Norfolk Island palm: one of the most elegant species for coastal California gardens

We loved Far Out Flora’s post on the Norfolk Island palm (Rhopalostylis baueri) in the San Francisco Botanical Garden during a recent warm spell. Check it out. Matti and Megan caught amazing pictures of the palm’s lavish bloom.

Only quibble: If ONLY Dolores Park were home to more of this species, we’d be ecstatic. Alas, very few are growing in San Francisco, and even fewer are visible to the public. Two others besides the Botanical Garden’s that we know of are on Eureka Street near 22nd and in the 900 block of Teresita Blvd. near Melrose.

We think the ones at the SF Botanical Garden are much more vigorous than most we’ve seen elsewhere. Here’s one in Orange County, at the South Coast Plaza shopping center.