Hedyscepe canterburyana

big mountain palm
Most beautiful palm for coastal California gardens slowly becomes a small tree with wintergreen trunk. Best in fog belt or bayside.
Hedyscepe canterburyana
height 6–12ft
width 3–6ft
tolerates Coast, Cool Summers, Fog, Pots, Wind
water
needs		 Moderate – High
water
info		 This palm appreciates consistent water, but won’t tolerate soggy soil. Once it’s established, be sure to water it when the top inch or two of the soil is dry. Usually this will mean watering deeply every five to seven days during the dry season. Planting this palm with good drainage will help to make sure it doesn’t accidentally get overwatered.
hardy
to		 28F
exposure Full Shade – Part Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix
origin Lord Howe Island
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 17, 22–24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

Palms are generally heavy feeders, so if you want them growing quickly and looking their best, they should be fertilized at least three times a year. Fertilizing at spring equinox, summer solstice and fall equinox will allow for a winter rest. Be sure to feed your palm with a fertilizer that contains micronutrients (especially including magnesium) especially if you see yellowing leaves or yellow spots on the leaves.
This solitary palm will grow only one trunk during its lifetime. If you have a pot with multiple trunks in it, that’s because multiple separate palm trees were germinated in the pot. The good news is that you won’t need to thin out suckers over time to maintain the number of trunks you started out with.
Once it’s mature, this palm will naturally shed its leaves, leaving the trunk below the palm’s crown exposed. A great choice if you’re looking for a palm with a clean trunk but don’t want to deal with manually removing the leaves.
With leaves growing in a single plane along most of the rachis, the feather palm has an elegant look to it.

Special Interest

This palm’s juicy lush look is an absolute must-have when creating a tropical garden in a temperate climate. Mix it with other broad-leafed flowering plants like cannas, hedychiums, philodendrons, or monsteras.