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palm identitity required

20 years ago

We have two palms that we were given and still don't know which variety they are. Can anyone identify them? They are taller than a dwarf (pigmy) date palm but look similar. The trunks are 140mm in diameter and they have grown to about 4m tall. I don't know if they will get much taller. In the photo there is also a smaller one (which is dying, we think) but it is the two taller ones that we need identifying and they are two different varieties. They have been transplanted in the past 2 years so they are still recovering.
Thank you.

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Comments (8)

User
20 years ago
Hi Donna.... Your Palm could be one of the Phoenix ones, but which one Iam not sure..May be the Phoenix rupicola ( Cliff Date Palm ) have a look at the link below. .........Cheers...MM.

Here is a link that might be useful: Phoenix rupicola
Doona
Original Author
20 years ago
We thought the closer one was that too (a rupicola) but today I saw another picture of one and it was different so I am not so sure now. The other one (on the left) has a more of those knob/spike things on its trunk and they are pointier. Thanks for the link. If it is that I won't be disappointed, so long as it doesn't get too tall.
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You mean thin them, and no way , can they stand nearly that amount of crowding. Even were they several inches apart it might be a stretch to keep them in a three or four inch pot, and three spaced a few inches apart in the same pot would work, but most likely not with stems touching. Trimming involves removing only dead fronds and not entire stems , but if its " thinning" you might cut the ones not wanted completely off so the others can survive. Trying to pull out the extras with the very tangled and congested roots, would most likely damage the roots on the ones you wish to keep and some folks remove the lot, and then replant just the ones they wish to keep after separating the roots on those . Those growers may think that very thick lush growth provided by overcrowding too many seeds in one pot may "sell", but it's totally ridiculous to think the plants can survive such crowded conditions, and getting used to a much less dense appearance is required, if they're not overcrowded.
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Well, as I said, my Queens did very, very little last year--they might also have been recovering from some cold damage from the winter before last. They must have spent last summer growing roots, this season it's leaves. Maybe will push 4-5 new leaves over the season at this rate. Last year, what I did was chuck them out of their 19 gallon tubs and added soil to he bottom of the pot, being that the roots were then so high in the container, I mulched with sphagnum moss to keep the surface roots moist. They get hosed down daily. They go into a loft garage over winter and I water very little. Usually dragging them out on milder winter days to hose down. Wish they were hardy here because their is a narrow strip along the driveway that would be perfect for them (pretty tall, over 12 feet--so they can grow in relatively smallish pots). I recently bought a Queen/Butia hybrid palm and am surprised at its slower growth--compared to either Butia or Queens (will check out roots this weekend)--might just be my impatience and it wanting to root in!
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M Hello anyone. Here are my experiences. I live in San Diego, California and after the wild fires destroyed my entire house, I rebuilt and re-landscaped with palm trees. After knowing nothing about those plants and some failures, I now have a palm tree "forest" in my front yard. So...king palms look magnificant in "singles"; avoid washingtonians because in a few years they will too tall to cut/trim. Avoid queen palms because they must be trimmed when they get tall. Windmill palms are trouble free but must be trimmed after they reach 15' high or so. I went to Target garden center and purchased several kentia palms (3 plants in each pot) for $19 each and took them home and very very carefully seperated them individually and planted them outside as understory palms. The first 20 months they grew slowly but didn't burn and were fine. Now the sun doesn't bother them at all and they are growing faster and faster. Kentia palms and king palms grow wonderfully and somewhat fast indoors as house plants. Have them but never over water them. Use palm fertilizer and occasionally fish fertilizer. Beautiful house plants....then move them outside when too large and acclimate them and put them into the ground in your landscaping. A good outdoor palm is the fox tail palm...it also is self -cleaning. But good house palms for fast beautiful growth are kentia, king, and cat palms.
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gardenlen
20 years ago
g'day doona, looks like dwarf dates to me 'Phoenix roebilini'. len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page
User
20 years ago
Donna, here's another link for you to check out. You can click on the thumbnails for bigger pictures. Hope it's helpful....Cheers, Dee.

Here is a link that might be useful: Palm pictures
TonyfromOz
20 years ago
They are Phoenix without doubt, but which Phoenix? They seem to fall between P. roebelenii and P. rupicola, which makes me think of the possibility that they may be a hybrid between these species. Phoenixes have male and female flowers on different trees and so must be pollinated by another tree. They are known to hybridise quite frequently.
Doona
Original Author
20 years ago
I am starting to think you're right, Tony. I hadn't thought about a cross-breed variety before. I haven't been able to find anything like them, so that may be the answer, but thanks everyone for the ideas and links. If anyone knows where I can get hold of a mature palm similar to mine I would be very grateful as we need to replace the one that's dying. Donna.
richardqld
20 years ago
I reckon they are P. roebelenii .
gardenlen
20 years ago
g'day donna,

things don't stop growing at some predetermined height they may slow down dramatically, but while they are growing new fronds they are adding height. i have seen 'roebelenii's' around 6 meters tall they don't look very showy so generally they get cut down and new ones planted. maybe if you want to keep that section showy plant a couple new ones and do that as they grow in stages could look very interesting.

len

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