Acoelorrhaphe Wrightii (A.H.R

Acoelorrhaphe wrightii (A.H.R. Grisebach & H. Wendland) H. Wendland ex O. Beccari Paurotis Palm (Acanthosabal caespitosa, Acoelorrhaphe arborescens, Copernicia wrightii, Paurotis arborescens, Paurotis wrightii, Serenoa arborescens) • This species is also variously known as Everglades Palm, Saw Cabbage Palm, Silver Saw Palm, or Tasiste; the species represents a monotypic genus of the family Arecaceae native to South Florida in the Everglades and to wet locations throughout parts of Southern Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean; taxonomy of this species is fairly confused having been variously included in several different genera including the genus Paurotis to which it is still referred to in much of the literature and which gives the plant its most widely recognized common name of Paurotis Palm; the genus name describes the seed coat and derives from the Greek words meaning without a seam; the specific epithet honors Charles Wright, an American botanist from the 1800's. • Paurotis Palm is a thin trunked clump forming fan palm that slowly increases in size over time to achieve a colony of trunks of varying heights maturing at 15 to 25 (rarely 40) tall; trunks are slender with persistent frond bases and have a brown fibrous appearance; the 2 to 4 long branched inflorescence of perfect whitish flowers forms from the terminal bud amongst the leaves, developing small ½ diameter orange fruit that mature to black; the 2 to 3 wide round palmate fronds are green above and paler silver-green beneath with the thin segments split about half way to the base; petioles have spiny projections which are a maintenance liability. • Useful in USDA hardiness zones 9b to 13, but sometimes planted in 9a where it is oft cold injured; growth of A. wrightii is slow, but over the long term responsive to fertile sites; manganese deficiency can be a problem on high pH soils and plants grow best with a steady moisture supply and good fertile soils; found in nature in wet locations, A. wrightii is one of the few available landscape palms which will tolerate boggy soils and other poorly drained sites; once established it can withstand moderate drought but is not vigorous if water deficits are frequent; full sun is needed for best growth, although plants will tolerate partial sun; moderate salt tolerance is also a plus; although lethal yellows is not usually a problem, ganoderma can be with A. wrightii. • Where winter temperatures permit, A. wrightii should be considered as a striking accent or over time as a tall hedge or screen for wet locations; individual stems have foliage only on the topmost portion, but the numerous trunks of varying ages in the expanding suckering clump create a fair visual barrier; plants should to be located where space permits this expansion.