#trithrinax

Trithrinax campestris

This is a slow-growing palm native to Uruguay and northern Argentina, and we have 2 different forms of it at the Ruth Bancroft Garden. One of these is multi-stemmed and has silvery leaves (pictured here), while the other is single-stemmed and greener. In fall, they burst into flower quite suddenly, with multiple inflorescences ringing the upper part of the stem. The flowers are very sweet-smelling and attractive to bees, and they are followed later on by round green fruits about the size of a large cherry. It is reported that in South America the fruits are sometimes fermented to make an alcoholic drink. It is a very handsome palm with good cold-tolerance (down to at least 20 degrees F, or -7 degrees C).

Trithrinax campestris

This compact and slow-growing palm is native to northern Argentina and Uruguay. Plants may be single (like the one pictured) or multi-trunked, and the leaves vary from deep green to silvery gray-green. It flowers in the fall, with dense clusters of yellow flowers tipped with white pollen. The middle picture shows the emergence of the flowers, with some of last year’s fruits visible at the bottom, while the lower photo shows the fully open flowers, which are very popular with bees.

Trithrinax campestris

This slow-growing palm from Uruguay and northern Argentina is not often seen in cultivation, but it is very attractive and drought-tolerant, and readily withstands temperatures down to 20 degrees F (-7 C), so it should be more widely grown. It should be noted that the leaf-tips are very stiff and sharp, so it is not a palm you would want to brush up against. Depending on the population, the leaves vary from green to silvery, and they may be single or multi-trunked. The creamy-yellow flowers emerge abruptly in the fall, and they are magnets for honey-bees, as well as having a wonderful fragrance.

Trithrinax campestris

Some palm trees are quite drought-tolerant, and one of these is Trithrinax campestris, native to Uruguay and northeastern Argentina. Its silvery leaves and creamy-yellow flowers are very attractive, and so are the fibers at the bases of the leaves. Many palms have fibers where the leaves meet the trunk, but on this one they look like woven burlap.

Trithrinax campestris

Trithrinax campestris is a striking drought-tolerant palm native to northern Argentina and Uruguay. The specimen pictured has formed a clump, but plants may be single-trunked as well. This species is fall-blooming, with thousands of golden-yellow flowers clustered at the bases of the upper leaves, visible on the right in the photo above. Visible on the left and in the lower photo are the pale yellow or greenish-yellow fruits.

Our green-leaved plant of Trithrinax campestris flowered in September, but as usual the silvery-leaved one began later. The second photo is of the flowers, and the third shows the amazing fibrous mesh at the bases of the leaves. Native to Uruguay and northeastern Argentina.