Much coveted by many collectors, the Quito palm, Parajubaea cocoides, is a truly spectacular palm with graceful arching fronds and a smooth trunk which give it a unique, tropical look. Yet this palm is hardly tropical in its growing requirements. Originating in the cool, temperate highlands of the Andes, (2000-3000m elevations) this palm prefers year-round spring-like conditions with moderate daytime highs and brisk and cold, (but not freezing) nights.

More specifically, P. cocoides thrives when daytime temperatures range from 60 to 75 F and when overnight lows range in between 45 and 55 F. It prefers the cool, humid conditions associated with a marine influence. It is thus ideally suited to Sunset zone 17. There are beautiful specimens scattered about the San Francisco peninsula where these kind of conditions are found year round.

The beautiful 10 year old P. cocoides depicted in the imge above grows in the Sunset district of San Francisco, an area of the San Fransisco peninsula which is renown for very cool temperatures year-round and abundant summer fog. This specimen survived the '90 frost as a seedling without any damage whatsoever.

While it can tolerate some heat, it is not adapted to tropical or even semi-tropical conditions. The restricting factor appears to be elevated nighttime temperatures. But as long as nights remain cool, this palm will tolerate warm, or even hot daytime temperatures, and therefore will also grow in many inland central and Northern California locations where frost is not prevalent in the Winter. The only challenge is that most frost free inland locations are typically found on hillsides at some elevation where summertime overnight lows tend to be on the warm side. P. cocoides will grow in such an environment but will be more susceptible to disease (molds) and will certainly not look as spectacular. Some specimens are found in the Oakland palmetum of the Palm Society of Northern California. While the trees look beautiful, not a single seed from these trees has yet germinated, and the reason appears to be that the seeds are contaminated with molds. The molds are probably associated with elevated summertime temperatures. (Oakland often experiences temperatures in the 90's or even warmer throughout the summer.)

With such growing requirements and its unique look, the Quito palm might as well be called the central California coast jewel. While the ideal climate for P. cocoides is found along the coast from Point COnception to past Pt. Reyes, it's growing range on the West coast extends from Ventura northward well into the northern boundaries of zone 9 on the Oregon Coast. Further north, this palm may suffer from deep freezes and lack of light during the Winter months, but may be worth a try with some winter protection, as it turns out to be quite frost resistant. It's official hardiness is rated around 25 F, but during the great frost of 1990, the Quito palm has survived lower temperatures. Some foliage damage was typically observed once temperatures drop below 25 F. But there was one report of a specimen in the Walnut Creek area which survived 18 F after complete defoliation. Perhaps a better specimen for locations susceptible to more temperature extremes and frost is P. cocoides' close cousin, P. torallyi.

P. torallyi, also known as the janchicoco, is found in harsher locations in the wild in locations further south such as central and southern Bolivia, where the climate is drier and characterized by more temperature extremes. In contrast, P. cocoides is found only in cultivation, and is thought by some to be be a domesticated form of P. torallyi, but groves of P. cocoides may yet be found in the wild. The reason for cultivation may be the ornamental value of the palm, which looks like a graceful coconut tree, but a more likely reason may be related to the food value of the palm.

The Coquito, fruit of P. cocoides depicted above, looks like a mini-coconut and tastes just like the flesh of a coconut.