Chamerops humilis 'cerifera'

[MattyB]

I really like this palm and I think that it's underused in the landscape probably because people hear Chamerops and immediately dismiss it as common. But it has a beautiful blue color and is amazingly drought tolerant. I have two of these; one I've left clumping to grow wild, and the other I'm pruning to a single stem. I'd love to see some more pics of this species growing in other gardens.

[MattyB]

I just learned that the proper name is actually Chamerops humilis v. 'argentea'. I wonder why the name 'cerifera' is so common?

[aztropic]

Mine has also been a star performer - went in as a 1 gallon and has never looked back.It easily throws a dozen or more new fronds per year.

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[aztropic]

The fruit is also very ornamental!

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[DoomsDave]

Cerifera has inertia, been around. That's what everyone seems to call it.

I've got a couple in the ground, will post pics when I get home from {dark chord] the Dark Tower.

My favoriite name for them is "Hi-oh-SILVER."

[empireo22]

Wont you scar its trunk by pruning it?

[TheMadScientist]

MattyB....

I'm with you on this...Love the way you have created 2 unique looks with the same species. I really enjoy the "blue" variety. But I want to also stand up for the "common folk". Dec. 2009, I germinated my first palm species...the "green" variety. This month, I am finally getting a fan to open up...pretty exciting times for a newbie at this palm stuff....I have earthquakes where I'm at more often then being able to report on a change in my palms. Here is my pride and joy along with the donor palm that has been in this box for about 30 years. Scott

[Raffinator]

Those are beauties. Really like the way both of you have planted them in the landscape. I've heard these are native to North Africa.

Question about the silvery blue leaves. Will they retain their color in a cooler, more coastal climate (ie San Francisco)? Or do you need more consistent heat? Looks like both of you live in warm climates.

[MattyB]

I bet Darold would know.

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Very nice Matty - one of my favorite palms but seemingly impossible to obtain in Australia even at the Brisbane palm show that was choc a block with rare species ??

[Gonzer]

I believe "cerifera" means 'having wax-like...', wax being the central component.

[BS Man about Palms]

dismissed-common.

Paulgila told me to say that.

I think.

I forget now.

[MattyB]

its blue color contrasts well with your weeds so at least you'd be able to find it

[CardiffPalmNut]

:floor: :floor: Ha HA HA HA

[redant]

I really like this palm and I think that it's underused in the landscape probably because people hear Chamerops and immediately dismiss it as common. But it has a beautiful blue color and is amazingly drought tolerant. I have two of these; one I've left clumping to grow wild, and the other I'm pruning to a single stem. I'd love to see some more pics of this species growing in other gardens.

certainly nothing wrong with that palm, a real beauty.

[Darold Petty]

They do lose the intense blue color in the cool, humid San Francisco microclimate. Years ago I made a special trip to SoCal to purchase the largest one available at that time. It is now more grey than blue. Individual plants also vary a lot in the color tone, even from the same seed batch, I have 5 plants of Chamaerops in my tiny yard. If I had a large garden in a really hot climate I would have a Chamaerops section showing the endless variety of leaf and color tone.

[DoomsDave]

As Darold notes, they vary a lot.

Some are almost white, others are blue, and others are dark, almost steely gray.

[Stevetoad]

I just got one of these today from the man quaman! I'm excited to replace my " regular" one with it.

[BS Man about Palms]

its blue color contrasts well with your weeds so at least you'd be able to find it

Yeah, but I would get all cut up when I get around to weeding it....

[Perito]

Matty, That big clumper really looks good, and the single trunker is interesting because it's holding it's leaves almost horizontally. I like the way these palms contrast amongst the 'greens' of the garden.

Here's mine grown in a cool climate, holding it's color even under a fair amount of canopy. The second one is a normal C. humilis. I picked it out for it's silvery color and small leaves.

[sergiskan]

hi

...beautiful pics about this palm!!

Here I show two ceriferas in the Botanical Garden of Sóller (Mallorca Island).

place with high humidity and cold winter nights.

looks like it loses the blue in older leaves...

...also show this chamaerops with glaucous leaves.

regards.

[sergiskan]

Matty, That big clumper really looks good, and the single trunker is interesting because it's holding it's leaves almost horizontally. I like the way these palms contrast amongst the 'greens' of the garden.

Here's mine grown in a cool climate, holding it's color even under a fair amount of canopy. The second one is a normal C. humilis. I picked it out for it's silvery color and small leaves.

hi Perito.

beautiful palms!

the second one reminds me a bit to Vulcano.

may be hybrid??

regards.

[Perito]

Matty, That big clumper really looks good, and the single trunker is interesting because it's holding it's leaves almost horizontally. I like the way these palms contrast amongst the 'greens' of the garden.

Here's mine grown in a cool climate, holding it's color even under a fair amount of canopy. The second one is a normal C. humilis. I picked it out for it's silvery color and small leaves.

hi Perito.

beautiful palms!

the second one reminds me a bit to Vulcano.

may be hybrid??

regards.

I don't know Serg. It was with a lot of other 'normal' Chamaerops when I found it in the Nursery.

[Raffinator]

They do lose the intense blue color in the cool, humid San Francisco microclimate. Years ago I made a special trip to SoCal to purchase the largest one available at that time. It is now more grey than blue. Individual plants also vary a lot in the color tone, even from the same seed batch, I have 5 plants of Chamaerops in my tiny yard. If I had a large garden in a really hot climate I would have a Chamaerops section showing the endless variety of leaf and color tone.

Thanks for chiming in, Darold.

Yeah, I think I remember you mentioning that when we visited your garden. When I looked at purchasing a cerifera, I asked the same question and the salesperson said it should maintain its bluish color even in a cooler climate, but as you can attest, that doesn't seem to be the case.

I have three regular Chamerops. One is dark green, one is yellow-green and one is somewhere in the middle. Glad to know they vary, and the color difference isn't because I'm not caring for them properly!

[ghar41]

Summers here are similar to habitat with 100F on many days, combined with deep sandy loam and medium water- all seems to suit this one very well here in my cold hardy garden.

This one is in the backyard.

[ghar41]

And a big one in the front yard.

[Harry]

Here are some of mine.

The first one has been in the ground for more than a year

and is currently experiencing a growth spurt.

I am not particularly happy with the colour even though it reveals itself when photographed with a flash.

[Harry]

These two grow at a glacial pace (in the ground for about a year).

The main trunk of one of them has rotted and all that remains are the suckers.

I am hoping the colour will improve as they grow larger.

[Harry]

My latest purchase has been in the ground for a few months.

It seems to be in a state of shock (even though it was pot bound) but it is growing.

Colour is a bit yellowish but new spears are coming out silver.

I have noticed that the silver wax tends to rub off the older fronds as they sway in the wind.

[Palm crazy]

At 47n, the color only last three years here before they fad out, but the new growth is nice.

I only have three months of warm weather so they are very slow growing but much more hardy than the green variety.

Here's a few of mine.

MartyB I like the cordylines next to yours really makes it pop!

I use hot pink for that effect.

Click photos to see bigger image.

New silver growth so far this year.

No growth on this one yet.

Edited June 20, 2012 by Palm crazy

[Palm crazy]

Morning sunlight only.

Six years in the ground from a 5 gallon.

6'6" wide by 4'6" tall.

In a cold rainy winter place like mine the color sometimes washes off!

Edited June 20, 2012 by Palm crazy

[Phoenikakias]

Not all Chamaerops variants grow at the same rate! The cerifera is one of the slowest (a genuine cerifera that is, which has blackish thorns on petiole). On the other hand it is more resistant to overhead irrigation (always the genuine variant), while other variants rot freely in this case.

[sergiskan]

hi...

Here I show you two of my ceriferas ...

grow faster than my Vulcanos.

they lose the wax in older leaves, but the leaf tissue is white, and black spines.

the female

the male

I have never seen a blue cerifera like Matt,...

...or an adult multitrunked cerifera...

humilis in habitat, Mallorca.(Balearic IslandS)

regards.

Edited June 23, 2012 by sergiskan

[sergiskan]

hi Perito.

beautiful palms!

the second one reminds me a bit to Vulcano.

may be hybrid??

regards.

I don't know Serg. It was with a lot of other 'normal' Chamaerops when I found it in the Nursery.

hello Perito

this one was found in a sea of chamaerops humilis, but for sure, not is a standard humilis .

the leaves are costapalmate...

regards.

[Geoff]

Here is mine... top leaf tip about 5'8" tall (same as top of my head).

[rprimbs]

I saw a couple at a local nursery and I just had to get one. These are pretty cool! I like the fact that they grow slowly too. A perfect little specimen for next to the driveway.

[JasonD]

They do lose the intense blue color in the cool, humid San Francisco microclimate. Years ago I made a special trip to SoCal to purchase the largest one available at that time. It is now more grey than blue. Individual plants also vary a lot in the color tone, even from the same seed batch, I have 5 plants of Chamaerops in my tiny yard. If I had a large garden in a really hot climate I would have a Chamaerops section showing the endless variety of leaf and color tone.

Thanks for chiming in, Darold.

Yeah, I think I remember you mentioning that when we visited your garden. When I looked at purchasing a cerifera, I asked the same question and the salesperson said it should maintain its bluish color even in a cooler climate, but as you can attest, that doesn't seem to be the case.

I have three regular Chamerops. One is dark green, one is yellow-green and one is somewhere in the middle. Glad to know they vary, and the color difference isn't because I'm not caring for them properly!

They're definitely less silvery in cool-summer SF, but I've seen established specimens in a microclimate not too dissimilar to Darold's (Balboa Terrace) that's much more silvery. I think it's as much the slow pace of growth as the humidity: at Lyon Arboretum on O'ahu there's a stunningly silver specimen and that place gets well over 100 inches of rain a year.

[Sutter Bob]

Lots of great specimens.

I've got a handful in pots here and no two have the same color. Here's a closeup of one.

Someday might get one into the ground.

[Joe palma]

_{I will post some pics tomorrow of the beast I have in the ground. It has the widest spread of any I have seen.}

_{I have this for now........}

[Joe palma]

Here are some pics of the beast from a couple of years ago......more pics tomorrow of what it looks like now!!!!