SCIENTIFIC NAME: Nannorrhops ritchiana

COMMON NAME(S): Mazari palm
SUB FAMILY: Coryphoideae
TRIBE: Corypheae
ORIGIN: Afghanistan, Pakistan to Arabia
HARDINESS ZONES: 8-11 (no problem at 26 degrees F), (thought to be hardy to 10 degrees F)
TYPICAL MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 10' (range of 5-25')
GROWTH RATE: Slow
HABIT: Clustering, branching; stems die back after flowering; 30-40 leaves
SALT TOLERANCE: Moderate
DROUGHT TOLERANCE: High
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Widely adaptable if well-drained
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: High
NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS: Low
POPULAR USES: Shrub
HUMAN HAZARDS: None
POPULAR OR RECOMMENDED CULTIVARS: None

COMMENTS: This unusual species may be the hardiest of all palms, adapted through its native range to extremes of summer heat and winter cold. The mazari palm is also extremely slow-growing, even in very mild winter areas. As each stem prepares to flower, new leaves emerge progressively smaller. The branched flowerstem is produced from the tip of the stem and towers above the leaf canopy. After fruiting, the stem eventually dies back, but not before branching just below the crown. With its habit of both clustering below ground and branching above, the mazari palm can form a specimen of impressive spread if not height. The powdery blue-green leaves create an eye-catching accent. Throughout its desert range, it is a source of palm cabbage, and fiber for weaving and rope manufacture. The fruits are also eaten.