Jubaea chilensis
Chilean wine palm
The girthiest palm in the world, with trunks reaching up to 4 feet across, Jubaea chilensis invites comparison to the Canary Island date palm. One wonders what Palm Drive might have looked like had it been planted with this more monumental, though slower-growing, Chilean species. Unlike other palms tapped for toddy, this tree must be felled to extract its sweet sap; this has dramatically reduced its native range.
Four were planted in 1999 to anchor the Chilean section of Campus Drive, scattered in the boot-shaped area between Jane Stanford Way and Campus Drive behind the Gates Building. The tallest boasts a 6-foot trunk. In time, they may rise to over 50 feet. The flesh of the small fruit, which may take decades to appear, tastes much like coconut. In 2020, three more were added nearby, in the Chile-themed garden in front of the ChEM-H Building, their short trunks hidden by the drifts of spiky blue puya (Puya berteroniana) surrounding them. A handsome specimen stands in the north lawn at the Meyer-Buck Estate. Another can be seen at 2083 Princeton Street in Palo Alto.
About this Entry: Authored Jul 2025 by Sairus Patel.
