Common Name:

General Information

Phoenix caespitosa is an evergreen palm, clustering to form extensive thickets. The stems are short, often subterranean, producing leaves up to 3 metres long.
The plant provides a popular wild fruit and is commonly harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is often grown as an ornamental.
Although Phoenix caespitosa may be locally threatened by human activities, its overall extent of occurrence is large. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Northeast Africa - Djibouti, Somalia to Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Oman

Habitat

Dry wadis, coastal and inland marshes. semi-desert bushland and rocky crevices and ravines, often forming extensive thickets; at elevations up to 2,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position, succeeding in most soils so long as the drainage is excellent[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant.
A slow-growing plant[].
Phoenix species are quite liable to hybridize where the various species meet as a result of cultivation[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - a swee-flavoured, moist flesh[]. The deep orange to purplish-brown, sphaeroid-ovoid fruit is around 10 - 16mm long and 8 - 12mm wide, containing a single large seed[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours prior to sowing[]. The seed germinates best at a temperature of 21 - 27°c[].
Division of offsets[].

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