Plant Profile: Phoenix roebelenii

Taxonomy: Phoenix roebelenii

Names

Dwarf Date Palm, Miniature Date Palm, Pygmy Date Palm, Robellini Palm, Roebelin Palm

  • Photo of Phoenix roebelenii (Phoenix roebeleniis)

Phonetic Spelling:FEE-niks roh-bel-EN-ee-eye

Genus:Phoenix

Species:roebelenii

Family:Arecaceae

The Pygmy Date Palm is a subtropical palm that typically reaches a height of 6.5 feet and a width of 5 feet. When grown indoors, it usually attains a height of 5 to 6 feet. This palm features delicate fronds and a visually appealing trunk, making it a great choice for indoor settings, especially in cooler regions. Female plants produce edible drupes.

For optimal growth, plant it in moist, well-draining soil and shield it from the intense afternoon sun, as it thrives in medium to bright light conditions. During the growing season, maintain slightly moist soil, but be cautious not to overwater, as this can lead to root rot. The Pygmy Date Palm prefers to be somewhat root-bound and does not respond well to frequent repotting. It thrives in moderate humidity but is prone to pest issues. Additionally, ensure it is kept away from cold drafts during winter months.

This plant is particularly vulnerable to scale insects and leaf spot diseases.

**Quick Identification Tips:**

Phoenix roebelenii Feature Summary

Phoenix roebelenii Image Gallery

Tags

#houseplant
#slow growing
#showy leaves
#palm
#edible fruits
#fantz
#tropical palm
#patio planting
#non-toxic for horses
#non-toxic for dogs
#non-toxic for cats
#container plants

Similar Plants

Phoenix roebelenii is often confused with:

Phoenix roebelenii Feature Summary

Attributes
Fruit
1/2 inch ellipsoidal drupe resembles a thin-skinned date. It is red-brown to dark purple when mature. The fruit is produced on female plants only.
Red/Burgundy
Brown/Copper
Purple/Lavender
< 1 inch
Flowers
Cream-colored male and female flowers are found on separate trees (dioecious) in the spring. Flowers are produced on 1 foot long panicles that are interfoliar and branched once.
Cream/Tan
Leaves
The odd pinnately compound leaves are 24-45 inches long with around 100 leaflets. Pinnae is linear lanceolate, gray-green, drooping, and lowermost are reduced to fibrous spines. Each leaflet is 6-10 inches long and 1/2 inch wide and slightly droops from the stem. Spines are present at the leaf bases. They are gray-green in color with hairs on the undersides.
Green
Gray/Silver
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
> 6 inches
< 1 inch
Bark
Bark gray and rough and is covered with a distinctive peg-like leaf base.
Dark Gray
Stem
Stems are clustered, slender at the base, and expanding toward the crown.
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape

Phoenix roebelenii Attributes

Phoenix roebelenii: Country Or Region Of Origin

Asia

Phoenix roebelenii: Edibility

Drupes are edible.

Phoenix roebelenii: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Phoenix roebelenii Fruit

Phoenix roebelenii: Fruit Description

1/2 inch ellipsoidal drupe resembles a thin-skinned date. It is red-brown to dark purple when mature. The fruit is produced on female plants only.

Phoenix roebelenii: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Phoenix roebelenii: Fruit Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Purple/Lavender
grass
Red/Burgundy

Phoenix roebelenii: Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Phoenix roebelenii: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Phoenix roebelenii: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Phoenix roebelenii: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Phoenix roebelenii Flowers

Phoenix roebelenii: Flower Description

Cream-colored male and female flowers are found on separate trees (dioecious) in the spring. Flowers are produced on 1 foot long panicles that are interfoliar and branched once.

Phoenix roebelenii: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Cream/Tan

Phoenix roebelenii: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Phoenix roebelenii: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Phoenix roebelenii: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Phoenix roebelenii Leaves

Phoenix roebelenii: Leaf Description

The odd pinnately compound leaves are 24-45 inches long with around 100 leaflets. Pinnae is linear lanceolate, gray-green, drooping, and lowermost are reduced to fibrous spines. Each leaflet is 6-10 inches long and 1/2 inch wide and slightly droops from the stem. Spines are present at the leaf bases. They are gray-green in color with hairs on the undersides.

Phoenix roebelenii: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Phoenix roebelenii: Leaf Color

spa
Gray/Silver
spa
Green

Phoenix roebelenii: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Phoenix roebelenii: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Phoenix roebelenii: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Phoenix roebelenii: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Phoenix roebelenii: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Phoenix roebelenii: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Phoenix roebelenii: Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Phoenix roebelenii: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Phoenix roebelenii Bark

Phoenix roebelenii: Bark Description

Bark gray and rough and is covered with a distinctive peg-like leaf base.

Phoenix roebelenii: Bark Color

grass
Dark Gray

Phoenix roebelenii Stem

Phoenix roebelenii: Stem Description

Stems are clustered, slender at the base, and expanding toward the crown.

Phoenix roebelenii: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Phoenix roebelenii Whole Plant Traits

Phoenix roebelenii: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Phoenix roebelenii: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Phoenix roebelenii: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Phoenix roebelenii: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Phoenix roebelenii: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Phoenix roebelenii: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Phoenix roebelenii: Appendage

Prickles
Spines
Tendrils
Thorns

Phoenix roebelenii Cultural Conditions

Phoenix roebelenii: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Phoenix roebelenii: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Phoenix roebelenii: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Phoenix roebelenii: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Phoenix roebelenii: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
11a
thermostat
11b

Phoenix roebelenii: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Phoenix roebelenii Landscape

Phoenix roebelenii: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Phoenix roebelenii: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Phoenix roebelenii: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Phoenix roebelenii: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland