Plant in full coastal full sun or in part shade. This palm is also often grown as an indoor plant and outdoors it does well with regular to occasional irrigation but old specimens found growing in abandoned properties in Santa Barbara speak to it being surprisingly drought tolerant along the coast. It is cold hardy without much damage in short duration temperatures dropping to around 20 degrees F - it went through our historic December 1990 freeze at temperatures briefly below 20 degrees F and survived, though with damage in Moraga, CA with 3 nights at 17 degrees F during this same cold spell. A great small palm for a tropical feel. Use care when trimming leaves as it has rigid sharp spines near the leaf bases.

Phoenix roebelenii is native to southeastern Asia from the Yunnan Province of China into Laos and northern Vietnam. The name of the genus is a Greek word given to the date-palm. The specific epithet given this plant by James O'Brien in 1889 honors German orchid collector Carl Roebelen (1855-1927 ), who reportedly discovered this plant in Laos. Other common names include Dwarf Date Palm, Miniature Date Palm, or Roebelin Palm. 

The information displayed on this page about Phoenix roebelenii 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.