Difference between revisions of "Rhapis excelsa"

Revision as of 08:13, 13 September 2014

Pronunciation: RAY-piss eck-SELL-suh

Common Name: Lady Palm, Bamboo Palm

Rhapis excelsa is a very commonly grown palm all over the world, and turns out to be a very good palm for many areas of southern California, both indoors as well as outdoors. Numerous dwarf and variegated cultivars exist and highly prized.

Appearance and Biology

Habit: suckering with crowns of dozens of fan leaves
Height: 6'
Trunk: multiple; 1" thick; covered with dense weave of fiber and tiny leaf bases; much of stem has live leaves for much of its length (if watered well)
Crownshaft: none
Spread: 3'-15'+
Leaf Description: palmate; deeply divided to petiole forming 3-7 leaflets; spoke-like half-circles; leaflet ends end abruptly with flat ragged edge (premorse); 2' long; deep green and shiny
Petiole/Leaf bases: fine, arching; unarmed; 12"-16" long
Reproduction: dioecious
Inflorescence: 8"-10" long; white flower
Fruit: 1/2", spherical, white
Seed:

Horticultural Characteristics

Minimum Temp: 22F
Drought Tolerance: moderate
Dry Heat Tolerance: good
Wind Tolerance: moderate
Salt Tolerance: low
Growth Rate: very slow to slow with age; some cultivars exceptionally slow growing
Soil Preference: very widely adaptable
Light Requirement: full sun to full shade
Human Hazards: none
Disease or Horticultural Problems: indoor often plagued with mealy bugs; outdoor in full sun tends to look blanched or yellowy in hot, inland areas
Transplants?: good
Indoor?: excellent- one of the very best indoor of all palms
Availability: commonly available at many standard nurseries; numerous cultivars and variegated forms much more difficult to find and costly, but many available from on line nurseries

Huntington gardens, California
]
Huntington gardens, trimmed plants
Los Angeles coastal mountains
mall plant
Huntington gardens, California
Hawaii
Palm Desert, various forms
Palm Desert
Palm Desert, California
variety Tenzan, Palm Desert
Tenzan form
Tenzan variety, Palm Desert
Tenzan form
Koban form, indoors
Koban form leaf
leaf shot
rhizomatous roots digging up asphalt
golden form, Thailand
bonsai form, Singapore botanical gardens
vareigated forms, Thailand, Nong Nooch gardens
variegated plants in Nong Nooch Gardens, Hawaii
Thailand, Nong Nooch gardens
Thailand
Nong Nooch gardens, Thailand
Hawaii
Hawaii outlet nursery

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 File:Raphis excelsa Lai.JPG|Los Angeles coastal mountains
 File:Rhapis and poinsettias mall.JPG|mall plant
-File:Rhapis more C.jpg|
 File:Rhapis H.JPG|Huntington gardens, California
 File:Rhapis Hilo mall.jpg|Hawaii
@@ Line 54: / Line 53: @@
 File:Rhapis excelsa Tenzan plant.jpg|Tenzan form
 File:Rhapis excelsa Tenzan.JPG|Tenzan variety, Palm Desert
-File:Rhapis 'Tenzan' outdoors PD Nelson.jpgTenzan form
+File:Rhapis 'Tenzan' outdoors PD Nelson.jpg|Tenzan form
 File:Rhapis Koban indoors.JPG|Koban form, indoors
 File:Rhapis Koban leaf.JPG|Koban form leaf
@@ Line 65: / Line 64: @@
 File:Rhapis excelsa variegated NN.jpg|Thailand, Nong Nooch gardens
 File:Rhapis excelsa variegated varieties NN.jpg|Thailand
-File:Rhapis varieg1.JPG|
+File:Rhapis varieg1.JPG| Nong Nooch gardens, Thailand
 File:Rhapis variegated for Dean shot.jpg|Hawaii
 File:Rhapis variegated Lowes.jpg|Hawaii outlet nursery
 </gallery>

Difference between revisions of "Rhapis excelsa"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Revision as of 08:13, 13 September 2014