Palms

The popularity of using palms in the landscape keeps going up. It seems there exists an endless supply of retired date groves supplying a continuous stream of mature date palms into every other new commercial development.

Coupled with the date palms are the two popular fan type palms, the thick trunked California fan and the fast growing thin trunked Mexican fan palm. Thrown in the mix are the quirky queen palms.

Palms offer a strong vertical element to the landscape. They are interesting when young and all the parts can be seen. After a while they begin to tower and become a relatively high maintenance structure in the landscape.

Summer seems to be the time for the palms. Everything we do to them is in the summer.

If palms fit what you want now is a great time to plant them. The soils have to be warm for the roots to start growing and getting the plant established quickly. Established palms get pruned this time of year to rid them of the expired fronds and any flowering structures coming out.

Palms need a fair amount of water and a good balanced fertilizer with a manganese chaser for best growth and health. This is especially critical for queen palms.

Queen palms offer other challenges. Being a more tropical palm they, as many other tropical plants, suffer more with wind. Their native home in a dense forest does not have much wind and they probably do not have the ability to stand as much wind.

Planting them here in the sun and heat is fine; its the wind that makes them look worn out. The best looking ones live in courtyards or wind protected settings.

Other less popular palms offer some alternatives worth note. They grow slower and won't get real tall.

The first alternative comes from the group called sabal palms. The fronds are fan in shape but distinctly folded down the middle offering more interest.

The second one is in full regale now. If you see a bluish colore fan pan sporting a giant arching flower stalk shimmering golden in the sun it has to be the Guadalupe blue fan palm. These palms present such a beautiful flower disply people look forward to the summer in anticipation and not dread of the bloom.

These last ones may be harder to find. Searching around and finding one will lead to many years of interesting and low care palms offering adefinite accent to your landscape.

Written by Terry Mikel, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 602-470-8086.
Material originally appeared in Arizona Republic
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