Palm trees are members of the Arecaceae family, and there I would certainly give the Alexander Palm my green thumbs up. The Alexander Palm produces fruit that goes from green to a bright red when its ripe. Palm fronds can be large, and falling down on windy days are disturbing and messy. 2 years ago. The leaves are not flat but have a twisted look. Thanks for the information. And it's this fibrous and prolific shallow root system that makes it nearly impossible for other plants to take hold. Be careful of where these are planted though: If you're even thinking of planting any of these trees, call me to chat about your landscape design. var year=today.getFullYear() You can also attach them to hardwood or even rocks. The lipstick palm does not require much pruning. To reiterate, while a palm trees roots might be as wide or deep as the full height of the tree if the palm is still young and small, as the palm tree matures and grows (so long as the palm is large and not stunted by a container) its roots will not match its size. Good luck, hope it works out as youre envisioning! Other common bird species include the Torresian imperial pigeon (Ducula spilorrhoa) and the Wompoo fruit dove (Ptilinopus magnificus). This is normal. Debra LaGattuta is a gardening expert with three decades of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. Required fields are marked *. If you have leaking pipes within the ground, your palms roots will gravitate toward that area. Allergy-free gardening: The revolutionary guide to healthy landscaping. There is a propagation guide, some tips on how to care for your palm, pests and diseases to look out for, and a few frequently asked questions about this breathtaking Australian native. But as palms mature they produce a secondary root system near, or even above, the soil level. The roots of Palm trees have very distinct characteristics as compared to the other tree species. Because of their regular regeneration, roots do not typically grow as wide or long as their mother plant, unless it is an immature tree or small species. In need of more gardening knowledge and inspiration? I suppose this is the charm of this native tree. Thus, there should be no problems with concrete, if youre willing to chance it. If the lipstick palm is grown in a container, it will need frequent watering. Your email address will not be published. This palm has lovely hanging flowers that are white or purple and the clusters of flowers can be up to a metre in length. Occasionally confused with the alexandra palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae) - a relative of the piccabeen palm - the alexander is a more commonly used landscape palm. Im always in awe of the Alexander Palm because it has something that spells adventure, while being neat and low maintenance at the same time. The roots grow along with the tree by spreading themselves horizontally across the soil. Using a sharp saw or garden shovel, cut the sucker away from the mother plant. Palm roots will seek water so if the pipe is leaking the roots can head that direction. The fruit produced by a mature palm is a good food source for birds. One of the common ailments that might affect your Alexander Palm is scale. At this point, its advisable to move your palm to a pot thats 2-4 inches larger than the current pot. Often when you are dealing with scale, it means that your palm needs extra nutrients. Its still a good idea to plant the trees far from any fence or other structure in your yard just to be on the safe side. Once the palm is more mature, you can aim for dry soil in the winter months, and then keep the soil moist in the summer months. It prefers full sun to partial shade and can reach heights of 20 feet. Are they stunted in terms of growth while potted and are there certain palms that do better in containers than others? The equally good looking leaves are dark green on the top surface and white on the underneath side. Some palms suffer from having their roots cuts or bent and could undergo severe shock. You can plant these palms as close as 3 feet These are the worst trees to plant close to your house in a Brisbane (or any Australian) garden. They also have shallow roots that lift sidewalks, foundations, and other paved surfaces and make lawn maintenance difficult. Now this is a problem most tropical gardeners will face after a few years when their palms have matured. Cyrtostachys renda, the lipstick palm, is famous for its bright red crownshaft, from which it earns its common name. It was named in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark,[7] but is often erroneously referred to by the misnomer Alexander palm. (n.d.). Such a plants roots will demand more than the container can provide. In zones colder than Zone 11, this palm must be moved indoors in order to overwinter successfully. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company. Once a week would be our guideline but again, always test the soil first. Their roots are shallow and grow no larger There are many roots but they are thin. True to the reputation of other palm trees, the Alexander Palm will enjoy full sun to part sun to part shade which gives you lots of options for where to place it. Leonie attaches bromeliads to the palm trunks because they are epiphytes and don't need to grow in soil. Unfortunately, Sabal palms are susceptible to a weevil (Rynchophorus cruetatus) that attacks the bud of the palm. If you have a small infestation of scale, this treatment using the rubbing alcohol can be quite helpful. Raised Garden Bed Soil Calculator (Meters), way to stop palm roots from causing any problems is to make sure the tree, Why is my carrot cake too moist? An average of 3,600 roots can be produced by a Coconut tree that is 60 to 70 years old. The Alexander Palm can suffer from root shock when it gets transplanted like some other palm species. You can break through concrete with a rope. They're also highly recognisable as their own distinct family, Arecaceae. Your email address will not be published. Palms look beautifully tropical and bring welcome shade to a garden. When I think about the Alexander Palm, I think about a park or a street I might like to drive along to admire the view. Now its time for plants! The heavily branched, green-yellow inflorescences are 2 to 3 feet long and appear just below the crownshaft. Here's a handy ebook written just for you! While your Alexander Palm is establishing itself, you should aim to keep the soil moist. WebAlexandra palm with a number of inflorescences in various stages of development The inflorescenceof Archontophoenix alexandraeis a panicle, creamy white when first released from the protective sheath or prophyllthat it develops within, and transitioning through light green as the fruits develop and finally to brown when it is shed from the tree. The species epithet is given in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark.[7][10]. We tried Garden centers, Craig's List, everything, but nobody wants them. Proper care of a lipstick palm involves water. Coconut is used as a fruit and oil while Palm fronds are used for decoration. Why? Other examples of self-cleaning After several years, the palm might become root-bound.. Creating a garden around palms can be challenging, but as you've seen, the open areas and vertical trunks also provide lots of opportunities for a lush, colourful and low maintenance tropical garden. Palms dont like to be buried in too much soil or too deep. WebDo bottle palms have invasive roots? JERRY COLEBY-WILLIAMS: One of the key things about soils is that they can vary on a relatively small area, within a suburb, a street or even a garden. While its roots can be destructive, they are incredibly slow growing, easy to remove, and only need management once every 5-10 years once they have been established in a bed or border. The hatched caterpillars like this spot for protection but while they are hanging around, they also end up eating the palm leaves. #brisbanegsp, Simple colours with dragon tree #seedlandscapedesign #brisbanelandscapedesign, No trellis needed for the climbing fig #seedlandscapedesign #brisbanelandscapedesign #greenwalls, Concrete bench in garden #seedlandscapedesign #structureinlandscape, Stairs hidden in urban jungle #seedlandscapedesign #difficultaccess #subtropicalplants, Subtropical plants as screen #seedlandscapedesign #brisbaneplantchouces #newfarmdesign, Landscaping with Furred and Feathered Friends, 5 (more) of the best trees for Brisbane gardens, Preparing Your Garden for Tropical Cyclone Oma. The soil should have good drainage too. They do live, learn and work. While they wont damage a solid pipe, they can work their way into a pipe that is already broken. Ive also planted a Dwarf Jacaranda which looks brilliant with the palms and while the full size species has aggressive roots, Im taking a chance that the Dwarf will behave.time will tell I guess. Also, please dont hesitate to correct any information in this article you think is incorrect. While its unlikely, as youve likely put together yourself, that a palm tree root system will create problems for a house if its planted nearby, its still possible for a palm tree roots to cause problems in theory, and its certainly possible for palm trees to cause problems in other ways, which is why its advisable not to plant a palm tree too close to your home. Eucalyptus has many varying types, differing in height, shape, and colour, but they all have similar characteristics that make them unsuitable for planting near a home on your property: Ficus plants are common as house ornament specimens in pots, and as neat topiary lollipop shapes by the front door. So palm tree roots are not thick and since they stay thin and regularly regenerate, the root ball doesnt tend to grow too large in comparison to the height of the full palm. In the United States, they can be found in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the southernmost parts of Florida. Neem oil is a great organic insecticide that is also very effective for combating scale. Its good to test the soil with your finger to determine how often to water. This variety of palm grows 25 to 35 feet tall in the wild. They grow quickly and certainly manage to creep into your heart with their beauty and stature. If you know about parts of plants and have experience with taproots from your knowledge of other plant species, you might be wondering if palm trees have taproots. Transplanted sabal palms are particularly attractive to this pest, which burrows into leaf bases and lays its eggs. | 5 Easy ways, Why is my carrot cake dense? Stocking is fantastic because it expands with the tree and the orchid and it won't strangle them as they get bigger. This is the way all palm tree roots happen to grow. Because it is quicker and easier than growing from seed, propagating these plants via suckers is the preferred method. A well-balanced, slow-release palm fertilizer should be applied twice a year during the growing season. 1988. This is because their growth has overtaken the Bangalow palm which is native to that area. Like to dig through more of my posts? Roots are shallow and grow no larger there are alexander palm roots invasive many roots but they are hanging around, also! Princess Alexandra of Denmark. [ 7 ] [ 10 ], slow-release palm fertilizer be. Can suffer from root shock when it gets transplanted like some other palm.... Highly recognisable as their own distinct family, Arecaceae impossible for other plants to take hold the of... 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