View source for Jubaea chilensis

{{SPlantbox
|familia=Arecaceae
|genus=Jubaea
|species=chilensis
|common_name=Chilean Wine Palm
|habit=palm-cycad
|lifespan=perennial
|exposure=sun
|features=foliage
|Temp Metric=°F
|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!
|image=Jubaea chilensis Hyères gross.jpg
|image_width=180
}}
'''''Jubaea chilensis''''' ('''Chilean Wine Palm''') is the sole extant species in the genus '''''Jubaea''''' in the palm family [[Arecaceae]]. It is native to southwestern [[South America]], where it is [[Endemism|endemic]] to a small area of central [[Chile]], between 32°S and 35°S in southern [[Coquimbo Region|Coquimbo]], [[Valparaíso Region|Valparaíso]], [[Santiago Metropolitan Region|Santiago]], [[O'Higgins Region|O'Higgins]] and northern [[Maule Region|Maule]] regions. It was long assumed that the [[extinct]] palm tree of [[Easter Island]] belonged to this genus too, but it is distinct and now placed in its own genus, ''[[Paschalococos]]''.

It is a palm reaching heights of {{convert|25|m|ft}} with a trunk up to {{convert|1.3|m|ft}} in diameter at the base, often thicker higher up, and with smooth bark. The {{convert|3|-|5|m|ft|adj=on}} [[leaf|leaves]] are pinnate. The largest individual specimen of indoor plant in the world is the ''Jubaea chilensis'' at [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|Kew]], England.

The tree also produces small round [[fruit]]s that are about {{convert|2|-|3|cm|in}} in diameter. The fruit has a very hard outer shell and has a whitish meat on the inside. The fresh nuts are normally sold in the areas where the palms grow during the fruiting season.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

The common name refers to the past use of the sap from the trunk of this palm to produce a [[fermented beverage]].  The sap is also boiled down into a syrup and sold locally as ''[[Palm syrup|miel de palma]]''.

{{Inc|
Jubaea spectabilis, HBK. height 40-60 ft. but much lower in cult.: lvs. 6-12 ft. long. —The southernmost American palm. "It is one of the hardiest palms," says Franceschi, "and can endure drought and many degrees of cold. If liberally treated, it makes a large tree in a few years." A full-sized trunk yields about 90 gallons of sugary sap, which is boiled by the Chileans and called "Miel de Palma" or palm honey, which is extensively used on ships and hotels on the west coast of S. Amer. There is some danger of the species being exterminated in Chile. The frs. look like diminutive coconuts, and are called Coquitos, or by the trade "monkey's coconuts." In Europe, it is cult, under glass, and also used for subtropical bedding.
}}

==Cultivation==
It needs mild winters, but will tolerate frosts down to about {{convert|-15|°C|°F}} as well as relatively cool summers, making it one of the [[hardy palms|hardiest]] of pinnate-leaved palms; this is because it grows up to {{convert|1400|m|ft}} above sea level in its natural habitat. In the wild, the tree lives almost exclusively on the steep slopes of ravines.

===Propagation===


===Pests and diseases===


==Varieties==


==Gallery==

<gallery perrow=5>
Image:Kew.gardens.chilean.wine.palm.london.arp.jpg|World-record ''Jubaea'' at Kew
Image:Upload.png| photo 1
Image:Upload.png| photo 2
Image:Upload.png| photo 3
</gallery>

==References==
<references/>
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->

==External links==
*{{wplink}}

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