Pritchardia pacifica
Fiji fan palm
Overview
Pritchardia pacifica is a solitary fan palm 20-33 feet (6-10 m) tall carrying a dense rounded crown 10-15 feet (3-4.5 m) across. The trunk is gray, 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) in diameter, closely ringed with leaf scars, and swollen at the base. Leaves are costapalmate and almost circular, 3-5 feet (1-1.5 m) wide, stiff, and divided only in the outer third, so each blade holds a flat plate-like shape rather than splitting into drooping segments. Petioles are 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) long and unarmed, without the spines carried by many other fan palms. A crown holds 15-25 leaves at a time and old leaves hang briefly before dropping. Inflorescences are branched, shorter than the leaves, covered in brown felt, and carry small cream flowers followed by round fruit 0.4 inch (1 cm) across that ripen from green to black-brown. Trunk growth runs 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) a year. The species is susceptible to lethal yellowing phytoplasma, which has killed plantings in the Caribbean and Florida, and the large leaf blades tear in sustained wind above 30 miles per hour (50 km per hour).
Native Range
Pritchardia pacifica is native to Tonga, and possibly also Fiji, in coastal lowland forest below 1,000 feet (300 m). Long-standing cultivation across western Polynesia has blurred its original range, since Tongan and Fijian communities planted it around villages for the leaves. It is now grown throughout the tropics and is naturalized on several Pacific islands, in Hawaii, and in parts of the Caribbean.Suggested Uses
Planted as a specimen and avenue palm in tropical gardens, resorts, and coastal parks at spacings of 12-15 feet (3.7-4.5 m). Grown in 25 gallon (95 L) containers and conservatory beds outside the tropics. Leaves have long been cut in Tonga and Fiji for fans, umbrellas, and thatch, and the palm is planted around village greens for that purpose.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height20' - 33'
Width/Spread10' - 15'
Reaches mature size in approximately 15 years
Bloom Information
Flowering runs April through August, with branched inflorescences pushing out from among the leaf bases. Individual inflorescences carry cream flowers over 2-3 weeks, and a crown produces several in succession across roughly 16 weeks. Fruit ripens 6-9 months later, turning from green through red-brown to black. Palms begin flowering 8-12 years after germination.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
Cream to pale yellowFoliage Description
Mid to bright greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Pritchardia pacifica grows in full sun to light shade on free-draining sand, loam, or coral rubble at pH 6.0-7.5, and handles moderate salt spray in coastal plantings. It takes 40-80 inches (1,000-2,000 mm) of annual rainfall, and established palms tolerate 2-3 dry months with slower leaf production. Hardiness runs to USDA zones 10-11, with leaf damage below 32F (0C) and death below 28F (-2C). Potassium and magnesium deficiency shows as orange flecking and necrotic leaf tips on sandy soils, and a palm-specific slow-release fertilizer applied three times a year corrects it. Lethal yellowing phytoplasma is the governing disease, spread by planthopper, and infected palms decline within 3-6 months. Transplanting succeeds during warm months while root growth is active.Pruning
Only fully brown leaves are cut, at the base of the petiole, since green and partly yellow leaves still supply potassium that the palm withdraws before shedding. Cutting the crown back to a narrow tuft weakens the trunk and slows growth. Fruiting stalks are cut at the base to limit seedling litter on paving. Pruning is done in early spring with clean tools, since lethal yellowing and fungal wilts move on contaminated blades.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
early spring
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 25 gallons