Description
This Chamaerops palm is a recent introduction from a spectacular palm grower in Italy. It is a superb selection of the well known form Chamaerops humilis ‘Volcano’, differing from ‘Volcano’ by consistently growing very compact, dense and uniform leaves held on short leaf stems. Furthermore, Chamaerops humilis ‘Compacta’ has a paler, silvery colour to the underside of each leaf, creating a very decorative effect. When seen en masse, Chamaerops humilis ‘Compacta’ is easy to identify from Chamaerops humilis ‘Volcano’ as the leaf size is consistent along with its compact habit. In contrast ‘Volcano’ can have smaller or larger leaves and can be very dense, or very open. As with all Chamaerops forms, ‘Compacta’ makes a perfect specimen palm either planted out or grown in a container. Due to its habit and short leaf stems, ‘Compacta’ is perfect for breezy conditions, such as coastal or roof/balcony gardens where ideally it should be sited in a sunny position. Eventual height should be around 2 metres by 1.3m wide, albeit achieved quite slowly.