A good choice for a variety of applications. Can be used for avenue planting or in groups with staggered heights. This newly introduced species can be used as a more attractive alternative to Sabals and Washingtonians. Additionally, Livistona Nitida is extremely cold hardy (8a) and is one of the most disease and pest free species of palms.
-
Habit: solitary with a crown of 20-30 fan leaves
-
Height: 50' estimate
-
Trunk: 12" at the base; 8" higher up; often covered with retained leaf bases near base; narrowly ringed; brownish red near top and fading near base; upper trunk often has retained fibrous material between retained leaf bases
-
Crownshaft: none
-
Spread: 15'
-
Leaf Description: costapalmate; deep green to yellowy green near leaflets; 8'-10' long; leaves divided to about 2/3 their length; distal 1/3 leaflets drooping acutely, similar to the other 'ribbon-like' Livistonas; younger palms have stiffer leaflets that do not droop (drooping tends to happen at about same age begins to flower)
-
Petiole/Leaf bases: often retained for many years, and indefinitely near trunk base; un-split; armed with small, sharp, red-black teeth proximally, but often smooth distally; 5'-6' long
-
Reproduction: monoecious, though 'functionally dioecious (male and female flowers open at different times)
-
Inflorescence:
-
Fruit: spherical; 1/3" thick; black when ripe
-
Minimum Temp: 24F
- full sun
