Woori, the cocos are a weed up here in Brisbane and to be avoided at all costs, and preferably removed. In fact I don't think they're being sold anymore commercially (I hope not anyhow).
However, I don't know how they behave in Victoria.
Alex palms don't have the same weedy reputation here but all palms roots seem to cause lots of matting and nothing much will grow underneath. I just plant bromeliads under mine because I don't seem to have much success with anything else. Some people do seem to manage it, but I don't know what their trick is.
I, personally, will never plant another palm in the ground.
It might also be worth posting this question in the Tropicals forum.

A client of mine has Large Cocos palms in her garden. She has planted Azaleas and various other plants around them, and they seem to be growing good, though they receive plenty of attention. The one problem is the roots of the palms are all over the place and they make it very difficult to dig in the soil. The roots are a very thick mat that make it just about impossible to dig if you want to dig in the future.
Cocos palms are also a weed in Sydney.

I second the sentiments about Cocos palms - I would pull them out. They drop thousands of huge squishy yellow fruit all over your yard. Also I'm not sure how alex's would do in Victoria. They are very slow growing at my place in SE Queensland, coming from tropical Far North Q, and I expect they would be much slower in Vic. I don't think their roots would be as bad as the Cocos's.
Tony

I've always wondered what people mean by cocos palms. Do you mean palms which produce coconuts? I've got one which I IDed by visiting the Botanic Gardens as a Queen palm (Arecastrum romanzoffianum). But I've also seen them sold in Bunnings as Cocos plumosa. So which is right? I have to admit I don't like much but they seem to be beloved by landscapers even though their fronds are always yellow brown in this climate.

What about Bangalows?

Ah, now you're warming up to the subject. Bangalows are most graceful palms that grow much quicker in cooler climates than alex's, and have prettier inflorescences of a lilac colour. Planted singly, in rows or in clumps, for my money an asset to any garden.
Tony

Have replaced the Alex's with Bangalows. Anyone want a few cocos? Perhaps I should put them in pots around the courtyard?

Marie,
The Cocos palm that is being talked about is Syagarus romanzoffianum. Its the one thats in just about every front/backyard in OZ( except for the people that were smart enough to fertilise them with a chainsaw). They also have very nice dead leaves that hang down the trunk because people cant reach them to cut them off. It doesnt produce coconuts, just hundreds of little orange balls that rot away (and stink) when they are'nt cut off after flowering. They also crack pools, after genius landscapers of the late 80's and early 90's planted millions of them right next pools. Oops!

I think Syagarus romanzoffianum is the Queen palm I mentioned, it's a synonym. It was called Queen palm in the Adelaide botanic gardens. Yes the dead fronds are really ugly. They are extremely popular around here, don't know why because they always look half dead. My neighbour has half a dozen of them, not near my side thank goodness. They are particularly beloved by car yards!

We recently sold our house in NE Victoria and were very proud of our cocos palm. It was exciting when the seeds fell down from it. I wouldn't worry, however in a more open setting would be good. Yes the plants like grannies bonnets stopped growing around it after a while but other things grew like diosma.

In NENSW Alex's are usually faster growing than Bangalows and they are becoming weeds along the creeks.
Alex's may not have the weedy reputation but they will in 10 years.
Kris

I reckon you're right there Kris - little Alex babies seem to pop up regularly where they're not wanted ...

Well I reckon the Alex. is more attractive than the Piccabeen (Bangalow), they occur naturally around this district with Piccabeens occuring over 100km to the west.

As for Queen Palms(Cocos) most people know what I think of them but hey Victorians don't have much choice when it comes to palms so they are welcome to them.

The only Cocos I am growing is Cocos nucifera, the Coconut Palm (The real Cocos)

Andrew.

The best way to control Cocos plumosa is to cut the large seed pod off after flowering, the pods make an attractive dried arrangemnet, and that way birds don't spread seed all aver the place. In the Shire where I work, we have a project underway at the moment to grow piccabeens (bangalow) to 2-3m in pots as an incentive for people to remove cocos and plant piccabeens. The reasoning being that people are more likely to remove them if they have a replacement with some maturity.
Jane

Jane,

That sounds like a great idea, pity more councils in tropical and subtropical Queensland don't do the same thing.

Andrew.

Melbourne, SE AUSTRALIA
Looking at planting palms, mainly the bangalows & Alexander. Mainly along our front path to our front door (5 - 6 palms), this area receives constant sunlight though also receives a hot northernly wind in summer. Also looking at planting palms with our ferns in the backyard which receives morning sun and will also receive some northernly wind in summer(usally cover the ferns with sheets when there is a northernly wind so they do not burn). I have to also kept in mind that our winters are quite cold in which we do receive some frost in the morning only, though no snow