Other Names:  Black Palm, Chumba Wumba

Description:

This large and beautiful solitary variety with an arching, umbrella shaped crown; trunk is covered with long black spines; cream colored flowers are followed by orange fruit; attractive in the landscape, planted individually or in groupings

Ornamental Features

Mocora Palm features showy spikes of white flowers held atop the branches from mid spring to early summer. The orange fruits are held in abundance in spectacular clusters from early to late fall. It has green evergreen foliage. The narrow pinnately compound leaves remain green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Mocora Palm is an evergreen tree with a strong central leader and a towering form, with a high canopy of foliage concentrated at the top of the plant. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects
• Disease
• Spiny

Mocora Palm is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade
• Vertical Accent

Planting & Growing

Mocora Palm will grow to be about 50 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a high canopy of foliage that sits well above the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

This tree 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. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.