Phoenix loureiroi aka Loureiro's Palm

Phoenix loureiroi is the mountain date palm. It belongs to the palm family, Arecaceae. Its home range spans the Indian subcontinent, southern China and the Philippines. This palm stays green all year. It grows in forests, scrub, grassland and dunes. It also grows by streams and on disturbed land. Some groups grow on steep slopes or sites that burn. Birds, bats and small mammals eat its fruit. They then spread its seeds.

Its form ranges from single stems to dense clumps. Stems may stand upright, lean, or stay below ground. Garden plants reach about 10–16 feet [3–5 metres] tall. Wider reports give 3–20 feet [1–6 metres]. Stems measure about 0.7–1.3 feet [0.2–0.4 metres] across. Leaves reach 6.6 feet [2 metres] long. They range from blue-green to silver-grey. Dense leaflets give the crown a look like feathers. The leaflets have sharp points. Leaves may bend far back. Rough trunks and bold leaves add texture to gardens.

Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Both sexes must grow together to form fruit and seeds. Plants can bear fruit before a trunk shows above ground. The orange fruits have an oblong shape. Each holds one large, woody seed. The sweet flesh forms a thin layer. It has a mealy, or flour-like, texture. People eat the fruit raw, though it is a minor food. They also eat the sweet growing bud as a vegetable. Removing this bud kills the stem that bears it.

Grow this palm in sun and moist soil that drains well. Young plants can cope with quite dense shade. Warmth, humid air and summer rain help it grow. Deep soil can speed growth. So can feeding and deep watering at set times. Poor growing sites can keep plants short, with very slow growth. Some upland forms cope with brief, light frosts when mature. This does not prove that all forms cope with cold. PACSOA reports that it resists fungal problems well in warm, wet sites. Nearby date palms brought into its range can cross with this species.

People weave leaves into mats, baskets, fans and rainwear. They also use leaves for roof thatch. Leaf bases serve as brushes, and leaf stalks supply fuel. Folk remedies use leaves for gut problems and toothache. These uses do not prove that such treatments work or are safe. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known hazards. Still, the sharp leaflets need care. That source reports a Least Concern assessment from 2018.