Brighamia insignis – Hawaiian Palm
Sprouts of BristolThese funky houseplants truly look out-of-this-world. Like a cross between a cabbage and a pineapple, this rare tropical houseplant will add an extra dimension to your sideboard arrangements. Its trunk grows wide, and its broad, pale green leaves sprout from the top, wide and long and lush. Looking like a miniature tree, this plant is an ideal way to bring the tropical into your home. Despite its rarity (both as a houseplant, grown in nurseries, and in its native Hawaii, where it is endangered), it is easygoing as a houseplant - just make sure it gets bright light and doesn't suffer too much in winter cold.
Scientific Name
Brighamia insignis (Brigham's plant, distinguished species)
Synonyms
Brighamia citrina
This plant's scientific name was first published in 1867 by botanist Asa Gray.
Common Name(s)
Cabbage on a Stick, Vulcan Palm, Hawaiian Palm, Hawaiian Vulcan Palm, Lettuce on a Stick
Origin
This plant is endemic to Hawaii, (North America / Pacific Ocean, tropical climate)
Light
This plant will do best with mostly bright, indirect light with an hour or so of morning or evening sun. In an east- or west-facing window, this plant will get a bit of weaker sunlight to boost its photosynthesising, without it being enough to burn its leaves.
Water
These palms are, in fact, succulents, so they like their soil to dry out totally between waters. They store water in their stem, or caudex, so are quite happy to sit with dry soil for a while. When the pot feels light to pick up, it's probably time for a water. Watering with lukewarm water will also help reduce stress.
Humidity
This plant is a big fan of high humidity; regular misting of the leaves or the introduction of a humidity tray will stop its leaves turning brown and crispy. A bathroom or kitchen with consistent humidity can also be a good spot for this plant.
Soil
Plant in a well-draining soil mix, such as a cactus or succulent blend, with added sand or grit. Ensure the pot has good drainage to prevent waterlogging.
Food
Feed every four waters during the growing season (spring and summer) with a balanced, water-soluble fertiliser. Reduce feeding to every six waters in autumn and winter when the plant's growth slows.
Temperature
Prefers temperatures between 20-27°C. Protect from cold drafts and avoid exposure to temperatures below 15°C. This plant is sensitive to low temperatures.
Pet-safe
Yes, this plant is non-toxic to pets and humans, making it a safe choice for family homes.
Sprouts Top Tips
To encourage healthy growth, rotate the plant occasionally to ensure even light exposure. Keep an eye on the leaves; drooping can be a sign of overwatering or poor drainage, if the soil is being left moist.
Extras
In its native habitat, Brighamia insignis relies on moths for pollination. Indoors, it rarely flowers, but in the right conditions, it may produce yellow, bell-shaped flowers at the top of its trunk.
Did You Know?
The Hawaiian Palm is critically endangered, with only a handful of specimens left in the wild. Conservationists have had to hand-pollinate plants to preserve the species.
Important Information
If you have any questions, please check out the below or get in touch via our contact formWe're devoted to sending our customers quality plants with the best service around. Every plant is backed by our 7-day guarantee, so they arrive in good health.
Our team takes extra steps when prepping plants for transportation, but they're still sensitive to changes, so there may be minor cosmetic issues. We always aim to photograph and disclose any flaws before shipping, but a living creature travelling across the country in a box can take a hot minute to adjust to its new life.
If you have any issues within 7 days of receiving your order, holler at our customer support team on our contact form with your order details and some pics of the issue. After the guarantee has expired, though, we can't refund as we can't guarantee care and environmental factors. If you repot the plant during the 7 days, the guarantee is void.
We have been sending plants up and down the country for many year now and we like to think we have our way down to an art.
We protect the plant from falling out of the soil with tissue paper and tape if needed, then we wrap the plant in corrugated cardboard, and sometimes we protect the leaves with extra tissue paper if required. This is then placed into a box and if there is any empty space, we fill this with void fill to stop the plants moving around inside the box. Sometimes we will write a note on your packing slip to water the plant on arrival, so please look out for this. This is due a freshly watered plant going in a box will not only be soggy, but as the plant is in darkness this can sometimes make the plant unhappy when just freshly watered.
If your plant arrives to you unhappy, please send us a photo of the plant and packaging if relevant straight away, so we can advise you.
Online orders are packed and dispatched within a few days. Usually depending on volumes, we aim to get your order dispatched within 1 working day. We have collections from Royal Mail 6 days a week so deliveries tend to be speedy.
Our standard parcel delivery service is £4.99 for Royal Mail Tracked48, you can upgrade to Tracked24 for £2.50.
We do offer a Tracked48 Large Letter option for £2.99, and Tracked24 for £1 extra, but this only applies to products less than 2.5cm thick.
*Deliveries 7 days a week only included Tracked24 parcels.
Link to your shipping policy
We get a lot of boxes, packaging and whatnot at Sprouts from all our various supplier's deliveries. We re-use this packaging material where possible, plus we take in donations from local businesses and customers to our shop to avoid excess packaging going to landfill. Sometimes your delivery might look a little different, or come in a branded box from another company, but rest assured the items inside are carefully packed with love and attention inside. We use paper tape and all our branded materials included are fully recyclable. Sometimes we use polystyrene, bubble wrap or plastic wrap in the packaging, all these items are not new and where possible, please use them again.
We have partnered with Zedify to offer low-carbon deliveries in Central Bristol for £6.99.
Zedify collect and deliver orders from us Monday - Friday and will usually deliver your order the same day its collected. If you place your order before 11am, we will aim to get it collected the same day but this isnt always possible. When you have received your dispatch email, Zedify should be delivering your order the same day, anytime before 6pm.
We cannot give an idea of time, but if you would prefer delivery on a certain date (Monday - Friday) please get in touch or leave a note at check out with your preferred delivery date and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Zedify deliver to the following postcodes BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS6, BS7, BS8 (1, 2, 3A - 3N, 4), BS9 (1,3,4).
Select click and collect at checkout to collect your order from our Bristol shop.
You will get an email when your order is ready to collect, where possible please come and collect your order the same day as we have limited space. If you are going to collect your order at a later date, please let us know in the message box at check out so we know when to expect you. Some items such as gift sets, kits and pre-order items may not be ready to collect the same day, again please let us know what day you would like to collect and we will let you know if there's any issues.
We do not offer free returns, but if you are unhappy with your delivery, please get in touch. If your parcel or order has been damaged, please take photos and send these over to our team so we can look into this for you.
If you have ordered an item and you would like to exchange it, we should be able to do this for you. There may be an extra charge for delivery, but get in touch to discuss. For plants there is a 7 day return policy and 30 days for everything else, apart from sale items which are none returnable.
You can return or exchange in our Bristol shop for free.
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