Phoenix roebelenii

pygmy date palm

Creatures in miniature are often described as cute: kittens, puppies, miniature seahorses and ... miniature date palms? I have heard people call plants cute before and if you love date palms, there’s a good chance you might join their ranks after seeing this little guy.

Curiously, most cultivated palms of this species are single trunked, yet single-trunked specimens have not been found in wild populations, which are found in Southeast Asia and made up of plants with a clumping habit.

While this palm makes a great specimen or container plant, be careful where you place it because although the leaflets are quite gentle and soft, long spines form on the bases of the leaf stalks:

Found in many nurseries, this is a popular landscape addition that is easy to grow and maintain.