Copernicia baileyana

Copernicia baileyana, the Bailey palm or yarey, is a massive fan palm endemic to the savannas of central and eastern Cuba. Its trunk is a smooth, pale grey to almost white column, often swollen part-way up, crowned by a dense head of very stiff, almost circular leaves.

The blades vary from glossy green to waxy silver-grey. In Cuba the leaves are plaited into hats and baskets; elsewhere it is grown as a specimen palm that takes its time to form a trunk.

At a glance

• Native range: central and eastern Cuba
• Mature size: 10–20 m
• Growth rate: slow to moderate, much faster with water and feeding
• Light: full sun; shaded plants grow much more slowly
• Water: very drought tolerant once established, but best in moist, well-drained soil
• Cold hardiness: brief frosts to about −3 to −4 °C on mature palms, with possible leaf damage
• Indoors / outdoors: an outdoor specimen palm for warm gardens

Care

Give it full sun and fertile, well-drained soil, ideally neutral to alkaline. It responds strongly to fertiliser, particularly potassium, magnesium and boron. It has some salt tolerance. The leaf stalks are toothed and sharp, so take care when grooming.

Why Palmpedia: Grown in our greenhouse in Almeirim, Portugal, and supplied in 15 L to 35 L pots.