High plateau coconut palm cold hardiness
Beccariophoenix alfredii Rakotoarin., Ranariv. & J.Dransf.
High plateau coconut palm overview
The coconut look from Madagascar's high plateau. USDA 9b to 11, a solitary feather palm, and not a true coconut.
Region of origin
Central highlands of Madagascar
Native countries
Historical discovery
Mijoro Rakotoarinivo, Tianjanahary Ranarivelo, and John Dransfield published Beccariophoenix alfredii in 2007. Garden plants had been circulating as a highland form of window palm.
Names
Common names
High plateau coconut palm, Hardy coconut palm, High mountain coconut
Synonyms
- None widely used
Cold hardiness
Survives about 25°F / -4°C. Outdoor range USDA 9b–11a. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Switch the U.S. map between states and hardiness zones.
Highlighted USDA zones 9b–11a. Green countries can be grown outdoors.
United States
In range Too cold
World
Native Can be grown
Alaska and Hawaii are state outlines with their overall zone range. A country is painted if its mildest inhabited winter is at least one USDA step milder than this palm’s hardiness.
Scientific facts
- It looks like a coconut on the street. The fruit is not a coconut, and Kew places it in Beccariophoenix, not Cocos.
- Wild plants grow along streams on Madagascar's central plateau, not on a tropical beach.
- Nurseries still mix it with window palm (Beccariophoenix fenestralis). True alfredii is the slimmer, highland one.
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Full care guide
The high plateau coconut palm is the Madagascar highland tree people buy when they want a coconut look north of coconut country. It is Beccariophoenix alfredii, described in 2007. USDA 9b to 11. It is not Cocos nucifera, and it is not a zone 8 palm.
Common Names:
High plateau coconut palm, hardy coconut palm, high mountain coconut.
Scientific Name:
Beccariophoenix alfredii Rakotoarin., Ranariv. & J.Dransf.
Origin:
Central highlands of Madagascar, often along streams on the plateau. Not a beach palm.
Appearance:
A solitary pinnate palm with a slender, ringed trunk and a full coconut-style crown. Young plants can show leaflet windows. Fruit is not an edible coconut. Window palm (B. fenestralis) is thicker and is the plant many tags still mean.
Growth Rate:
Moderate to fast in heat with water. Slower in a cool, dry winter.
Max Growth Height:
Often 20 to 40 feet in gardens. Wild plants can go higher.
Foliage Spread:
Plan 10 to 15 feet for the crown.
Cold Hardiness and Hardiness Zone:
USDA 9b to 11. Mature plants have taken brief readings near 25°F (-4°C) with damage. Coconut wants 10b. Zone 9a is a sheltered gamble, not a recommendation. Zone 8 is windmill country.
Soil Type:
Moist, well-drained. It is a streamside highland palm, not a desert succulent. Sand needs water and fertilizer.
Fruit and Flowering:
Inflorescences and small fruit. Birds may bother them. You will not harvest drinking coconuts.
Can it Grow Indoors:
No, except a seedling in a greenhouse. It wants to be a landscape tree.
Light Requirements:
Full sun once established. Young plants like a little filtered light until they harden.
Water Requirements:
Even moisture, especially the first years. Dry wind plus dry soil browns the crown.
Maintenance Level:
Medium. Feed in the growing season with palm-specific fertilizer. Keep grass off the trunk. Confirm the Latin name before you pay coconut-look prices.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Scale, nutrient yellowing in sand, and cold damage that looks like a coconut freeze. Lethal yellowing and other coconut diseases are still a question in Florida. Buy clean stock.
Plant Care:
Heat, water, sun, drainage. Use it where a coconut browns out but a queen palm still lives. If your winter kills a queen, this is the wrong coconut substitute.
High plateau coconut palm Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Is high plateau coconut a real coconut?
No. It is Beccariophoenix alfredii. The look is coconut. The fruit, the genus, and the winter it will take are not.
2. How hardy is it compared with coconut?
Coconut is USDA 10b to 12 and burns near 35°F. High plateau coconut is a 9b landscape palm, with mature plants reported near 25°F for a short night. That is still not windmill or needle palm country.
3. Why does my tag say window palm?
Beccariophoenix fenestralis is the thicker window palm, often sold in the same bin. True alfredii is the slimmer highland species published in 2007. Ask for the Latin name.
4. Can I grow it in zone 9a?
Only as a gamble with protection. Plan on 9b and warmer if you want it as a street tree, not a science project.
Plant high plateau coconut palm where you wanted a coconut and your winter is only a little too cold for one. If the freeze still kills a queen palm, buy a different silhouette.