown, is one of the most awe-inspiring and impressive palms one can grow here. This palm has a pure white, waxy trunk, ornamentally ringed, and topped off with a full, 'V'-shaped crown of long, straight leaves. The mature pair growing in Ventura are among the most amazing palms that can be viewed in California. Unfortunately it is a very fastidious palm and dislikes heat and arid climates (best near the coast). It does, however, have very good cold tolerance (comes from high altitude in Ecuador). Seems to be a difficult palm and even gives trouble to those trying to grow it in northern California.
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary with a crown of 25-30 feather leaves
- Height: 80' estimate
- Trunk: single; waxy and pure white its entire length with wide grey rings; 15" in diameter; self cleaning
- Crownshaft: none
- Spread: 20'-25'
- Leaf Description: pinnate; mildly plumose with leaflets closely spaced and on two barely offset planes; basically flat otherwise; 15' long; dark green dorsally and silvery below
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 18" long; stiff, nearly white on ventral surface (rarely see the other one)
- Reproduction: dioecious
- Inflorescence: 6' long arching to hang below leaf crown
- Fruit: reddish-orange fruit when ripe (rarely if ever see in California as nearly impossible to pollinate these palms)
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 21F
- Drought Tolerance: poor
- Dry Heat Tolerance: poor
- Cool Tolerance: excellent
- Wind Tolerance: fairly good
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: slow to moderate, and even fast with advanced age
- Soil Preference: moist and well draining, acidic
- Light Requirement: full sun
- Human Hazards: leaves are heavy and fall from great height, but tend to hug trunk all the way down
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: difficult palm when younger- does not like heat or dry winds
- Transplants?: likely very poor
- Indoor?: unlikely a good candidate
- Availability: rare and only now and then shows up at specialty nurseries
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