Copernicia macroglossa

Copernicia macroglossa, the Cuban petticoat palm, is a single-stemmed fan palm endemic to western and central Cuba. Its stiff, wedge-shaped leaves sit directly on the trunk without stalks, arranged in a spiral; when they die they stay in place, hiding the trunk under a dense, haystack-like skirt.

That shaggy petticoat is its main attraction, and the palm is widely planted in tropical gardens as a slow-growing specimen for full sun.

At a glance

• Native range: western and central Cuba
• Mature size: usually up to 7 m, rarely 9 m
• Growth rate: slow to moderate; about 4 m after 20 years in Florida
• Light: full sun
• Water: withstands long dry spells once established; also fine in moist, well-drained ground
• Cold hardiness: about −3 °C for brief dips; leaf burn at about −2 °C
• Indoors / outdoors: an outdoor palm for warm, sunny gardens

Care

Grow it in full sun in neutral to alkaline soil with good drainage, and feed regularly; boron deficiency shows as accordion-folded new leaves. It is wind-firm. The skirt of dead leaves can shelter insects; if you prefer a lighter look, cut the leaves off as they wither.

Why Palmpedia: Greenhouse-grown by us in Almeirim, Portugal, and supplied in 15 L to 35 L pots.