FNPS Plant Database

Acoelorraphe wrightii

paurotis palm, Everglades palm
  • Photo by: Susan Trammel, Paynes Prairie FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

paurotis palm, Everglades palm

Synonym(s):

Paurotis wrightii

Genus species:

Acoelorraphe wrightii

Family:

Arecaceae (Palmae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

Tree

Size:

20–35 feet ft tall by 15–25 feet ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white, green

Fruit Color:

black

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms late winter into early spring. Fruits ripen in fall

Noted For:

Hurricane Wind Resistance, Thorns, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen plant, typically forms clumps of stems,the young fan-shaped fronds hide the principal stems. The lower fronds can be removed so that the trunks can be clearly seen. Sometimes used as a street tree.

Considerations:

Leaf stalks bear spines.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Friends

Propagation:

De-pulped seed, or by breaking up a clump.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam, Lime Rock, Organic

Soil pH:

Suitable to Grow In:

9A, 9B, 10A, 10B, 11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Birds

Attracts bees.

Fruits spread by birds.

Native Habitats:

Moist hammocks, swamps, but can adapt to drier sites

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, TX.


Huegel, Craig, N. (2010). Native Plant Landscaping for Florida Wildlife. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Watkins, John, and Thomas Sheehan. (1975). Florida Landscape Plants, Native and Exotic. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P, B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

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