Scientific name: Wodyetia bifurcata
Common names: The Foxtail Palm is also known as Fox Tail Palm and Wodyetia Palm.
Family: Arecaceae
Origin: It is native to Australia.
Appearance: Wodyetia bifurcata has a solitary, self-cleaning trunk with smooth green crownshaft. Trunk is slender, dark grey to light grey, closely ringed, and slightly swollen at the base. The Foxtail Palm has about 8-10 arching leaves which grow up to 6-10ft long. Pinnate, or feather-like, fronds emerge from a smooth green crownshaft look like tail of the fox, hence the name Foxtail Palm.
Flowers/Fruits: The Foxtail Palm produces branched flower stalks of creamy inflorescence which grow at the base of the crownshaft. The Foxtail Palm has male and female flowers growing on the same plant. Flowers are followed by clusters of fruits which are oval, about 2 in. long, with single seed inside. Fruits are are green when young but turn red to orange-red when they ripe.
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast. It is a fast growing palm that can get up to 20 – 30 ft tall and 5-10 ft wide.
Outdoor/Indoor Use: Both.
Cold Tolerance: It can tolerate cold down to 30F and should be protected from frost. It is great for growing in USDA Zones 10a (30 to 35 F) – 11 (above 40 F).
Light Req: Partial shade to full sun.
Water Req: Moderate. Foxtail likes deep watering with well drained soil.
Maintenance: Easy. To prevent nutritional deficiency, apply good quality palm fertilizer that has continuous release formula twice a year during growing season.
Propagation: Propagated by seeds that take anywhere from 3-12 months to germinate.
