Phoenix roebelinii

The Phoenix roebelinii is without a doubt one of the best indoor palm trees. This cousin of the Date Palm, sometimes called the Mekong Date Palm, is not only extremely graceful, but it is also small in size, and above all it adapts to many growing conditions, forgiving forgotten watering as well as excessive watering, tolerating lack of sunlight and the rather dry atmosphere of our interiors. All these qualities make us forget that it has retained from its tropical origins a chilly temperament that does not cope well with our winters. Installed in a carefully chosen large pot, it will bring a magnificent exotic touch to the living room or the veranda.

The Phoenix roebelinii belongs to the large family of Arecaceae. It is widespread on the banks of the Mekong, from Laos to Thailand, where it grows in periodically flooded areas, but also in drier areas. Its resistance to cold is limited, although the plant can tolerate brief periods at -3 or -4°C (26.6 or 24.8°F). The False Date Palm is an arborescent plant that reaches a height of 4 m (13ft) in its natural habitat. When grown in the ground, it will not exceed 3 m (10ft) in height, and 2 m (1 and 7ft) in a pot.

Its trunk, called a stipe, is solitary, thin, and does not exceed 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) in diameter. It is covered with remnants of old petioles surrounded by brown fibers. With age, it becomes bare and more or less smooth. At its top, a gracefully rounded but light crown develops, transparent and composed of large, slender, and arched leaves, measuring 1 to 2 m (3 to 7ft) in length. Each leaf is divided into many narrow, leathery, plicate leaflets, carried by a long spiny petiole. The foliage is bright green in color. The flowering occurs in summer, in the form of dense, white clusters that emerge between the leaves. Female plants produce potentially edible fruits, shaped like small dates measuring 1 cm (1in).

The Phoenix roebelinii is a magnificent houseplant or veranda plant, within the reach of any careful gardener. This palm tree doesn't appreciate being moved, for example from the living room to the terrace or vice versa, or from the greenhouse to the veranda, and it fears transplantations. in areas spared from frost, it will therefore be grown in a container and installed in a bright veranda or in a very bright room, with some direct sunlight. To accompany it, choose for example dwarf banana trees (Musella lasiocarpa) or other indoor palm trees such as Areca and Kentia.