Bottle / Royal Palm

The common name for Hyophorbe lagenicaulis is the Bottle Palm. It gets this common name from the fact that an old specimen has a markedly enlarged base. So, when larger, it looks like a large water bottle. It is a semi-short, sun loving palm that gets to a height of ten feet in a few decades. People enjoy the small stature. But, there are serious limitations. It does very poorly with colder weather. A freeze will often be the end of it. Another palm in the same family, the Spindle Palm, Hyophorbe verschafeltii, is more cold hardy and in our area performs much better. Of all the Bottle Palms sold by depot type stores in our area, an estimated 99% are dead by the first winter.

In the right growing areas, Spindle Palms look very similar but have a 75% chance of making it. Unfortunately you can’t find Spindle Palms at depot type stores because it’s illegal to import them into California – they carry Lethal Yellow Palm Disease. So, as you read below, compare the two species and decide which species is best for you. Also be aware that there’s another Hyophorbe species, H. indica, which is more cold than either the Bottle or Spindle Palm. It, unfortunately, doesn’t have any real bulge to the trunk and is not being discussed here. Remember that all palms in this genus want full sun