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Zombia is a genus with one species, Zombia antillarum (zombie palm), a small fan palm that forms dense clumps of spiny, multi-stemmed trunks. It is grown mainly as a low-maintenance, salt-tolerant landscape palm and is best suited to warm, dry, sunny sites.
Zombia antillarum, commonly known as the zombie palm, is a species of palm tree and the only member of the genus Zombia. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (both the Dominican Republic and Haiti) in the Greater Antilles. Usually found in dry, hilly areas of northern and southern Haiti and the northwest of the Dominican Republic, Z. antillarum is a relatively short fan palm with clustered stems and a very distinctive appearance caused by its persistent spiny leaf sheaths. Threatened by habitat destruction in Haiti, Z. antillarum is a popular ornamental species due to its distinctive appearance, low maintenance requirements and salt tolerance.
Zombia antillarum is endemic to the island of Hispaniola. In northern Haiti, it grows along the tributaries of the Trois Rivières between Gros-Morne and Port-de-Paix, while in the south, it is found along the eastern edge of the Massif de la Hotte, between Miragoâne, Fond-des-Nègres and Fond-des-Blancs. The species also occurs in northwestern parts of the Dominican Republic, between Dajabón, Jarabacoa, the Sierra de Yamasá, Puerto Plata and Gaspar Hernández. It grows in dry, hilly regions at low elevation, usually on slopes and ridges, but is generally absent from valley bottoms. In the Dominican Republic, it is found from sea level up to 450 metres (1,480 ft) above sea level. Zombia antillarum is associated with serpentine soils, but is also found on calcareous soils. In Haiti, Z. antillarum grows in association with a variety of other palms, including Coccothrinax argentea, Bactris plumeriana, Roystonea borinquena, Sabal causiarum and S. domingensis. In the Dominican Republic, it grows in association with Pinus occidentalis, Calyptronoma rivalis, R. borinquena, S.
The plant is a popular ornamental, and is valued for its unusual appearance, low maintenance requirements, small stature and salt tolerance. It is recommended for low-maintenance landscaping in South Florida. Leaves of Z. antillarum are used to weave hats, make brooms and the seeds, which have a protein content of 2.8–4.9%, are used to feed pigs. South of Sabaneta in the Dominican Republic, the petioles are reportedly "used to mix manioc flour for making cassava bread."
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Zombia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
