5. Monocots (Palms + others) Flashcards
This plant is fast growing to about 6’-10’ tall and 8’-13’ wide. Wide gray leaves have stiff terminal spines and recurved teeth on margins.
Agave americana ‘Nova’ Century Plant, Maguey
This Agave has a dramatic tropical form. Even light frost can damage its succulent leaves. It is great for containers. In the low desert, partial sun will be best. If it becomes top heavy, simply cut and stick in the ground to root. It is not a fast grower and has light green foliage. It will also die after flowering but pups around the mother will survive. Distinctive with its large rosette of leaves perched on a long curving trunk, it is a native from Mexico.
Agave attenuata Fox Tail Agave
This beautiful succulent slowly reaches 2’ tall and 3’ wide. Leaves are thick, blue green, 18” long, 2.5” wide, with red and yellow margins. The tip of the leaf has a red spine.
Agave ‘Blue Glow’ Blue Glow Agave
This is a beautiful palm which grows 40’ or higher with a 10’-15’ spread. The feathery leaves can grow 10’ in length and are green above and gray beneath. It tolerates shade and can grow beneath tall trees for a long time if needed. It ‘s unique because it can be used as an indoor plant and will tolerate temperatures down to 28 degrees F.
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana King Palm
This bamboo will grow 40’-55’ tall and has large leaves with green culms which can be 4” in diameter. This plant does best in full sun with regular watering. It is a clumping type so roots are not considered invasive.
Bambusa oldhamii Giant Timber Bamboo
This attractive palm slowly reaches 20’-30’ tall and 6’-8’ wide. Palm leaves are silvery blue, aging to dull gray blue, 4’-6’ wide in a fan shape. Cream colored, fragrant flowers appear in summer, almost hanging to the ground, as large pendants. After bloom period, brownish red fruit appear. The trunk can be 2’ in diameter and is covered with yellow spines and brown hairs.
Brahea armata
Mexican Blue Palm
This palm grows slowly to 35’ tall and 15’ wide. It has long, light green, evergreen leaves shaped like a fan. Fragrant white flowers appear in summer, drooping down like pendants. Following bloom period, the tree produces a black fruit that has an edible pulp and tastes similar to dates. Trunk is light gray with lots of vertical lines.
Brahea edulis
Guadalupe Palm
This slow-growing palm has gray green, evergreen leaves that are 5’-10’ long and arching, almost reaching back to trunk. Leaves have teeth. Flowers bloom in spring and early summer but are considered insignificant, followed by round, yellow to orange fruit that is edible and delicious.
Butia capitata Pindo Palm
These lilies will grow anywhere from about 2-5’ tall and have large dark green or bronzy green, paddle-shaped, large leaves with flowers that come in a variety of beautiful colors such as yellow, orange, red or pink and that bloom spring to fall.
Canna x generalis
Canna
Slow growing to 20’ tall and 15’ wide but very hardy. This palm is clump forming with multiple trunks. The large foliage is blue green, deeply cut and fan-shaped. It can be used as a good container subject. It does best in full sun or partial shade. Petioles have sharp spines thus this palm can be used as a barrier plant.
Chamaerops humilis Mediterranean Fan Palm
an evergreen tree that slowly grows to 25’ tall. Leaves are long, sword shaped and light green. White fragrant flowers bloom in summer. Small blue berries appear in fall.
Cordyline australis
Australian Dracaena
This palm will reach about 40’ tall and 10’ wide. It has long, drooping leaflets that are slender and deep green. Leaves can be 7’ long. Trunk may be swollen at base. Juvenile tree trunks are green, turning brown with age. This single trunk receives scars from the fronds that have shed.
Howea forsteriana
Kentia Palm Mature
This beautiful stately palm slowly reaches 60’ tall and 25’ wide. The smooth gray trunk can reach 3’ in diameter. Mature trees have scarring from leaf bases on the trunk. Leaves are feather-shaped, dark green on the top and dull green on the bottom. They can be 16’ in length. It has insignificant flowers.
Jubaea chilensis
Chilean Wine Palm
One of the best known and utilized native grass selections in Southern California, this beautiful, blue gray foliage spreads out 3’-4’ or more. It will reach a height of 2’-3’. It rarely flowers.
Leymus condensatus ‘Canyon Prince’ Canyon Prince Wild Rye
This is a warm season perennial grass that forms dense clumps from the base. The spike-like flower stalks grow 2’-3’ tall in summer. This grass has dramatic and handsome form.
Muhlenbergia rigens
Deer Grass
This is one of the best bananas for many locations. It was once a very popular commercial variety and is still widely grown. The plant is dwarf-sized, with broad leaves, and produces large bunches of medium-sized sweet fruit.
Musa acuminata ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ Dwarf Cavendish Banana
This exotic clumping bamboo has tall fronds that sway in the wind like a kelp bed forest. This bamboo can reach 20’ tall, with canes that are 1.5” in diameter. Canes are covered with light green, thin, narrow leaves which sway in the wind. It rarely blooms.
Otatea acuminata ssp. aztecorum
Mexican Weeping Bamboo
This grass will reach 6’ high and has deciduous, purplish/red leaves with clusters of purple flowers that appear in summer and fall.
Pennisetum x advena ‘Rubrum’
Red Fountain Grass
This tree is a large, wide-spreading palm with a crown of many long arching fronds. It needs ample room for proper growth.
Phoenix canariensis
Canary Island Date Palm
This tree will grow 25’-40’ tall and has long branches with long, thin, bright green leaves. It produces nice, delicate white blooms that are not showy.
Phoenix reclinata
Senegal Date Palm
This tree will grow to about 10’ tall and has dark green, spiny petiole foliage.
Phoenix roebelenii
Pygmy Date Palm
a large, bold plant with stiffly vertical, sword-like, green leaves that arise from its base. It should be grown under full sun for best color. Varieties will offer different growth habits and leaf color.
Phormium tenax
New Zealand Flax
This is a tall running, very exotic looking Bamboo that needs to be confined or it becomes invasive. Its one to two-story stalks are green the first year; then it becomes a dark purple to jet-black color.
Phyllostachys nigra
Black Bamboo
forms dense clumps of bamboo-like stalks topped with very dark green, broad, fan-shaped leaves.
Rhapis excelsa
Lady Palm
It is a large robust palm with a single unbranching trunk that grows to about 50 ft (15.2 m) but may occasionally reach heights of 70 ft (21.3 m). The crown is relatively small being 12-18 ft (3.7-5.5 m) in diameter. Like many palms the crown is typically wider when grown in shade and more compact when grown in full sun.
Sabal palmetto
Cabbage Palm
This shrub will grow to 6’ tall and has large, gray green fronds with orange, blue, white, or multi-colored flowers that bloom throughout the year.
Strelitzia reginae
Bird of Paradise
This palm has a very straight trunk to about 50’ in height. It has arching, feathery, bright green, glossy leaves that can be 10’-15’ long.
Syagrus romanzoffiana
Queen Palm
This easy-to-grow palm of medium height will mature to a size of 30’, and its slender trunk is covered with dense, heavy fiber topped with a crown of rich green, fan-shaped leaves that could spread 8’ wide.
Trachycarpus fortunei
Windmill Palm
the only palm native to CA. It grows to 60’ tall and 20’ wide. It has light green fronds 3’-6’ long. This palm has a gray trunk, ringed with old frond scars. Mature fronds have curved thorns along the margins. Yellow white flowers appear in spring and summer.
Washingtonia filifera
California Fan Palm
is a very tall, rapidly growing palm with large, fan-shaped leaves. It has a tropical look, and can grow several feet a year. This species is excellent for larger gardens and lining streets and avenues.
Washingtonia robusta
Mexican Fan Palm
