Falla Palm

Scientific name: Copernicia fallaensis

POWO Status: Tree

IUCN Red List threat level: Endangered

GPS Location: 17° 42′ 54.24″ N, 64° 49′ 46.72″ W

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Observations:

Phenological Markers – Copernicia fallaensis (Cuban Wax Palm)

Family: Arecaceae (Palm family)
Common Names: Cuban Wax Palm, Falla’s Palm
Habitat: Endemic to central Cuba, particularly in semi-arid lowland plains near Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila. Grows in savannas, open woodlands, and limestone soils, often in seasonally dry regions.

Phenological Markers:

  • Flowering Period:
    Typically flowers during the early rainy season (May to July), though older specimens may produce inflorescences intermittently throughout the year in tropical cultivation. Inflorescences are massive, branched, and emerge from within the crown.
  • Fruiting Period:
    Fruits develop over several months and typically ripen from October to January. The fruit is a black drupe, round to oval, about 1.5–2 cm in diameter.
  • Leaf Fall:
    Evergreen, with old fronds gradually drying and hanging down or falling off. The crown maintains a full, spherical appearance year-round unless pruned.
  • Budding Period:
    New fronds emerge year-round, with a notable flush in late spring (April to June), often coinciding with the flowering period.

Key Features:

  • Leaves: Large, costapalmate (between fan and feather form), stiff, gray-green to bluish, forming a nearly spherical crown. The leaf surface is often waxy or glaucous.
  • Trunk: Tall, columnar, solitary, smooth, and pale gray; mature palms can exceed 20 meters (65 feet) in height, making it one of the tallest Copernicia species.
  • Flowers: Small, creamy-white to yellow, borne in long, arching, highly branched inflorescences.
  • Fruits: Glossy black drupes that are attractive to birds and mammals.

Additional Notes:

It is drought-resistant, prefers full sun, and requires well-drained soils to thrive.

Copernicia fallaensis is a rare and iconic palm, often planted in botanical gardens and public landscapes for its dramatic size and symmetry.

It is closely related to Copernicia baileyana, but fallaensis is generally taller and more robust, with larger leaves and more erect posture.

The palm’s waxy coating was traditionally used for candle making and polish, although commercial use is rare today.

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