Chambeyronia houailouensis

Chambeyronia houailouensis is a tall crownshaft palm confined to a single lowland valley on Grande Terre, New Caledonia, and listed as Critically Endangered. It carries stiff, arching leaves above a long yellow-green crownshaft, with a band of pale scales along the underside of each leaf midrib.

Collectors knew it for years as Chambeyronia sp. 'Houailou' before it was described in 2021. A relative of the red-leaf palm Chambeyronia macrocarpa, it has larger seeds, and in some plants the new leaves emerge salmon-red.

At a glance

• Native range: New Caledonia (endemic)
• Mature size: 10–25 m in the wild
• Growth rate: moderate to slow
• Light: partial or even deep shade when young; full sun once mature, with light shade in hot, dry climates
• Water: regular, generous watering
• Cold hardiness: survives an occasional light frost; no measured minimum has been published
• Indoors / outdoors: outdoors in warm-temperate to tropical gardens; also grown successfully in containers

Care

Despite its rarity in the wild, it is easy and adaptable in cultivation. It prefers well-drained loam but tolerates poorer ground, and it needs plenty of water. Moderate wind is tolerated.

Why Palmpedia: Every plant is grown in our greenhouse in Almeirim, Portugal, and leaves us in a 15 L to 35 L pot.