Palm
Old Man Palm
Coccothrinax crinita (R.D.Hoyt) Becc.
FamilyArecaceae
EspañolPalma de anciano
AlsoThatch palm, Mat palm
The old man palm is a slow-growing, solitary fan palm whose trunk is entirely wrapped in a dense, shaggy coat of woolly white to brown fibres, the 'beard' that gives it its name. The fibres emerge with each new leaf and remain on the stem after the leaf falls. It carries a crown of drooping fan-shaped fronds, green above and silvery beneath, and in spring produces long hanging sprays of tiny creamy flowers followed by purple fruits. It is very rare in its native Cuban habitat but tough and easy to grow in gardens.
Sourced · see Record tab Very rare in its native western Cuban habitat (Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden); no IUCN category found. · IUCN
Worth knowingThe palm's beard is made of fibres left behind by every leaf it has ever shed, so the coat thickens as the palm ages; it takes many years to reach an impressive size, and seeds take about six months to germinate.
4on the estate
0carrying a tag
4sponsored
| Tag | Garden area | Zone | Planted | Status | Sponsored | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Palm Jungle | B | 17 June 2016 | Planted | Mike F., USA | |
| — | Palm Jungle | B | 17 June 2016 | Planted | Mike F., USA | |
| — | Palm Jungle | B | 17 June 2016 | Planted | Mike F., USA | |
| — | Palm Jungle | B | 17 June 2016 | Planted | Mike F., USA |
4 of these have no tag yet; they will be numbered when the garden team re-tags the estate.