Acoelorrhaphe wrightii: Paurotis Palm1
Introduction
This striking fan palm has several to many showy, upright, slender trunks which form attractive tight clumps with multiple suckers clustered at the base. This ensures that there are trunks of different heights on the palm at all times if suckers are not pruned off. Remove the suckers to prevent formation of additional trunks. The two to three-foot-wide fronds are green above and silvery below borne on orange-green, armed petioles. Black, 0.25-inch fruit are borne on bright orange stalks which can be quite showy in the fall. Eventually reaching a height of 25 feet with a variable spread, the slow-growing Paurotis Palm is highly desirable in the landscape. Paurotis Palm is exceptionally attractive with nighttime lighting from below.
Middle-aged Acoelorrhaphe wrightii: Paurotis Palm
General Information
Scientific name: Acoelorrhaphe wrightii
Pronunciation: ah-see-loe-RAY-fee RITE-ee-eye
Common name(s): Paurotis Palm
Family: Arecaceae
USDA hardiness zones: 10A through 11 (Fig. 2)
Origin: native to North America
Invasive potential: little invasive potential
Uses: reclamation; deck or patio; specimen; container or planter; highway median
Availability: not native to North America
Range
Description
Height: 15 to 25 feet
Spread: 10 to 15 feet
Crown uniformity: irregular
Crown shape: palm, upright/erect
Crown density: open
Growth rate: slow
Texture: fine
Foliage
Leaf arrangement: alternate (Fig. 3)
Leaf type: simple
Leaf margin: entire
Leaf shape: star-shaped
Leaf venation: palmate
Leaf type and persistence: evergreen, broadleaf evergreen
Leaf blade length: 18 to 36 inches
Leaf color: green
Fall color: no color change
Fall characteristic: not showy
Flower
Flower color: yellow, white/cream/gray
Flower characteristics: showy
Fruit
Fruit shape: round
Fruit length: less than .5 inch
Fruit covering: fleshy
Fruit color: black
Fruit characteristics: does not attract wildlife; showy; fruit/leaves not a litter problem
Trunk and Branches
Trunk/bark/branches: branches don't droop; showy; typically multi-trunked; thorns
Pruning requirement: little required
Breakage: resistant
Current year twig color: not applicable
Current year twig thickness:
Wood specific gravity: unknown
Culture
Light requirement: full sun, partial sun or partial shade
Soil tolerances: clay; sand; loam; slightly alkaline; acidic; well-drained; extended flooding
Drought tolerance: moderate
Aerosol salt tolerance: moderate
Other
Roots: not a problem
Winter interest: no
Outstanding tree: no
Ozone sensitivity: unknown
Verticillium wilt susceptibility: resistant
Pest resistance: free of serious pests and diseases
Foliage
Use and Management
A native of the Florida Everglades, Paurotis Palm is hardy to about 25 to 28-degrees F. and prefers rich, moist locations. Growing in full sun or partial shade, growth is considerably slower in drier soils and could decline and die without irrigation on a dry, well-drained site. Paurotis Palm is tolerant of salt spray. It is popular as an accent or specimen for large residential, commercial or municipal landscapes where this beautiful palm can be seen in an open setting. Unfortunately, it grows slowly and is hard to come by in the trade. Set it in a bed of plumbago or other sprawling shrub or groundcover to create a striking accent.
Propagation is by seed.
Pests and Diseases
No pests or diseases are of major concern. Paurotis Palm is susceptible to chlorosis from micronutrient deficiencies (especially Mn) when grown in soil with a high pH. It also shows potassium deficiencies.
Footnotes
This document is ENH-217, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date November 1993. Revised December 2006. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
Edward F. Gilman, professor, Environmental Horticulture Department; Dennis G. Watson, associate professor, Agricultural Engineering Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611.
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University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative
Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer, Interim Dean.
