Chamaerops humilis ‘Cerifera’

We adore this palm, and grow it from seed on our farms. It is tough as nails and so elegant. If you want it to grow quickly, fertilize at least three times a year. Be sure to feed your palm with a fertilizer that contains micronutrients, especially if you see yellowing leaves or yellow spots on the leaves.

Suckering palms like this one send out additional palm trunks from the base of the palm over time, so that you'll end up with multiple trunks on one palm. If you want a more open form or fewer trunks, go ahead and thin out the suckers.

This palm holds its leaves creating a beard or skirt on the trunk. If you want, you can always prune off the beard for a cleaner look. Generally this palm looks much better with the inner old leaves thinned out to look less cluttered. If fire retardance is a consideration the beard should be removed annually. Take care when pruning as the rachis (leaf stem) are thorned along their entire length. The leaves are easier to prune before they are fully dried when they become tough at a steep angle to the trunk.

Our favorite go-to for difficult environments, this tough palm barely notices harsh wind, or inconsistent water. It is physically tough and impervious to getting knocked around. We use this palm for situations where other plants might be destroyed intentionally or unintentionally by late night marauders (its thorned leaves also help deter them), car doors, or general neglect.

Wonderful in a pot when it is small, and will live for many, many years even in a small pot. Great as a hedge when it gets bigger. Unlike the typical green med fan the blue selection of Chamaerops humilis stays shrubby, never growing into a medium sized fully trunked garden tree. It is slower than the typical green form. This palm is also a bit hardier than the green form.

This is the most northerly growing palm on earth.