Pronounciation: SAY-bal mex-i-KAY-na

Hardiness zones
Sunset 12-24
USDA 8-11

Landscape Use: Vertical accent, either singly or in groups, mesic and oasis landscape design themes only, great for use around pools or landscape water features.

Form & Character: Upright, boisterous, stately, robust, very clean and mostly green.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, perennial monocot, single trunk, not self shedding, moderately slow to 60-feet tall, though rarely above 30 feet in Phoenix.

Foliage/Texture: Large, costapalmately compound fronds, 4-feet wide, glaucous green with sometimes filamentous margins, long slender petioles to 4-feet long, petioles unarmed; medium coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Dense clusters of cream white-colored flowers on 6-foot long stalks, bisexual, followed by clusters of small, black drupes (rounded fruit), edible.

Seasonal Color: Creamy white flowers in spring followed by hanging fruit clusters during fall.

Temperature: Tolerant of Phoenix heat and cold so long as there is sufficient surrounding vegetation.

Light: Full sun to partial shade.

Soil: Will need applications of a balanced, controlled-release, "palm fertilizer" containing higher amounts of potassium and magnesium during the summer for best performance.

Watering: Needs supplemental water especially during summer.

Pruning: Little needed, only to remove dead fronds.

Propagation: Seed

Disease and Pests: None

Additional comments: Rio Grande palmetto is a very clean looking fan palm with little litter. It's a great palm for oasis- or mesic-themed Phoenix landscapes, but will not do well xeric or desert Phoenix landscapes without some drought protection. Sadly, this excellent fan palm is not commonly seen in the Phoenix area.