Most drought tolerant palm?

[Mandrew968]

I think this is a more difficult question than one might think. I know Brahea and Nannorhops are in the mix but what about Ravenea xerophylla? I think that is the only palm I know with tubers in the root to store water... most 'desert' palms are found where permanent water is. So find a desert palm and you are in the best place to be, in the desert. But which palm would you advocate for and why? Please give a reason, thanks!

[James B]

I see Washingtonia and Brahea grow here with no supplemental water. Meaning they go months at a time without it raining.

[Mandrew968]

Phoenix atlantica lives on Cape Verde with 4 inches of rain annually. 

[awkonradi]

I think this is an interesting question.  Here is link to a scientific paper that pertains to estimating aridity.  Scroll down to see the maps.  If the question is, "What species of palm can grow in the highest aridity without ground water?", then I imagine the answer may be a species native to Mexico, southern Africa, or Australia, where the highest diversity of arid-tolerant life forms of all types are found.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01493-1

Edited December 17, 2022 by awkonradi

[Mandrew968]

59 minutes ago, James B said:

I see Washingtonia and Brahea grow here with no supplemental water. Meaning they go months at a time without it raining.

Here? Where is here and how much annual precipitation? 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, James B said:

I see Washingtonia and Brahea grow here with no supplemental water. Meaning they go months at a time without it raining.

Agree 100%  Washingtonia pop up along washes where water might run a handful of times / year. W our heat, that's pretty dang tough...

Would add both Sabal uresana and Cryosophila nana  to the list since both come from areas of Sonora where it doesn't rain for several months/ gets pretty hot before it rains.

[sonoranfans]

most drought tolerant palm would depend on how hot and dry it is.  Transpiration is far higher in heat so water demands are also much higher, all else equal.  Cape verde rainfall is impressively low at 4", but then the weather is pretty cool compared the the american southwest inland desert so perhaps plants evolve in each area to handle the local challenges.   Cape verde humidity also avedrages 40-60% so the risk of dessication is possibly lower.  Surviving in phoenix arizona means that you get double the rainfall but then 90 days a year of 100F plus temps and two of those months are dry with 6-10% humidity and no rain.  I think each climate has an adapted survivor that fares best in that area.

 

[LOCO COCONUT]

I would say probably Washingtonia Filifera or maybe edible date palm

[sonoranfans]

On 12/17/2022 at 11:59 AM, LOCO COCONUT said:

I would say probably Washingtonia Filifera or maybe edible date palm

These are the two toughest palms I saw in my 10 years in arizona.  Both had no regular irrigation once established, and survived.  Not much survives there without regular water.  Filiferas look better when watered but they do survive in areas with no functional irrigation.