Name: old man palm
Botanical name:Coccothrinax crinita
Description: This threatened palm from Cuba is as charming as any plant you could want. Topped with circular palmate fronds, the old man is loved for the hairy thatch that adorns its slender trunk, making it appear a great deal thicker than it is. It's quite slow-growing, which means it won't beanstalk skyward like coconuts and veitchias.
Groups of Coccothrinax crinita are planted below the Bailey overlook at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, where you can see the rhythms achievable by planting several of different heights.
Height: 15 feet
Light: full sun to partial shade
Culture: This palm is not fussy about care, but likes two or three applications of palm-special fertilizer throughout the year (March/April, July, October/November). It has some drought tolerance, but needs more water than Coccothrinax argentata and several other closely related species.
The only caveat about this old man is this: Should you decide to transplant it, you risk ripping off the hair. So make sure you plant it where you'll be happy with it.
