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<\/p>\nDate palms are littered throughout the central Florida landscape. \u00a0While not native, they are certainly ubiquitous and have adapted well to Florida’s climate.\u00a0 I’ve often wondered how the original specimens were introduced.\u00a0 Perhaps it was a plant pioneer like David Fairchild or Henry Nehrling.\u00a0 These palms certainly occupy an important part of Florida’s landscape, particularly central Florida.<\/p>\n
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In the 1990’s, every new road construction project or condominium complex was accompanied by dozens of Phoenixcanariensis<\/em> or P. dactylifera.<\/em>\u00a0 Their large scale however, made these palms non-practical for the average homeowner.<\/p>\n Enter the diminutive Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelinii<\/em>) which has been readily available in home improvement stores for seemingly decades now.\u00a0 This palm is commonly sold as a double or triples and is very common in often unimaginative, boiler plate landscapes.\u00a0 My wife, Miriam, worked many years for a land development company.\u00a0 Knowing the plant geek that I am, she would often send me the landscape architect’s proposed plant list for an apartment complex or home subdivision beautification. \u00a0In almost 100% of the plans I perused, the Pygmy Date Palm was listed.<\/p>\n When larger homes were being built, a circular driveway almost always surrounded a huge clump of Phoenix reclinata<\/em>.\u00a0 Perhaps more than any other Phoenix<\/em>, this one has made itself most at home in Florida.\u00a0 It can be seen in a naturalized state across central and south Florida with some ancient specimens visible in various parts of the Everglades.\u00a0 As with P. canariensis<\/em> and P. dactylifera<\/em>, P. reclinata<\/em> is better suited to larger spaces than the average yard provides<\/p>\n Finally, there are the hybrids which more than likely easily outnumber the pure species.\u00a0 Take a trip to Orlando’s Universal City Walk and you will \u00a0see what I mean.\u00a0 Hybrids of every size and shape adorn the entry to this entertainment complex.\u00a0 I have \u00a0heard it said that \u00a0central Florida is a Phoenix “playground” where more distinct hybrids can be found than anywhere else in the world.\u00a0 There are many other Phoenix<\/em> species that have gone unnamed here, but the biggest omission is quite possibly the most beautiful member of the genus, Phoenix rupicola<\/em>.<\/p>\n Photo by Scott Zona of cultivated palm.<\/p><\/div>\n Rarely seen outside of the collector\u2019s garden, Phoenix rupicola<\/em> is the gem of the genus.\u00a0 Its intermediate size lends itself to larger and smaller landscape projects, yet it is remarkably absent from the trade.\u00a0 The largest specimens are rarely over 25 feet tall and the trunks are typically 1 foot in diameter.<\/p>\n Photo by Scott Zona of cultivated palm.<\/p><\/div>\n As with other Phoenix<\/em>, this palm is adaptable to a variety of terrain and conditions.\u00a0 A native of India and Bhutan, it grows in wet and dry areas at lower and higher elevations.\u00a0 Per Paul Craft and Robert Riffle, the palm can be found at elevations from 1,000-4,000 feet in wet and dry mountainous forests.<\/p>\n Phoenix rupicola growing in the eastern Himalayan foothills of India. Photo by David Tanswell.<\/p><\/div>\n Phoenix rupicola growing in the eastern Himalayan foothills of India. Photo by David Tanswell.<\/p><\/div>\n One of the most beautiful specimens I’ve seen anywhere is growing at the legendary Tampa garden of Dr. U.A. Young.\u00a0 This palm was planted in the 1960’s and easily has 20 feet of clear trunk.\u00a0 I mention this because most references list Phoenix rupicola<\/em> as one of the least cold tolerant members of the genus suited only for zones 10 and higher.\u00a0 While the foliage can be damaged by heavy frost and\/or temperatures below 28\u00b0F, the growing point can easily sustain temperatures into the lower 20’s.<\/p>\n Phoenix rupicola<\/em> is intolerant of poorly draining soils but does benefit from being kept reasonably moist.\u00a0 In my experience, this palm prefers composted organic matter over out-of the-bag fertilizers.\u00a0 In many ways, it resembles how I would grow a banana plant more than a palm.\u00a0 Dr. Young’s specimen is planted in full sun, but mine is equally happy in a partially shaded situation.<\/p>\n Author’s palm growing in his garden.<\/p><\/div>\n Phoenix rupicola<\/em> is considerably less dangerous than some of its brethren with softer, less rigid spines. \u00a0The leaves are slightly twisted halfway down the rachis so that the individual leaflets sit in a vertical position reminiscent of Cocos nucifera<\/em>. Another attractive feature is the inflorescence with its eye catching, orange-red seeds.\u00a0 A mistakenly overlooked and underutilized palm, Phoenix rupicola<\/em> can be grown in central Florida with long term success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Date palms are littered throughout the central Florida landscape. \u00a0While not native, they are certainly ubiquitous and have adapted well to Florida’s climate.\u00a0 I’ve often wondered how the original specimens were introduced.\u00a0 Perhaps it was a plant pioneer like David Fairchild or Henry Nehrling.\u00a0 These palms certainly occupy an important part of Florida’s landscape, particularly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2435,"featured_media":27053,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/palms.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ph-rupicola-at-FIU-Miami-SZona-768x1024.jpg\")
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