Pygmy date palm is a tropical, evergreen perennial in the palm family (Arecaceae). It grows along fast-moving rivers in southern China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Phoenix is the genus of the date palms. The meaning of the generic name is much-debated but likely honors Phoenicia, an ancient civilization from the eastern Mediterranean, where date palms were widely cultivated. The species epithet honors Carl Roebelen, a plant collector in the employ of the orchid nursery Sanders of St. Alben, England, who brought the palm to the attention of botanists. Plant in moist, well-drained potting mix and give it protection from the hot afternoon sun since this plant prefers medium to high light. Keep the growing medium slightly moist during the growing season but do not overwater as doing so can cause root rot. This plant prefers to be slightly root-bound and does not need frequent repotting. It also prefers medium to high humidity. Keep away from cold drafts in the winter. In nature, this palm is clustering and forms suckers at its base. Curiously, most cultivated individuals do not sucker, but growers frequently put three or five plants in one pot to make a fuller specimen. As they grow, trunks will gracefully arch away from one another. Outdoors it grows to 6.5 feet high and 5 feet wide. As an indoor plant, it typically reaches only 5 to 6 feet tall. It has soft, fine-textured foliage, but like all date palms, the lower leaflets are modified into very sharp spines. Use caution when handling the leaves. The fruits are purple drupes that are produced on female plants and are edible. This palm is a popular landscape palm in warm climates. Elsewhere the palm can be grown as houseplant. It can spend the summers outside in a shady patio as long as it is brought inside when cold weather approaches. Quick ID Hints: Pinnately compound leaves with basal leaflets modified to sharp spines. Leaflets are folded lengthwise into an upright V-shape. Leaflets are long and softly drooping at tips. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to scales and leaf spot.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 5 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Spreading
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The odd pinnately compound leaves are 24-45 inches long with around 100 leaflets. Pinnae is linear lanceolate, gray-green, drooping, and lowermost are reduced to spines. Each leaflet is 6-10 inches long and 1/2 inch wide and slightly droops from the stem. Spines are present at the leaf bases. They are gray-green in color with scales on the undersides.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Star
Flower detail
Cream-colored male and female flowers are found on separate trees (dioecious) in the spring. Flowers are produced on 1-foot-long panicles that are among the leaves and branched once.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
1/2 inch ellipsoidal drupe resembles a thin-skinned date. It is red-brown to dark purple when mature. The fruit is produced on female plants only.
Bark color
Dark Gray
Bark detail
Bark gray and rough and is covered with distinctive peg-like leaf-bases.
Stem detail
Stems are clustered, slender at the base, and expanding toward the crown.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Indo-China
Distribution
Cultivated worldwide.
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Edibility
Drupes are edible.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Houseplants; Patio
Landscape theme
Asian Garden
Design feature
Accent; Small groups; Small Tree; Specimen; Understory Tree
Garden tags
#tropical palm #slow growing #palm #showy leaves #edible fruits #houseplant #fantz #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #container plant #patio #spines