Difference between revisions of "Ceroxylon quindiuense"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor
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File:Ceroxylon quindiuenses GGP.JPG|Golden Gate park, San Francisco, California
 
File:Ceroxylon quindiuenses GGP.JPG|Golden Gate park, San Francisco, California
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File:Ceroxylon quindiuense pair farther away GGP.jpg|Golden Gate park
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File:Ceroxylon quindiuens crown Darold.jpg|mature palm in Darold Petty's garden, San Francisco, seen from 3 story balcony
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File:Ceroxylon quindiuense crown GGP.jpg|Golden Gate park
 
File:Ceroxylon quindiuenses D.JPG|San Diego county, California
 
File:Ceroxylon quindiuenses D.JPG|San Diego county, California
 
File:ceroxylon quindeuense again.jpg|Huntington gardens, near Pasadena, California
 
File:ceroxylon quindeuense again.jpg|Huntington gardens, near Pasadena, California
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File:Ceroxylon quindiuense trunking finally H 14.jpg|Huntington gardens 2014 finally trunking
 
File:Ceroxylon quindiuense trunking finally H 14.jpg|Huntington gardens 2014 finally trunking
 
File:Ceroxylon quindieunse trunk GGP.JPG|trunk on palm in San Francisco, Golden Gate park
 
File:Ceroxylon quindieunse trunk GGP.JPG|trunk on palm in San Francisco, Golden Gate park
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File:Ceroxylon quindiuense pair trunks GGP.jpg|northern California
 
File:Ceroxylon 9-05.JPG|San Fernando valley, young palm (lived 4 years, seemingly doing well, until hot day killed it off 4 years from this time)
 
File:Ceroxylon 9-05.JPG|San Fernando valley, young palm (lived 4 years, seemingly doing well, until hot day killed it off 4 years from this time)
 
File:Ceroxylon 6-07.jpg|San Fernando valley, getting bigger
 
File:Ceroxylon 6-07.jpg|San Fernando valley, getting bigger
 
File:Ceroxylon new leaf 3-08.JPG|March in San Fernando valley, 4 months before acutely died
 
File:Ceroxylon new leaf 3-08.JPG|March in San Fernando valley, 4 months before acutely died
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File:Ceroxylon quindieunse Jim.jpg|younger palm in Los Altos, northern California, garden of Jim
 
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[[Category: Ceroxylon]]
 
[[Category: Ceroxylon]]

Revision as of 17:26, 19 May 2015

Pronunciation: sir-OX-ill-lahn kihn-dee-oo-ENSS-ee/kihn-dee-oo-ENSE


Common Name: Andean Wax Palm; Quindio Wax Palm

Ceroxylon quindiuense is one of the more commonly grown Ceroxylons in California, if there really is such a thing. This is a very large and impressive palm, with a nearly pure white, waxy, elegantly ringed trunk and long, nearly straight to slightly arching leaves with coppery undersides. It is a slow growing plant until it forms a trunk and then it picks up a lot of speed. It is a high elevation species (up to nearly 10,000' and has some fairly good cold hardiness). It is far better suited for growing in a cool, temperate climate, such as that around the Bay area in northern California, than the hotter southern California climate. Still, several are managing to get to the trunking size in the southern end of the state. In nature this is the tallest palm tree in the world (sometimes making it to 200').

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: solitary with a crown of 18-25 feather leaves
  • Height: 50'-70'
  • Trunk: single; greyish-white; thickly waxy; dark coppery to dark grey rings are various angles just off horizontal (rarely very evenly ringed)
  • Crownshaft: incomplete, consisting of multiple leaf bases/indistinct; 3'-4' tall
  • Spread: 10'-30' depending on angle of leaves
  • Leaf Description: pinnate; flat, though sometimes appearing slightly plumose; leaves tend to be held very vertical, rarely dipping below horizontal, except in very old palms; 15'-18' long; silvery (young palms) to coppery (older palms) underside of leaflets; bright green dorsally; leaflets somewhat pendulous; spike of new leaf often coppery
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: 1' long; unarmed; silvery wide base fading to light green of rachis
  • Reproduction: monoecious
  • Inflorescence:
  • Fruit: spherical; 3/4" in diameter; orangish-red with ripe
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 25F
  • Drought Tolerance: poor
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: low
  • Cool Tolerance: good
  • Wind Tolerance: low
  • Salt Tolerance: unknown
  • Growth Rate: slow to fast eventually
  • Soil Preference: moist and well draining
  • Light Requirement: filtered to full sun
  • Human Hazards: leaves of mature palms very heavy and can do vehicular damage as well as to passers by and plants below
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: does not like hot weather
  • Transplants?: unknown
  • Indoor?: unknown
  • Availability: very rare, though occasionally available at specialty palm nursery

  • Golden Gate park, San Francisco, California

  • Golden Gate park

  • mature palm in Darold Petty's garden, San Francisco, seen from 3 story balcony

  • Golden Gate park

  • San Diego county, California

  • Huntington gardens, near Pasadena, California

  • Huntington gardens

  • Huntington gardens

  • Huntington gardens

  • underside of leaflets, Huntington gardens

  • underside of leaflets

  • underside of leaflets of juvenile palm

  • petiole and new leaf spike colors

  • Huntington gardens 2014 finally trunking

  • trunk on palm in San Francisco, Golden Gate park

  • northern California

  • San Fernando valley, young palm (lived 4 years, seemingly doing well, until hot day killed it off 4 years from this time)

  • San Fernando valley, getting bigger

  • March in San Fernando valley, 4 months before acutely died

  • younger palm in Los Altos, northern California, garden of Jim

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