Coccothrinax boschiana

Family: Arecaceae    Palm Tree

Common Name: None known

Common Synonymy:
Guano de Barreras, Guanal

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a     View the UK and US zone maps

Coccothrinax boschiana Information

A solitary, tall, drought tolerant, moderately slow growing, monoecious palm. Rare in cultivation and locally common in the wild. It has a hairy, grey-brown trunk, 12 m. (39 ft.) tall, 15.2 cm. (6 inch) diameter with no obvious leaf scars, and large partially segmented, palmate (fan) leaves, 1.2 m. (4 ft.) long, 1.2 m. (4 ft.) wide, golden above and silvery white beneath.

A beautiful species. Palms can bloom when only 1 m tall. Probably the most exciting character is the color of the leaves, which can be roughly described as golden above and silvery below. The palm grows right on the sea cliffs overlooking the ocean. It takes strong salt-laden winds with ease.

Coccothrinax boschiana won't tolerate freezing temperatures. Although it can survive close to freezing temperatures. This species naturally occurs on islands in open forest, and is heavily effected by the surrounding sea temperatures, which are constant. In this type of natural environment temperature fluctuations are slight, and this palm prefers a constantly mild to hot climate with little temperature difference between day & night, and Summer & Winter. Under cold conditions we recommend you keep this palm as dry as possible, and well wrapped up.

General Information

Very rare, was only described in early 1997. Coccothrinax boschiana is restricted to a single mountain ridge of solid grey limestone, located in the deep south of the Dominican Republic, in the dry peninsula of Barahona.

Distribution

Distribution information currently being revised.