Copernicia hospita

Copernicia hospita, the Cuban wax palm, is a single-trunked fan palm endemic to the savannas and dry woodland of central Cuba. Its stiff, almost circular leaves are dusted on both faces with whitish wax, so that the crown looks grey-blue to nearly silver.

It was the first Copernicia described from Cuba. Outside the island it is valued in warm, dry gardens for its pale, rounded crown.

At a glance

• Native range: central Cuba
• Mature size: usually 4–8 m
• Growth rate: slow
• Light: full sun from the seedling stage
• Water: very good drainage; withstands long droughts but grows faster with regular summer watering
• Cold hardiness: about −1 °C; mature plants reportedly to −3.3 °C
• Indoors / outdoors: an outdoor palm for hot, dry, sunny gardens

Care

It is not fussy about soil provided drainage is excellent. Water regularly during long, hot summers and use a balanced fertiliser with trace elements. It tolerates salt spray, making it suitable for sunny coastal gardens.

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