Phoenix rupicola seed
LATIN NAME: PHOENIX RUPICOLA
COMMON NAME: Cliff Date Palm, Indian Cliff Palm, Himalayan Date Palm
The cliff date palm is a graceful palm of the steep hillsides, its slender trunk crowned by a fountain of arching, feathery, deep green fronds, and in summer it carries long, arching sprays of small, cream flowers followed by clusters of small, orange-yellow fruits that resemble tiny dates. It grows to eight metres, usually on cliffs, hillsides and rocky terrain, and its name rupicola means growing among rocks, a fitting description of the way it clings to the steep slopes of the Himalaya with quiet, determined grace. Native to the mountain forests of India and Bhutan, growing between three hundred and twelve hundred metres, it is threatened by habitat loss in its native range, though it has become a popular ornamental in warm, frost-free gardens, valued for its elegant form and its easy, undemanding growth.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The cliff date palm has a genuine and growing place in botanical, conservation and horticultural research. Botanists study its place among the date palms, examining its relationships with the other species of Phoenix, the genus that includes the true date palm, which is of real economic importance and continuing interest in palm taxonomy. Conservation biologists study its wild populations in India and Bhutan, where habitat loss threatens the species, and the efforts to protect it. Horticulturists examine its cultivation and its care, since it has become a popular ornamental in warm, frost-free gardens, and it has reportedly naturalised in a few tropical islands. For a palm of such grace and such conservation interest, the cliff date palm has a steady and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the cliff date palm is a generous palm of the hillside. Its cream flowers feed bees and other pollinators, its small, date-like fruits feed birds and small mammals, and its graceful crown gives shelter and shade on the steep cliffs and hillsides of its native range. Economically, its value lies mainly in horticulture, where it is a popular ornamental palm, grown in gardens and parks in warm, frost-free regions around the world. For a grower it is an easy and rewarding palm, and for a gardener it brings the graceful elegance of the Himalayan hillside.
To grow the Cliff Date Palm from seed, to start the cliff date palm along, sow the small nuts in moist compost, keep them warm and lightly shaded, and water them steadily until the little palms are up.
sow the small nuts in moist compost, keep the young palms warm and lightly shaded, and water them steadily until the little palms are up.
LATIN NAME: Phoenix rupicola
COMMON NAME: Cliff Date Palm, Indian Cliff Palm, Himalayan Date Palm
The cliff date palm is a graceful palm of the steep hillsides, and it brings a touch of the tropics to the mountain valleys of the Himalayas. It grows as a medium-sized palm, reaching up to eight metres, with a slender trunk crowned by a fountain of arching, feathery, deep green fronds and, in summer, long, arching sprays of small, cream flowers, followed by clusters of small, orange-yellow fruits, which resemble tiny dates. It is a handsome and elegant palm, and it has become a popular ornamental in warm, frost-free gardens, valued for its graceful form and its easy growth.
The cliff date palm belongs to the palm family, Arecaceae, and it is native to the mountainous forests of India and Bhutan, growing at 300 to 1,200 metres, usually on cliffs, hillsides and similar terrain. It is threatened by habitat loss in its native range, though it is now grown as an ornamental in many parts of the world. Its name rupicola means growing among rocks, and it is a fitting name, for it clings to the steep cliffs and rocky hillsides of the Himalaya with a quiet, determined grace.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The cliff date palm has a genuine and growing place in both botanical and conservation research. It has been studied in botany for its place among the date palms, and researchers have examined its relationships with the other species of Phoenix, the genus that includes the true date palm, which is of real economic importance and of continuing interest in palm taxonomy. The palm has also been studied in conservation biology, because it is threatened by habitat loss in its native range in India and Bhutan, and researchers have examined its wild populations and the efforts to protect it. The species has also been studied in horticulture, since it has become a popular ornamental in warm, frost-free gardens, and researchers have examined its cultivation and its care. For a palm of such grace and such conservation interest, the cliff date palm has a steady and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the cliff date palm is a generous palm of the hillside. Its cream flowers feed bees and other pollinators, its small, date-like fruits feed birds and small mammals, and its graceful crown gives shelter and shade, while it grows on the steep cliffs and hillsides of its native range.
Its economic value lies mainly in horticulture. It is a popular ornamental palm, valued for its graceful, arching form and its easy growth, and it is grown in gardens and parks in warm, frost-free regions around the world. For a grower, the cliff date palm is an easy and rewarding palm, and for a gardener it brings the graceful elegance of the Himalayan hillside. The seeds are easy — sow the small nuts in warm, moist compost, keep them in a warm, bright spot, and theyll sprout within a few weeks, the little palms growing on steadily into graceful trees.
Common Name: Cliff Date, Indian Date Botanical Name: Phoenix Rupicola Cold Tolerance: 25°F USDA Zones: 9B-11 Typical Height: 25 Growth Rate: Moderate Habit: Suckering Seeds from Phoenix rupicola or cliff date palm is a species of flowering plant in the palm family. A native to the forests of India and Bhutan from 300 to 1200 m They are usually on cliffs, hillsides and similar terrain. Threatened by habitat loss in its native range. The species is reportedly naturalised in the Andaman Islands, the Leeward Islands, Cuba, Puerto Rico and also in Saint Lucia. Phoenix rupicola palm trees grow 26 ft in height. They are usually clean of leaf bases except near the crown. The spines are much less numerous and less vicious than other Phoenix species. The fruit is an oblong, yellow to orange containing a single large seed.