Pritchardia thurstonii - Pritchardia Palm

Pritchardia thurstonii is an extraordinary palm tree native to the most remote islands of the Pacific, and one of the easiest to cultivate as long as it has a warm and humid environment. This species has beautiful foliage, composed of large fan-shaped leaves, magnificently rigid and pleated like an accordion. Similar to the Pritchardia pacifica, this palm tree stands out with slightly smaller growth, but also with its astonishing cone-shaped inflorescences carried at the end of long peduncles that emerge widely from the foliage. Frost-sensitive, this Pritchardia is exclusively grown in containers in our climates, allowing it to be protected from winter frosts. A top-quality specimen for tropical plant enthusiasts!

Pritchardia thurstonii belongs to the family of Arecaceae. It originates from the Fiji and Tonga islands, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is found in humid forests, anchored in limestone and coral soils, on slopes, cliffs, and among rocks at low altitudes. This species of humid tropical climates perishes below -1°C (30.2°F), but adapts well to indoor cultivation as long as winter temperatures range between 10 and 15°C (50 and 59°F) and the atmosphere remains humid. Young plants take some time to establish themselves, then growth accelerates. In its native islands, Pritchardia thurstonii can reach a height of 8m (26ft) when grown in the ground, but it will hardly produce a trunk and will not exceed 1.80m (6ft) to 2m (7ft) in all directions when grown in containers, indoors, or in a greenhouse.

This Lau Fan Palm develops a unique trunk called a stipe, almost devoid of leaf scars, fairly thin, and light grey in colour. At the end of this stipe, a beautiful regular and rounded crown of leaves develops. It is composed of large three-quarter circular fan-shaped leaves, which are called costapalmate, measuring up to 80cm (32in) in diameter. Their margin is divided into numerous short, very rigid and erect segments, with a pleated appearance. They are a medium green colour and are covered with a thin waxy film that gives them a shiny appearance. The petioles that bear the leaves, as well as the veins, are devoid of thorns but have some fibres on the margin. Flowering occurs in summer on mature plants aged 10 to 15 years, under favourable growing conditions. It takes the form of long pedunculated, arched inflorescences that extend well beyond the foliage. Each one is composed of numerous small yellowish flowers. After pollination, small globose fruits, 7mm (1in) in diameter, form and turn black when ripe. Each fruit contains a seed that easily germinates in a tropical environment, both warm and humid.

The Pritchardia Palm is an architectural plant that will make a statement on a veranda, in a temperate greenhouse, or in a very bright and minimally heated room. It tolerates container cultivation well and can be taken out onto the patio or balcony from May to September. Like all palm trees, it is difficult to associate due to its strong personality: reserve a corner of a swimming pool or a prominent place on the patio, initially exposing it to partial shade to gradually acclimate it to the sun. Surround it with graphic and colourful  Phormium, precise and geometric Agaves, or perhaps Cordyline.