Mexican washingtonia palm

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.

Related plants