Description

The Montgomery palm is underutilized and it’s a shame because it has many beautiful and practical qualities.

Some like it hot!

This underutilized palm is native to the island of Vanuatu which is in the South Pacific, south of the Solomon Islands and west of Fiji. This tropical palm’s ideal planting zone is 10B-11. Google Earth this island and get a distinctive impression of this palms homeland.

The trunk of the Veitchia montgomeryana is slim much like that of an Adonidia. The Veitchia montgomeryana also displays leaf scars that add to the similarity in appearance, however the similarities end there.

Montogomery’s get much taller than Adonidias and have a completely different canopy and frond structure. The black scales or “black fuzz” as we like to call it, found on the crown shaft are similar to the black fuzz found on the crown shaft of Foxtails. That is where the similarities between these two palms end!

The canopy of the Montgomery is comprised of 8-10 leaves.

Southwest Florida is the ideal home for this tall beauty and our mild winter conditions suit this palm nicely. Beautifully green in the spring, summer and fall, the leaves can be sensitive and not appreciative of cold winter winds.

Luckily winters down here are consistently mild.

The leaves will get burnt and the tips become a bit tattered and turn brown in the cold winter winds but rest assured, they recover quickly in the spring.

A few more technical specs on Montgomery are it’s fast growth. Maxing out between 25’-35’ in overall height, they will never dwarf a residence as well as capitalizing on successfully fitting into tight spaces.

Please note the following name change from the scientific community.

They have combined the Vietchia montgomeryana with the vietchia mcdanielsii and lumped them together to make the vietchia arecina. It may take some time for this name to circulate and now you’re in the know!

Call Palmco today at 239-283-1329 and we will answer your questions and help you find the palms you want.