Florida Thatch Palm
Location
Palm Walk Garden
Thrinax radiata
- Common Name: Florida Thatch Palm (other common names: Thrinax Species, Broad Thatch Palm, Sea Thatch Palm, Silk-Top Thatch Palm)
- Scientific Name: Thrinax radiata
- Family Name: Arecaceae
- Origin: Florida native
- Height: 30’ – 40’
- Width: 10’ – 12’
- Growth: slow
- Zone: 10A – 11
- Light Needs: Full sun – Partial shade
- Salt Tolerance: high
- Soil/PH/Texture: grows in sand, loam, or lime rock with high pH.
- Soil Moisture: Average water needs, likes consistently moist soil with good drainage, do not let dry out between watering but do not over water either.
- Drought Tolerance: high, humidity and hurricane wind tolerant
- Pests/Diseases: Diseases and Insects are usually not a problem besides the occasional aphids or scales
- Growing Conditions: easy to grow and low maintenance
- Characteristics: The dark green leaves are 2’ – 3’ across and about 3’ long, and fan shaped. and the showy white blooms on yellow stems, are under 1”, fragrant, and appear in mid-fall. Its fruits are ¼”, green ripening to white, appear throughout the year but are more abundant in the fall.
- Propagation: by seed
- Wildlife: attracts bees, birds, and butterflies – larval host for the Monk Skipper, nesting site and food for misc. birds.
- Facts: on the endangered list for Florida state
- Designer Considerations: can be used as a specimen or accent tree in a landscape, street tree, alongside a road, in a median strip, and is great for xeriscaping.