Accession Count: 5
Common Name:
lady finger palm
Family Name:
Arecaceae
Botanical Name:
Rhapis excelsa
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Rhapis excelsa is an evergreen that has palmate leaves, there are five to eight narrow-lanceolate segments per leaf. The leaf stalks can grow up to 18 inches long. The More mature stalks are coarse, dark-brown and fibrous. This plant produces small bowl-shaped, yellow flowers that appear in small panicles in spring (1).
Compound:
Rha exc
Geographic Origin:
East Asia
Ecozone Origin:
Palearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The Rhapis excelsa is native to China and Taiwan but no longer exist in the wild (1). It has been distributed throughout east Asia (2). R. excelsa and Rhapis humilis are the oldest cultivated Chinese species. They have been recorded, early as the 17th Century for being prized ornamentals in the Far East (2).
Cultivation Notes:
Things to look out for when growing this beautiful plant. Leaf spots from over exposure to sun light (1).This plant is susceptible to aphids, nematodes (attacks the roots), and scale (4). Occasionally this species is susceptible to infection by a bacterial disease called fireblight (1). However, the disease is more common where the plant has been wounded, humidity is high or foliage is wet (1).
Ethnobotany:
This specimen is mostly valued for it's patio and in doors athletics as a container plant. This plant is often used to brighten up homes and office spaces. It is ideal for indoors because its lack of litter and being able to thrive in indirect sunlight (1).
Height:
11 - 15 feet
Width:
11 - 15 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Screen
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Moderate Water Use
