The Mazari Palm Tree, scientific name Nannorrhops ritchiana, is a rare palm native to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Lately it has been gaining popularity because of its striking appearance and cold hardiness, which makes it a great choice for landscape in USDA zones 6-11.  Native to desert, Mazari Palm can easily adapt to different varieties of soil.

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Mazari Palm Tree Info

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Scientific name: Nannorrhops ritchiana

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Common names: The Mazari Palm is also known Mazzari Palm.

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Family: Arecaceae

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Origin: It is native to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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Appearance: Nannorrhops ritchiana has no trunk and looks like a shrub. With no crownshaft, several stems grow tightly together from a single base. Leaves are semi-palmate, fan-shaped, similar to cabbage palm leaves. They are very thick, stiff, about 4ft long, with unarmed petioles that are 2ft long. It ranges in color from blue-green to gray-green. Each leaf has about 20-30 leaflets that are 1-2ft long.

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Flowers/Fruits: The Mazari Palm produces white flowers that grow in clusters on 3ft long inflorescence at the top of the stem. The Mazari Palm is usually dioecious, male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Flowers are followed by editable orange fruits, 1/2 inch in diameter with a single seed inside.

Fruits are round, pea-size, and range in color from brown to orange. Each stem is monocarpic, as the fruit matures, the branch will die, but the palm will continue to grow from basal sprouts.

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Growth Rate: Slow. The Mazari Palm grows in clumps up to 10 – 20 ft tall and 5-10 ft wide.

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Outdoor/Indoor Use: Both.

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Cold Tolerance: Mazari Palm Tree is a very cold hardy palm that can survive cold down to -5F.  It is great for growing in USDA Zones 6b (-5 to 0 F) to 11 (above 40 F).

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Light Req: Full sun to partial shade. It grows best in full sun but can also grow in partial shade.

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Water Req: Moderate. It doesn’t require a lot of water but watering it when dry will speed up the growth rate. The Mazari Palm likes well-drained soil and prefers cool dry conditions but will also grow in tropical or semi-tropical places. This slow-growing palm can tolerate drought very well.

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Maintenance: Easy. To prevent nutritional deficiency, apply good quality palm fertilizer that has continuous release formula twice a year during growing season.

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Propagation: Propagated by seed or separation of clumps. It takes long time to germinate.