This is one of the tallest trees in the world growing well over 150' in it's native Andes. Turns out to be a pretty good palm to grow in...Read More Southern California, too, as long as you can protect it from intense heat. It develops a huge, slick, waxy pure white ringed trunk that is just incredible to see in person. THere is a couple huge ones growing in Ventura California planted about 20 years ago that are now picking up speed and getting pretty tall (still under 50' though). Leaves on this species tend to be upright, rarely existing at the horizontal plane or below until plant is quite tall. Slow as a seedling, I have had one in the ground for years (7) and though I haven't seen it recently, I am sure it is still a long way from even making a trunk. But it grows steadily and hasn't had a problem with cold are heat yet.
This palm does have its drawbacks in that the falling leaves weigh over 20lbs. Fortunately, unlike what happens with tall Royal palms (whos leaves weigh nearly 50 lbs) in which the leaves fall anywhere crushing whatever is below, these leaves tend to stay wrapped around the slick trunk and slide down to the ground still attached to the tree. So cars parked a ways away are not at risk of getting creamed as the leaves fall off.
This is one of the tallest trees in the world growing well over 150' in it's native Andes. Turns out to be a pretty good palm to grow in...Read More