Nannorrhops ritchiana

Nannorrhops ritchiana (Mazari palm) is native to the central areas of Asia and is a common sight in Afghanistan and Pakistan where you can find it growing up to 1500 metres above sea level. The climate here can be characterized as being hot-cold, which means the summers are extremely warm and sunny while the winters are very cold. The cold winters have made this palm one of the hardiest palms on the face of earth (surviving under good conditions down to minus 15 degrees celcius), but to achieve this hardiness it needs warm and sunny summers - which could be a problem many places in Scandinavia. This palm is still untested in Scandinavia so we can only assume how it would deal with the Scandinavian climate.

Like Rhapidophullym hystrix the lenght and intensity of the Scandinavian summers will become a major problem for Nannorrhops ritchiana. To get a proper growth you will need more than a few sunny days. The temperature should be situated around 25 degrees celcius or more over a long period to get a proper growth and a chance for the palm to build up hardiness. Such demands concerning temperature makes it a hard case for the southernmost areas of Norway and Sweden.

Nannorrhops ritchiana does well in very dry and little fertile soil. The palm grows very slow, but the speed of growth can be increased with proper fertilization and water supply. Wet conditons over a longer period should be avoided as the palm will stop growing and probably start rot instead.

The bluegreen thick leaves makes this a great ornamental palm for the garden. The palm will not grow in height but instead in width like with Rhapidophyllum hystrix and Chamaerops humilis. If you are looking for a tall palm for the wet and chilly Scandinavian garden choose Trachycarpus fortunei and not Nannorrhops ritchiana, but if you think you have the right conditions give it a try.

Photo: http://www.banana-tree.com