Plant · GBIF taxon 5293153
Pygmy Date Palm
Phoenix roebeleniiAlso known as Dwarf Date Palm, Miniature Date Palm, Robellini Palm
Pygmy date palms grace riverbanks and rocky cliffs across Southeast Asia, forming dense, arching crowns of feathery, fine-textured fronds. Graceful and slow-growing, these palms are dioecious, requiring separate male and female plants to cross-pollinate and produce small, dark purple drupes. Despite their modest stature in the wild, extensive cultivation has made them one of the most recognizable and favored landscape palms across warm climates worldwide.
TropicalOrnamentalEvergreen
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic
ThreatsDam construction, habitat loss along rivers, invasive pests
HabitatsRiverbanks, rocky river cliffs, tropical moist forests
Life span30–50 years
Classification
- OrderArecales
- FamilyArecaceae
- GenusPhoenix
- SpeciesPhoenix roebelenii
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Wild fruits have toxic look-alikes; sharp leaf-base spines can cause painful punctures when pruning.
Responsible observation
- Pruning Precaution: Wear thick leather gloves to avoid needle-sharp spines along the lower frond stalks.
- Sunlight Observation: Look for richer, deeper green fronds in partial shade compared to full sun.
Parasite Didier Descouens / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Jesús Cabrera, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Ashley Basil, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Same Family (c) Forest and Kim Starr, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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