Palms For California

Pronunciation: pih-NANG-uh fill-uh-pih-NEN-siss

Common Name: Elmer's Palm

Pinanga philippinensis is probably the most ornamental of the palms that can be grown well in California. It is a suckering species with yellow to purple crownshafts and neat, smaller crowns of recurved, pinnate leaves. Most palms in California stay fairly compact and tidy, unlike in the tropics where they get much taller and lankier, and, frankly, less ornamental. Most Californias know this species by its synonym, Pinanga elmeri.

Synonym: Pinanga elmeri

Appearance and Biology Habit: clustering with a crown of 3-5 feather leaves per stem Height: 6' Trunk: multiple; 2" to 3" thick; ringed with wide, white leaf scars that immediately narrow above and widen slowly to the next ring; light green Crownshaft: 1' tall; yellow to blue green to purple below (the more tropical the climate, the more purple in the crownshaft); a bit thicker than stem below Spread: 3'-6'+ Leaf Description: pinnate; flat; somewhat recurved and 'V' on cross section; 2'-3' long; bright green Petiole/Leaf bases: 1"-3" long; yellow to orange at its base, sometimes with some purple; unarmed; un-split; channeled at very base, but rounded after Reproduction: monoecious Inflorescence: from below crownshaft; pendulous; branched; 8" long; flowers creamy Fruit: ellipsoid; 1/2" long; pink to red to purplish black when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 29F Drought Tolerance: low Dry Heat Tolerance: low to moderate Cool Tolerance: low Wind Tolerance:low Salt Tolerance: unknown Growth Rate: slow Soil Preference: adaptable Light Requirement: filtered sun to partial sun Human Hazards: none Disease or Horticultural Problems: none Transplants?: unknown Indoor?: unknown Availability: rare

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  garden of Ralph Velez, Orange county, California

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  Velez collection

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  Pauleen Sullivan estate, Ventura, California, single stem form

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  Sherman Oaks, California

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  Huntington Beach, California

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  Huntington Beach

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  Floribunda Palms, Hawaii

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  Pauleen Sullivan estate, Hawaii

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  Floribunda Palms

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  Floribunda Palms

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  Sullivan collection, Hawaii

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  Floribunda Palms

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  Marcus garden, Hawaii

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  Huntington Beach

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  Hawaii, Sullivan collection

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  Floribunda palms

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  Floribunda palms

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  Floribunda Palms