Mexican washingtonia palm
4
5Will it grow where I live?
Mexican washingtonia palm is only hardy to zone 8, so outdoors year-round it needs the mildest spots in Central Europe – wine-growing regions, the Rhine valley, coasts, Lake Constance, Ticino – or a container overwintered under cover. Most of the British Isles and the Pacific coast of North America qualify. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.
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Profile
- Family
- Arecaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Height
- 20 m
- Spread
- 8 m
- Growth
- very fast
- Lifespan
- 90 years
- First yield
- after 8 years
- Hardiness
- zone 8–12
- Shade tolerance
- full sun
- Soil
- Sand, Silt, Loam
- Soil moisture
- dry – very wet
- pH
- 6 – 8
Uses
Edible: Fruit (small & hard, raw, cooked, dried) (dates, jelly, beverages, flour); Seeds (cooked & ground) (bread, porridge); Young leaf bases (raw, cooked); Central bud (roasted - kills the tree);
Other uses: Fibers from the leaves are used for baskets and ropes. The entire leaves are woven for the sides and roofs of huts and temporary shelters. The seeds were used as rattles in gourd rattles. The wood is light and soft, commonly used for making cooking utensils, spoons, etc.
Origin & habitat
NAM
Forest edges, stream banks, damp thickets, wet forests, moors, swamps, and along roads and railways. The plant is commonly found in these habitats.
Frequently asked questions
Mexican washingtonia palm: how big does it get?
Mexican washingtonia palm (Washingtonia robusta) grows as a Tree and reaches roughly 20 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 8 m. Growth is very fast.
Mexican washingtonia palm: what site does it need?
Mexican washingtonia palm tolerates full sun. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt, Loam. Soil moisture should be in the range dry – very wet. The pH may lie between 6 and 8.
Mexican washingtonia palm: is it hardy?
Mexican washingtonia palm is listed as hardy in zone 8–12 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Mexican washingtonia palm: will it grow in Central Europe?
Mexican washingtonia palm is only hardy to zone 8, so outdoors year-round it needs the mildest spots in Central Europe – wine-growing regions, the Rhine valley, coasts, Lake Constance, Ticino – or a container overwintered under cover. Most of the British Isles and the Pacific coast of North America qualify. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.
Mexican washingtonia palm: is it poisonous?
No toxicity is recorded for Mexican washingtonia palm. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone — only on a confident identification.
Mexican washingtonia palm: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 4/10, Other uses 5/10.
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