Pronunciation: klin-oh-STIG-muh har-LAND-ee-eye
Common Name:
Clinostigma harlandii is still a very rare tropical palm for southern California, but some have managed to grow this to near maturity. This south Pacific island palm has shown little frost tolerance, but still grows rather well in frost free zones. It is a very ornamental, as all Clinostigmas are, but so far, it is only of two species that have had success in California.
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary with a crown of 6-10 feather leaves (in California)
- Height: 30' estimate
- Trunk: single; prominently but irregularly ringed; glaucous green for much of its length- white tomentum covering top 2-4 rings; 6"-8" thick
- Crownshaft: 2' long with prominent narrowing towards crown; glaucous yellowy-green
- Spread: 12'
- Leaf Description: light green; about 6'-8' long; about 50 pendulous leaflets per side of leaf
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 12"-18" long; nearly tubular/smooth; unarmed
- Reproduction: monoecious
- Inflorescence: 1' long, highly branched; horizontally oriented from immediately below crownshaft
- Fruit: 1cm diameter; spherical; bright red when ripe
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 32F
- Drought Tolerance: low
- Dry Heat Tolerance: low
- Wind Tolerance: low
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: slow to moderate with age
- Soil Preference: seems a bit adaptable, but preferring acidic soils
- Light Requirement: partial to full sun
- Human Hazards: none
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: leaves tend to brown tip badly in low humidity and winds/ cold
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: unlikely would do well
- Availability: rare, but occasionally available from on line palm sources
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