SCIENTIFIC NAME: Allagoptera arenaria

COMMON NAME(S): Seashore palm
SUB FAMILY: Arecoideae
TRIBE: Cocoeae
ORIGIN: Brazil
HARDINESS ZONES: 9B-11 (no problem at 28 degrees F), (thought to be hardy to 24 degrees F)
TYPICAL MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 4-8'
GROWTH RATE: Slow
HABIT: Clustering (with time); each stem bearing 16-20 leaves
SALT TOLERANCE: High
DROUGHT TOLERANCE: High
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Widely adaptable
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: High
NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS: Low
POPULAR USES: Seaside landscapes; shrub
HUMAN HAZARDS: None
POPULAR OR RECOMMENDED CULTIVARS:

COMMENTS: In its native habitat in coastal Brazil, the seashore palm grows on primary dunes where constant salt exposure is assured. This fact alone makes it an extremely valuable addition to the landscape palm inventory. This shrubby palm slowly forms a short mound of graceful, plume-like leaves that can be massed effectively or used as a single accent with other extremely salt tolerant plants. The leaflets are situated on the rachis in groups of three, with each radiating outward in a different direction, thus lending the leaves a full, foxtail-like quality. The silvery undersides of the leaves are eye-catching in even the slightest sea breeze. The unusual spike-like inflorescences are usually lost among the clusters of leaves. In inland areas, seashore palm does equally well, where its adaptation to beachfront soils allow it to thrive with negligible supplementary fertilization. Seashore palm is at least as hardy as queen palm, and should be trialed further north along the coast of Florida and California.