Difference between revisions of "Phoenix canariensis"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor
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'''Common Name''': Canary Island Date Palm
 
'''Common Name''': Canary Island Date Palm
 
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'''''Phoenix canariensis''''' is one of the most massive of all the palms for Southern California and also one of the most prized, as well as common.   
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'''''Phoenix canariensis''''' is one of the most massive of all the palms for southern California and also one of the most prized, as well as common.  Excellent landscape for parks, public gardens and avenues, but a a bit large for most private gardens.  Creates a very dense shade beneath which even grass can struggle to grow it's so dark. Despite producing huge volumes of colorful dates, they are fairly inedible, though squirrels love them.  One of the fastest growing of all palms in southern California
  
 
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*'''Human Hazards''': extremely hazardous leaf bases with sharp, stiff spines up to 1' long that can penetrate a boot, at various angles (caution when trimming!)
 
*'''Human Hazards''': extremely hazardous leaf bases with sharp, stiff spines up to 1' long that can penetrate a boot, at various angles (caution when trimming!)
 
*'''Disease or Horticultural Problems''': fusarium wilt a big problem with this species- only trim palms with clean loppers and saws (disinfect if trimming multiple palms); mineral deficiencies can be common in sandy or overused soils
 
*'''Disease or Horticultural Problems''': fusarium wilt a big problem with this species- only trim palms with clean loppers and saws (disinfect if trimming multiple palms); mineral deficiencies can be common in sandy or overused soils
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*'''Transplants?''': fairly good transplant success even in large, mature palms; palms with little or no trunk tend to set back if not handled extremely carefully, though
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*'''Transplants?''': fairly good transplant success even in large, mature palms- however, if trunk injured during move, can take palm up to 3 years to die (important when agreeing to guarantees under 3 years); palms with little or no trunk tend to set back if not handled extremely carefully, though
 
*'''Indoor?''': no a good choice for obvious reasons
 
*'''Indoor?''': no a good choice for obvious reasons
 
*'''Availability''': extremely common
 
*'''Availability''': extremely common
 
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<gallery>
 
<gallery>
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file:photo.jpg|Description
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File:Phoenix ave 2 Bhs.JPG|avenue trees
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file:photo.jpg|Description
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File:Phoenix canariensis 2 reseda.JPG|San Fernando Valley
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File:Phoenix canariensis Sherman Way 20.jpg|San Fernando Valley
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File:Phoenix canariensis Santa Monica ave.jpg|Los Angeles coastal
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File:Phoenix canariensis in sun hdc.JPG|
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File:Phoenix canariensis Monrovia.jpg|Pasadena area, California
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File:Phoenix canariensis neighborhood.JPG|San Fernando Valley, California
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File:Phoenix canariensis short BHs.jpg|Los Angeles
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File:Phoenix canariensis LA arb curved in lawn.jpg|Los Angeles arboretum
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File:PHoenix canariensis arched larb again.JPG|Los Angeles arboretum
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File:Phoenix canariensis crown Sherman Way.jpg|crown
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File:Phoenix canariensis tall from underneath.JPG|tall palm (about 70')
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File:Phoenix canariensis head.JPG|crown
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File:Phoenix canariensis in Orlando.jpg|look of palms in Florida
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File:Phoenix canariensis small colorful Shrmn Oks.jpg|San Fernando Valley, California
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File:Phoenix canariensis trunk cut.JPG|trimmed trunk
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File:Phoenix canariensis trunk trimmed naturally.JPG|leaves trimmed to true trunk
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File:Phoenix canariensis trunk Disney.JPG|trimmed trunk Disneyland
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File:Phoenix canariensis trunk root ball Pasadena.jpg|trunk base
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File:Phoenix canariensis cut leaves.JPG|leaves cut leaving some petiole
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File:Phoenix canariensis leaf bases.JPG|cut leaf bases
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File:Phoenix canariensis trunk again.JPG|trunk
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File:Phoenix canariensis pineapple leaf bases.JPG|pruned like a 'pineapple'
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File:Phoenix canariensis heavily pruned Van Nuys.jpg|overpruned tree
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File:Phoenix canariensis tied Up SB.JPG|leaves tied up after recent transplant
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File:phoenix variation 1.jpg|both Phoenix canariensis, but sparser tree probably hybrid
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File:Phoenix camparison 2.jpg|Phoenix canariensis versus dactylifera
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File:Phoenix canariensis vs Jubaea H.jpg|Phoenix canariensis (left) versus Jubaea (right)
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File:Phoenix with magnesium deficiencies.jpg|mineral deficiency look
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>

Revision as of 20:29, 5 August 2014

Pronunciation: FEE-nix kuh-nair-ee-EN-siss


Common Name: Canary Island Date Palm

Phoenix canariensis is one of the most massive of all the palms for southern California and also one of the most prized, as well as common. Excellent landscape for parks, public gardens and avenues, but a a bit large for most private gardens. Creates a very dense shade beneath which even grass can struggle to grow it's so dark. Despite producing huge volumes of colorful dates, they are fairly inedible, though squirrels love them. One of the fastest growing of all palms in southern California

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: Solitary with a huge crown of up to 100 leaves
  • Height: 70'+
  • Trunk: single 3' in diameter; clean but covered with leaf scars (may retain a sparse petticoat of dead leaves if not pruned regularly, which most are); often top 3'-4' below crown of leaves the trunk is pruned less severely leaving a dense bulge of leaf bases giving one the vague impression of a pineapple; bottom 1'-4' of trunk is often covered with adventitious roots, particularly where planted in lawns with sprinklers
  • Crownshaft: none
  • Spread: 30'
  • Leaf Description: pinnate; long (15'-20') and arching; leaves have two barely offset planes of densely packed 1', stiff, induplicate leaflets, all ending in a sharp, but not too painfully sturdy, point; color of leaves a bright, deep, glossy green;
  • Petiole: almost non-existent unless one considers the base of the leaf armed with modified, sharp, spiny leaflets as part of the petiole (hard to tell then where the petiole ends and rachis begins); very sturdy (almost woody), curved underneath and flat on top
  • Reproduction: monoecious and very promiscuous (Phoenix interbreed freely in California due to their vast numbers and many hybrids are created all the time)
  • Inflorescence: 3'-4' slightly arching, orange and many-branched; arising from within leaf bases within crown- often a palm will have multiple levels of inflorescences in various stages of flowering or fruiting
  • Fruit: 3/4" green to yellow to orange or sometimes nearly red
  • Seed: 1/2" oblong brown
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 18F with some foliar damage (less with advancing age)
  • Drought Tolerance: good once established (can take up to 3 years)
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: good
  • Wind Tolerance: fair to good
  • Salt Tolerance: moderate
  • Growth Rate: fast to very fast with age
  • Soil Preference: very adaptable to just about any soil type
  • Light Requirement: full sun
  • Human Hazards: extremely hazardous leaf bases with sharp, stiff spines up to 1' long that can penetrate a boot, at various angles (caution when trimming!)
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: fusarium wilt a big problem with this species- only trim palms with clean loppers and saws (disinfect if trimming multiple palms); mineral deficiencies can be common in sandy or overused soils
  • Transplants?: fairly good transplant success even in large, mature palms- however, if trunk injured during move, can take palm up to 3 years to die (important when agreeing to guarantees under 3 years); palms with little or no trunk tend to set back if not handled extremely carefully, though
  • Indoor?: no a good choice for obvious reasons
  • Availability: extremely common

  • avenue trees

  • San Fernando Valley

  • San Fernando Valley

  • Los Angeles coastal

  • Phoenix canariensis in sun hdc.JPG

  • Pasadena area, California

  • San Fernando Valley, California

  • Los Angeles

  • Los Angeles arboretum

  • Los Angeles arboretum

  • crown

  • tall palm (about 70')

  • crown

  • look of palms in Florida

  • San Fernando Valley, California

  • trimmed trunk

  • leaves trimmed to true trunk

  • trimmed trunk Disneyland

  • trunk base

  • leaves cut leaving some petiole

  • cut leaf bases

  • trunk

  • pruned like a 'pineapple'

  • overpruned tree

  • leaves tied up after recent transplant

  • both Phoenix canariensis, but sparser tree probably hybrid

  • Phoenix canariensis versus dactylifera

  • Phoenix canariensis (left) versus Jubaea (right)

  • mineral deficiency look

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