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Divide Alexander Palms

15 years ago

I just bought 2 Alexander Palms which have 5-7 trunks on the one tree. Some are larger but most are small starts coming fromthe roots. I really don't have the room to let them all mature into one large clump of trees. I would really like to have a 2-3 trunk palm. Is there a safe way to divide or remove the small starts from the palms? Do I just trim them off or split the root where they start?

Thanks, Juanita

Fort Myers, Fl

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Comments (5)

david_
15 years ago
I would not separate them now if I was you because the temps will drop soon and they might die. When you separate them I would take the palms out of the pot and place them in water to wash off the dirt. Then separate the roots and re pot. I would use a root stimulator to help them to not go into shock.
What palm do you have Archontophoenix alexandrae or Ptychosperma elegans ?
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jlmoor
Original Author
15 years ago
They are Archontophoenix alexandrae. We had some landscaping done this spring and had two larger triple palms put in which we thought were Alexander Palms but they don't grow new shoots at the roots. The landscaper called them Christmas Palms. Can these be the same kind of Palms?
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Lzrddr, I dont think its a suckering palm, I think they just planted more than one palm next to each other. At first I thought that the tips of the leaflets were pointed and were just cut off, but since ever single leaflet has the same pattern at the tip, Im going to say its definitely premorse which I guess means that all the palms commonly called king palms, are ruled out. But maybe thats a good thing because it could meant that the palm I have might be rarer. So far this is what Im thinking... Its not an Adonidia Its not an Archontophoenix The leaflets are flattened at the tips Its not a suckering palm I think that steve might be right with the Ptychosperma elegans suggestion. The tip of the fronds on that palm have the same bitten off pattern that the tips of the fronds have on my palm. The trunk also looks pretty similar. I'll post a pic a close up of the leaflets later today, but based on the info I have and the pics, do you guys think its a Ptychosperma elegans, or something else?? And how common and expensive are Ptychosperma elegans (as far as in warmer climates as landscape palms and in cooler climates as annuals). And even more importantly, how well does Ptychosperma elegans do indoors? Judging by the pics I saw on Google, I'm going to guess that they do pretty well indoors, but Im not sure. Thanks for all the help so far everyone! -Alex
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There is a HUGE difference between PLANTING and TRANSPLANTING a palm.. one is just putting a potted palm into the ground.. .these palms have nice, pot-shaped root balls and are stable... easy to plant and no root disturbance.. .but to TRANSPLANT a palm means digging up an already planted palm... these palms do NOT have stable rootballs in nice pot-shapes ready to go in the ground... no palms like their roots messed with, and Archontophoenix are near the top of the list of those that are particularly unhappy about having their roots messed with. To show you how unhappy they are, they like to just drop dead. Guess it's just their way. Many palms vary on their transplant sensitivity. You CAN transplant an Archontophoenix, but it usually takes a huge, firm rootball often collected by a huge back hoe and then boxed or 'bagged' by professionals in usually compact, clay soil that tends to keep its shape as you dig up and move the palm. Still, it's a risky thing. Some root prune these and patiently build a box around them 6 months later... most times it's hardly worth it since Archontophoenix are pretty fast growing palms, and it's usually much cheaper to just buy some large boxed plants (grown into those boxes) and move them as if they were just large potted palms (root balls nice and firmly box-shaped and easy to move and plant... not transplant).
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Gary, I think you're right about keeping a number of plants in each pot. Most of the pictures of this palm online have many per pot also, so I just split the babies in half, and each pot still looks well-populated. Thanks to you and lzrddr (lizard doctor?) for replying. Sue
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david_
15 years ago
Alexander palms (archontophoenix alexandrae ) do not have suckers but alexander ( Ptychosperma elegans ) does look like christmas palms but I believe it does not produce suckers either.archontophoenix alexandrae will have maybe one or two trunks that grow fast and the remaining ones grow much slower and that might be what is happening.
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jlmoor
Original Author
15 years ago
Ok. Now that explains why there are so many on one tree. I bought these at Home Depot and the tags on them have a picture and said they were Alexander palms (archontophoenix alexandrae) not the (Ptychosperma elegans)variety. I think I will take them back because I have room for tree but not a multiplier. How do I know if my other larger trees are a Christmas Palm or an Alexander? What are the differences? I tried to google it but I found nothing on christams palms. Do they have another name?
Also thanks for all your help!
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david_
15 years ago
These two palms each grow one palm from one seed they do not have any new palms growing from there roots.You could have another palm all together that is growing there. Can you show a picture ? About the names Alexander was a common name given to a archotophoenix alexandrae and some time or another people started to call Ptychosperma elegans the same common name. The other common name that is more familiar for Ptychosperma elegans is Solitaire Palm . Christmas palm is a common name for Adonidia merrillii which was once thought to be a veitchia. Adonidia merrillii looks very similar to Ptychosperma elegans when young.
Archontophoenix alexandrae are sometimes planted with multiple seeds in the pot and some trunks will grow fast and others very slow so it gives the appearance the are(multipliers)but they are not. But if you can post a pic we can clear that up too if you like.Here is a picture of one of mine.Its the big palm on the left.

And this is a Ptychosperma palm (not elegans) but similar in appearance and it does sucker or multiply..{{gwi:1139630}}

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