Phoenix roebelenii

Botanical Name: Phoenix roebelenii

Common Name:  Pygmy date palm or miniature date palm

Family: Arecaceae (Palmae)

Type:  Broad leaved evergreen palm tree

Origin/Habitat: Southeastern Asia, from southwestern China (Yunnan Province), northern Laos and northern Vietnam

Leaf Character: The leaves are 60–120 cm (24–47 in) long, pinnate, with around 100 leaflets arranged in a single plane Each leaflet is 15–25 cm (6–10 in)1525 cm long and 1 cm broad, slightly drooping, and grey green in color with scurfy pubescence below.

Flower Type: The flowers are small, yellowish, produced on a 45 cm (18 in) inflorescence

Fruit: The fruit is an edible 1 cm drupe resembling a small, thin fleshed date

Exposure: Full to partial Sun, parial shade

Water: Regular Water

Remarks: small to medium sized, slow growing slender tree growing to 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) tall. is a popular ornamental plant in gardens in tropical to warm temperate climate areas. With a minimum temperature requirement of 10–16 °C (50–61 °F), in cooler areas it is grown under glass or as a houseplant.  Has an upright or curving, single trunk topped with a dense, full crown of gracefully arching, leaves. Pygmy Date Palm is quite popular as a specimen planting or in containers, especially attractive at poolside. It is usually used as a single specimen although it is also effective in groups of three or more

Management: Pygmy Date Palm should only be grown in frost-free areas in sun or shade on well-drained soils. Plants should be regularly watered. Magnesium or potassium deficiency symptoms (chlorotic and spotted older fronds) often develop on the older leaves when grown in soils with a pH above 7. It has some salt tolerance, surviving on the inland side of coastal condominiums.

Propagation: By seed.

Pest: Palm leaf skeletonizer and a large number of scales can infest this palm.

Diseases: Leaf spot and bud rot are two diseases which can infect this palm.

Cultivars:  

P.canariensis Canary Island Date Palm

P. dactylifera Date Palm

P. reclinata Senegal Date Palm

P. roebelenii Pygmy Date Palm

P. rupicola Cliff Date Palm

P. sylvestris Silver Date Palm