Jubaea chilensis

Description

Jubaea chilensis the well known ‘Chilean Wine Palm’ is perhaps the most revered by collectors palm suitable for cultivation in cooler regions due to it’s remarkable hardiness and adaptability growing very successfully here but unfortunately still rarely available to gardeners. You might ask why this magnificent ‘feather’ palm is not common sight in garden centres and nurseries, well as with most highly desirable things there is always a catch, and the problem with Jubaea chilensis is that it grows incredibly slowly when young.  This is all the more surprising given how big the palm can get, 10 plus metres with a girth over 4 metres. This fact alone is enough to deter growers, the economics of producing this palm rarely add up even when grown in Mediterranean nurseries. Fortunately there are a few nurserymen out with patience and perhaps nurseries large enough to accommodate a few Jubaea in a quiet corner for years…

When available we have a few in stock, never small or cheap but always expensive and well, just fabulous. Maybe rob a bank, spend the inheritance do what ever it takes.  You will not regret it!  You are probably guessing my thoughts on Jubaea. I’ve had one planted in the garden here in West Sussex for over 15 years, it was planted as a 1 metre high specimen with a chunky giant pineapple like trunk and its now over 3 metres tall and wide, so not so slow once it gets over being a baby.

For best results like pretty much every type of palm we grow I like to plant in fertile moisture retentive but NOT waterlogged soils and add lots of good rotted manure or compost. To help achieve continuing good growth an annual spring top-dressing of pelleted poultry manure with the addition of fortnightly drenches with liquid seaweed fertiliser will aid establishment.