Credit: David Foley
Jubaea chilensis
Background and story
The Chilean Wine Palm (Jubaea chilensis) is one of the most impressive and long-lived palms in cultivation, native to central Chile where it inhabits dry valleys and foothills.
Unlike more commonly planted palms, it develops a massive, smooth grey trunk, often resembling stone in maturity, topped with a broad crown of elegant, feather-like leaves.
Historically, it was tapped for its sap to produce palm wine, a practice that contributed to the decline of wild populations.
Did you know?
This species is exceptionally long‑lived, with many individuals surviving for several hundred years, and some estimates suggesting far greater ages, possibly over 1,000 years.
Hardiness and conservation
The recorded RHS hardiness rating is H4, which means this plant is usually hardy through most typical UK and Irish winter conditions, although exposed or wet sites can still cause losses. The recorded USDA/PFAF hardiness value is 7b-8a, which is useful as a broad winter-temperature guide, but it should not be read as a direct substitute for the RHS rating. Local hardiness always depends on local shelter, drainage, winter wet, salt-laden wind and the plant’s age and establishment.
The IUCN Red List status recorded here is Endangered (EN). This places it in a threatened category, with a very high risk of extinction in the wild. The assessment year recorded in the plant data is 2021.
CITES data is also recorded for this plant: Appendix I. Appendix I is the strictest listing, and international commercial trade in wild-collected specimens is generally prohibited.
Additional notes for Ireland and Britain
In Ireland and Britain, Jubaea chilensis is considered one of the hardiest feather palms, performing best in mild, sheltered locations with well-drained soil and good light. Growth is extremely slow, particularly in cooler climates, but over decades it can form a substantial and highly distinctive tree, eventually reaching 15–20 metres or more in ideal conditions. Young plants resemble a dense rosette before gradually forming a trunk. It tolerates wind and coastal exposure better than many palms once established, though protection from severe frost and waterlogged soils is important in its early years. It is best used as a long-term specimen tree, where space allows its scale to be appreciated.
From a conservation and hardiness perspective, Jubaea chilensis is classified as Endangered in the wild, due to habitat loss, historic overexploitation for sap, and limited natural regeneration. However, it is widely grown in cultivation, which provides some security for the species. In terms of hardiness, it can tolerate moderate frost (typically down to around −10°C to −12°C when mature and well-established), making it one of the more resilient pinnate palms for Irish conditions. Its main vulnerability is cold, wet soil rather than cold alone, particularly when young. In an Irish context, it represents a remarkable long-term investment, combining durability, rarity, and a strong architectural presence.
Notable features
- It is one of the most massive palms on Earth. Jubaea chilensis has the thickest trunk of any palm, often exceeding 1–1.5 m in diameter and occasionally approaching 2 m, giving it an almost column‑like appearance.
- Producing “wine” from it traditionally meant killing it. The sweet sap can be fermented into palm wine or boiled into syrup, but unlike other palms, it is usually obtained only by cutting down the entire tree, which led to major population decline.
- It is one of the hardiest feather palms in the world. Despite its tropical appearance, it can tolerate temperatures around −14°C to −15°C (or lower in some reports), allowing it to grow in places like Ireland, England, and coastal northern Europe.
- It is now endangered due to centuries of human pressure. Once widespread in central Chile, populations have declined dramatically due to harvesting, grazing, fire, and habitat loss, and it is now classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Earlscliffe notes
Jubaea chilensis (the Chilean Wine palm) is reputed to be a slow growing, long lived tree with a life span of 700 to 1,000 years. Planted around 1971, the tree is growing at approximately 7 cm/year which is less than a tree in Torquay (South Devon) which grew to a height of 7 metres tall in approximately 72 years (about 9.6 cm/year) (Taylor, 1990). The tree at Earlscliffe has survived all winters since the early 1970s without obvious signs of injury and continues to grow slowly. Because of its apparent hardiness, it should make an interesting contribution to the palm collection at Earlscliffe in the 22nd century!