Foxtail Palm

Foxtail Palm is a single-trunked palm named for its plume-like fronds, whose leaflets radiate in several planes around the midrib like the bushy tail of a fox. Wodyetia bifurcata carries a pale to blue-green crownshaft above a light gray trunk ringed with leaf scars, and egg-shaped fruit that ripens orange to red. The even crown makes it a common specimen palm. Native to a small pocket of northeastern Queensland, Australia, it grows fast in full sun and tolerates shade, reaching about 30 feet with fronds 8 to 10 feet long. Give it well drained, slightly acidic soil. Drought tolerant once established, it still looks best with regular water. Treat it as a USDA zone 10 to 11 palm, since it survives best where temperatures stay above 30 degrees Fahrenheit, a real limit in north Florida. The crownshaft sheds old fronds on its own.