Other Names:  Wax Palm

Description:

A stunning, tall and showy palm for the landscape, featuring a graceful, thin trunk topped with a dense crown of large, arching, fan shaped fronds; attractive cream flowers are followed by clusters of black fruits; leaf bases are persistent when young

Ornamental Features

Caranday Palm has attractive grayish green foliage with silver undersides on a tree with the bulk of the canopy held atop a towering trunk or stem. The large spiny palmate leaves are highly ornamental and remain grayish green throughout the winter. It features dainty clusters of creamy white flowers held atop the branches in mid spring. The fruits are showy dark green drupes which fade to black over time, which are displayed in mid summer. The smooth gray bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Caranday Palm is an open 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. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spiny

Caranday Palm is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Vertical Accent
• Mass Planting

Planting & Growing

Caranday Palm will grow to be about 40 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 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 slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings.