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Jubaea chilensis (Chilean Wine Palm) - This relatively uncommon palm is known for its thick gray trunk that can reach 4-6 feet in diameter at the base and then taper at the top of its potentially 80 foot height but old specimens in California gardens are typically found in the 40 to 50 foot range. The feather-type (pinnate) gray-green leaves are 8-12+ feet long. Small reddish yellow flowers are produced in summer followed by a 1 inch wide round hard fruit with meat that tastes like coconut.
It does best in full sun in well-drained soil with occasional to infrequent irrigation. Once established this is a drought tolerant plant. In cultivation it has been known to tolerate at least down to 14 ° F and there are numerous old specimens in Northern California where extremes were probably below this temperature. This is an interesting large palm best suited for use in larger gardens and while it is not the most attractive palm as a juvenile, it can be spectacular as an older plant.
Jubaea chilensis is native to Central Chile, where it grows on the sides of ravines and ridges in dry scrubby woodland. The genus of this monotypic plant was named after King Juba II, the ruler of Numidia (present-day Algeria) who was brought to Rome by Julius Caesar after Numidia became a Roman province. The specific epithet references its nativity. It is an endangered species due to its limited distribution, seed harvesting by humans and animals and past usage to make wine from the copious amounts of sugar found in the trunk.
Though Charles Darwin noted that "These palms are, for their family, ugly trees. Their trunk is very large, and of a curious form, being thicker in the middle than at the base or top when seeing them in Chile in 1832 on his second voyage of HMS Beagle it was given the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit in 2015. There are large specimens of this palm in Santa Barbara and particularly notable are the ones in the Blue Garden at Ganna Walska Lotusland. We grew this amazing plant from 1994 to 2015.
The information displayed on this page about Jubaea chilensis is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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