Paurotis palm, scientifically known as Acoelorrhaphe wrightii, is a slow-growing clustering palm native to the wetlands of southern Florida, the Caribbean, and Central America. Hardy in zones 9 through 12, this small to medium-sized tree reaches 15 to 20 feet tall (occasionally to 30 feet) with a spread of 10 to 15 feet as mature clumps expand through suckering stems. It thrives in consistently moist to wet soils and tolerates occasional brackish water inundation, making it exceptionally suited to rain gardens and naturally wet landscapes where other palms struggle.
Full Sun
Moderate
9-12
240in H x 180in W
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High
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This clustering palm handles the extremes that other ornamental trees cannot: it grows contentedly in clay and sandy soils alike, tolerates seasonal flooding and brackish water exposure, and even manages drought once established. The slender upright to gently curved trunks create an informal, naturalistic silhouette that feels at home in restored wetlands or rain gardens. Its moderate growth rate and moderate maintenance needs mean you're not fighting constant pruning battles, yet the plant still delivers architectural presence and genuine ecological value in zones 9 and warmer.
Paurotis palm serves as a structural element in rain gardens, wet-site landscapes, and restored wetland gardens where its tolerance for seasonal inundation and clay soils makes it invaluable. It functions as a screening plant and backdrop in subtropical gardens, creating informal clusters that feel naturally established rather than formally planted. The palm also plays an important ecological role, stabilizing wet soils and providing habitat in restored or designed wetland systems.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Remove dead or damaged fronds as needed, but exercise caution when pruning since the leaf stalks are armed with small thorns. Prune conservatively to maintain the natural clustering habit; the informal, multi-stemmed form is one of the palm's defining aesthetic characteristics. Allow suckering stems to develop if you wish to expand the clump over time, or remove them at the base to maintain a more contained silhouette.
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“Paurotis palm evolved in the swamps, seasonally flooded woodlands, and low wet areas of southern Florida, the Caribbean, and parts of Central America, where it remains a keystone species in subtropical wetland ecosystems. This is not a palm bred in a nursery or improved through human selection; it is a species that has thrived in one of North America's most challenging growing zones for millennia, shaped by water, heat, and occasional inundation. Its presence in cultivation represents a growing recognition among gardeners and landscape designers that native wetland plants offer ecological solutions to modern stormwater management and ornamental planting challenges.”