Coccothrinax crinita seed

LATIN NAME: Coccothrinax crinita

COMMON NAME: Old Man Palm

The old man palm sets its fan-shaped, palmate leaves on the short, stout, densely hairy trunk, and the whole palm carries the fine, silver, weathered look of the warm garden. The slow-growing, single-trunked palm carries the short, stout trunk densely covered with the fine, woolly, yellowish fibres and the many fan-shaped, palmate leaves with the stiff, grey-green segments, the long, slender flower clusters hanging between the leaves, one of the fine, bold sights of the warm garden, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, round, dark fruits. The palm is a fine, historic presence of the warm garden, and it is a palm of the open, sunny, deep, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The old man palm is a historic subject of the plant science, and the woolly trunk keep showing up in the work on the warm-country palms. The way the fine, woolly, yellowish fibres cover the short, stout trunk has been studied at length, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the warm-country palms, the fan-shaped leaves and the members of the palm family. The grey-green segments and the slow habit have also made it a fine study palm, and the old man palm is a regular subject of the work on the woolly trunk of the warm world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The old man palm is a fine, bold palm of the warm garden and the study collection. The many fan-shaped, palmate leaves with the stiff, grey-green segments rise above the short, stout trunk densely covered with the fine, woolly, yellowish fibres, one of the fine, bold sights of the warm garden, drawing the bees, and the long, slender flower clusters hang between the leaves, to be followed by the small, round, dark fruits. It is one of the fine choices for the warm garden, the pot and the study collection, and it has been written about in the horticultural and the botanical papers for the woolly trunk and the weathered look. It is a fine, bold palm of the open, sunny, deep, well-drained garden.

Give the young palms the warmth and the deep, well-drained bed, and the woolly trunk will form over the years.

To grow the old man palm from seed, sow the large, round, brown seeds a centimetre down in the pot of fine, sandy soil, keep the pot in a warm, bright spot and water gently, then pot the young palms on as they fill the pot. The seedlings come through within a few weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun, the warmth and the deep, well-drained ground, the woolly trunk will form over the years.

The well-known “Old Man Palm” has a slim trunk that is thickly covered with long, dense and woolly, pale brown fibers, giving the palm a most bizarre appearance. Once past the slow seedling stage, it grows faster than might be imagined. It thrives in most warm temperate and tropical
areas and will even take a short, light frost without damage. It prefers a sunny situation and needs well drained soil. Makes a fascinating
potted plant as well.