Jubaea chilensis

Chilean wine palm
The grandest of all palms, with smooth robust trunk & full crown of green-blue fronds. Edible nuts. Hardy.
Jubaea chilensisJubaea chilensisJubaea chilensisJubaea chilensisJubaea chilensis
height 50–100ft
width 15–20ft
tolerates Cold, Cool Summers, Drought, Fog, Heat, Wind
water
needs		 Low – Moderate
water
info		 Not all palms love water! This one is actually drought-tolerant and can live quite happily on little or no water once it's established, though it'll grow more slowly and may not look as lush. To keep your palm looking its best, be sure to water it consistently and deeply while it's getting established, then after a few years give it a good deep soaking every couple of weeks. It will also be happy to have more water, provided the soil drainage is adequate.
hardy
to		 10F
exposure Part Sun – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing Palm Fertilizer
origin Chile
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 7–9, 14–23

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

Palms are generally heavy feeders, so if you want them growing quickly and looking their best, they should be fertilized at least three times a year. Fertilizing at spring equinox, summer solstice and fall equinox will allow for a winter rest. Be sure to feed your palm with a fertilizer that contains micronutrients (especially including magnesium), especially if you see yellowing leaves or yellow spots on the leaves.

Once it's mature, this palm will naturally shed its leaves, leaving the trunk below the palm's crown exposed. A great choice if you're looking for a palm with a clean trunk, but don't want to deal with manually removing the leaves.

Special Interest

This palm creates a stout trunk, the thickest of any palm, which is quite impressive as an adolescent. As it matures it will eventually taper giving the trunk a wine bottle shape. This isn't, however, why it is called the Chilean wine palm. Mature trees can be downed (but why would you!) and their sweet sap is traditionally turned into an alcoholic brew.

Edible miniature coconuts are ripe when they fall from the tree. They are about the size of a ping pong ball, but instead of only a couple coconuts each flower cluster makes dozens of nuts. They don't have coconut water, but the meat of the nut is a delicacy.