Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Bluestem Palmetto, Blue Palm, Dwarf Palmetto

Description:

This exceptionally vigorous variety is one of the hardiest palms known; makes a perfect garden or small landscape accent; tends to grow larger and faster than the species; tolerates drought once established, and adapts to a wide variety of soils;

Ornamental Features

McCurtain Palmetto has attractive bluish-green foliage with hints of powder blue on a plant with the bulk of the canopy held atop a towering trunk or stem. The lobed palmate leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. It features showy panicles of creamy white flowers held atop the branches in late spring. The fruits are showy black drupes displayed from late summer to mid fall.

Landscape Attributes

McCurtain Palmetto is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a towering form, with a high canopy of foliage concentrated at the top of the plant. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.

McCurtain Palmetto is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

McCurtain Palmetto will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.

McCurtain Palmetto makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.