SCIENTIFIC NAME: Hyophorbe lagenicaulis

COMMON NAME(S): Bottle palm
SUB FAMILY: Ceroxyloideae
TRIBE: Hyophorbeae
ORIGIN: Round Island (Mascarenes)
HARDINESS ZONES: 10B-11 (damaged but recovered at 24 degrees F)
TYPICAL MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 12'
GROWTH RATE: Slow
HABIT: Solitary; crown of 4-8 leaves
SALT TOLERANCE: High
DROUGHT TOLERANCE: Moderate
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Widely adaptable
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Moderate; high
NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS: Moderate
POPULAR USES: Small specimen tree
HUMAN HAZARDS: None
POPULAR OR RECOMMENDED CULTIVARS: None

COMMENTS: Bottle palm is cultivated throughout the world for its wonderfully novel shape and beautifully-sculpted crownshaft. It is thus ironic that on Round Island in the Mascarene chain (the only known habitat for this popular palm) only 15 or so individuals remain. Despite the bizarrely swollen trunk, which most people assume to be a water storage adaptation, bottle palm requires irrigation during dry periods to look its best, especially if planted in full sun. Bottle palm thrives on heat and is very salt tolerant, but is severely damaged if not killed outright by freezing temperatures. Regular fertilization is essential to keep bottle palm's sparse canopy in good condition. In Florida it is particularly susceptible to potassium deficiency.