Eccentric plants are what the tropics do best, and it's rare for these big personalities to do well in tiny containers in northern climates. Fortunately, the majestic Flamethrower palm is an exception. This slow-growing palm gets its name for the red color its fronds get as they unfurl. Here's mine on Long Island, NY. For a place where ANY palm tree looks out of place, the vivid color on this one is really special!
What is it like to grow a Flamethrower Palm?
I purchased my Chambeyronia macrocarpa from a plant sale in Orlando, FL in March of 2018 (photo below). That was 4 and a half years ago and the palm is still in the same pot size. It's safe to say this palm is slow! When I lived in Florida and in South Carolina (photo below) it would grow 2 new fronds a year.
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| March 2018 |
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| March 2018 |
The photos below from my balcony in South Carolina are from January 2021, about a year and a half ago.
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| Jan 2021 |
Growth Rate
This is my first summer growing a Flamethrower palm in NY, and I only had 1 new frond open up. I know that sounds painfully slow; however, each new frond is MUCH bigger than the last. (At least 50% larger!)
Out of the dozens of palm trees I'm growing, the Flamethrower palm grows a lot wider than it does tall. This palm only holds 3 or 4 fronds at a time, so I'd argue that this palm changes shape and size more dramatically when a single frond unfurls than palms that throw 5-10 fronds out a summer.
My favorite thing about this palm is the low maintenance. They prefer shade during the sunniest part of the day, but don't mind direct morning or evening sun. It can also handle cool weather. In South Carolina, it was exposed to nights in the 30s and plenty of dry afternoons in the 50s. This palm does not handle winter wind well. My South Carolina apartment balcony was on the 4th floor and the fronds were tattered after the cooler months. Chambeyronia macrocarpa also will not tolerate below-freezing temperatures. It's a good choice for northern gardeners because it's cool and dry tolerant so it'll do okay inside the house during the winter months.
How long does the color last?
You'll see images of this gorgeous palm in full color on the internet, but I think it's important to manage your expectations about how long the color lasts. the emerging spear stays completely green until it's about to unfurl (which happens nearly overnight!).
Here's a photo below from September 17th. You'll notice the huge spear is still completely green.
This spear took so long to unfurl I thought my otherwise healthy palm was sick. But 3 days later, on September 20th we got our first taste of color.
And every day the color got better and better!
The palm frond completely unfurled about a week later and remains red. When it's all said and done, I'll get to enjoy the red color for a little less than a month before it changes over to a deep green color.
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