Arenga micrantha

Family: Arecaceae    Palm Tree

Common Name: Tibetan Sugar Palm

Scientific Synonymy:
Arenga pinnata

Common Synonymy:
Sugar Palm. German: Tibetanische Zuckerpalme. French: Palmier à sucre tibétain

Cold Hardiness Zone: 9a     View the UK and US zone maps

Arenga micrantha Information

A clump-forming, medium sized, water-loving, moderately fast growing, monoecious palm with a hapaxanthic or monocarpic mode of growth where the plant dies after setting seed. Rare in cultivation, locally common in the wild. It has hairy, black trunks, 6 m. (20 ft.) tall, 17.8 cm. (7 inch) diameter with no obvious leaf scars, and large segmented, pinnate (feather) leaves, 2 m. (7 ft.) long, 0.9 m. (3 ft.) wide, dark green above and, brilliant white beneath.

A multi-stemmed Arenga with elegant, large, flat, evenly pinnate leaves with brilliant white undersides. Found at an incredible 2000-2150 m (6500-7000 ft) above sea level in its habitat in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas, Tibet, Bhutan and N.E. India. It endures winter snow and heavy frost. This plant is suitable, while young as a houseplant or conservatory plant.

Arenga micrantha can tolerate freezing temperatures to about -6.5°C (20.3°F). It naturally occurs in open woodland or grassland in sun exposed, montane locations, and should be planted to maximise sunshine exposure. Under extreme freezing conditions we recommend you keep this palm as dry as possible. It should be noted that in its natural habitat the temperature swings between extreme heat and extreme cold occur within 12 hours (night & day) of a single day, and have little to do with Summer/Winter seasons. Therefore, this palm dislikes long durations of cold weather and may require additional heat or protection during the coldest weather.

Identification:
Monoecious, sometimes dioecious. Flowers are separate male & female grouped away on separate stems or plants. Stems die after the last flower has fruited.

General Information:
Recently re-discovered species from up to 2500 metres in the Eastern Himalayan foothills in Sikkim in India.

Distribution:

Native to

Work in progress
Distribution Information currently being revised!

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