Palm
Old Man Palm
Coccothrinax crinita (R.D.Hoyt) Becc.
Western Cuba
Fun factThe palm's beard is made of fibres left behind by every leaf it has ever shed, so the coat thickens as the palm ages; it takes many years to reach an impressive size, and seeds take about six months to germinate.
The old man palm is a slow-growing, solitary fan palm whose trunk is entirely wrapped in a dense, shaggy coat of woolly white to brown fibres, the 'beard' that gives it its name. The fibres emerge with each new leaf and remain on the stem after the leaf falls. It carries a crown of drooping fan-shaped fronds, green above and silvery beneath, and in spring produces long hanging sprays of tiny creamy flowers followed by purple fruits. It is very rare in its native Cuban habitat but tough and easy to grow in gardens.
Sourced · see Record tab
4on the estate
0carrying a tag
4sponsored
FamilyArecaceae
Spanish namePalma de anciano
Also known asThatch palm, Mat palm, Palma de anciano, Palma petate, Guano petate
Native toWestern Cuba, in grassland, savannah and scrubland
| Tag | Garden area | Zone | Planted | Status | Sponsored | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Palm Jungle | B | 17 June 2016 | Planted | Mike F., USA | |
| — | Palm Jungle | B | 17 June 2016 | Planted | Mike F., USA | |
| — | Palm Jungle | B | 17 June 2016 | Planted | Mike F., USA | |
| — | Palm Jungle | B | 17 June 2016 | Planted | Mike F., USA |
4 of these have no tag yet; they will be numbered when the garden team re-tags the estate.