Palm Primer for Austin
12:00 AM - Jul 03, 2009
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Depending on the variety, they can be used as unusual and majestic trees, bushy and dense screens, borders or focal points to add interest to the landscape. They are lower maintenance than most other plants. They tend to be free of litter, so are excellent near patios or pools. They are Deer-Resistant, too tough to chew for most deer. They have a beautiful form and add a tropical look to your landscape.
What is a Palm? A palm is a monocot – a plant that starts out with a single leaf. Other monocots include grasses, iris, bananas and yucca. Unlike most trees that have bark protecting the cambium layer from which the tree continuously grows new layers of wood, monocots grow only from the growing tip, and if the growing tip dies, so does the palm (usually). There are 3 types of leafs, the fan, the feather and the costa-palmate (in-between). I left out fish-tails, since they don’t grow here outdoors.
What do Palms Want? Generally, warm summers, mild winters, fertile soil and good drainage. Most palms are adaptable to a wide range of soils, some are more picky.. To increase drainage, you can amend the soil or plant them in a raised berm. Deep watering once a week during the dryer months should be adequate. Some do better in sun, some better in shade. They like to be fertilized regularly.
Fertilization Palms are (generally) heavy feeders. Palms should receive a complete fertilizer formulated for palms, four times a year. Palms need added nutrients, especially manganese & magnesium (critical) and other trace elements as well. Broadcast the fertilizer under the canopy of the palm, but not up against the trunk where newly emerging roots may be injured.
Cold Hardiness How cold of a temperature can a palm survive? It depends on many things. A palm in one yard may be harmed when another one of the same variety down the street may show no damage. What’s the difference? Here are some of the factors that influence an individual palm’s cold-hardiness:
Age of the palm,Health of the palm, Genetic make-up of the individual palm, Duration of cold,Relative humidity, Micro-climate,Protection (natural or artificial), Soil make-up
Great Palms for Austin:
Arenga engleri (Dwarf Sugar Palm) This dwarf palm is a very pretty, small, clustering, very tropical-looking palm with silver backs. Its fragrant flowers & brightly colored orange fruits add to its charm. Sun/Part Shade. Slow with feather fronds to 12’. Best in the city as it gets too cold in the Hill Country for this variety
Butia capitata (Pindo Palm) - slow to 15', zone 8, hardiest of the feather palms. Solitary habit, blue green fronds, adaptable to many soil types, but does not like to grow in limestone, so if you have soil that is high in white caliche, try growing this palm in a pot. It has moderate to high light requirements. The fruit is sweet and similar in taste to a pineapple/banana mixture. Makes a tasty jelly.
Chamaedorea microspadix - (Hardy Bamboo Palm) Beautiful clusters of orange-red fruit. The hardiest of the reed-stem chams, similar in appearance to the tender house plant type Bamboo Palms. Prefers Shade or Partial Shade, does fine in our alkaline soils. Grows to 8’ tall.
Chamaedorea radicalis (Radicalis Palm) -solitary habit, dark green fronds, adaptable to many soil types. Likes alkaline soils (yea!) Surprisingly cold hardy. Grows to 6’ tall. Shade/Partial Shade.
Guihaia argyrata (Silver Backed Palm) this palm naturally grows in crevices on limestone hills (sound familiar?). They are dwarf plants developing short furry trunks that may sucker or remain solitary. From China. Slow to 3’ tall.
Chamaerops humilis (Mediterranean Fan Palm) - [ka-MEE-rahps] zone 8, slow growing to 10'. Usually clustering, but you can trim into a single-truck specimen if desired. Found in poor, rocky soils in its native Mediterranean region, this palm is adaptable to many soils, as long as they are well draining. Full sun or light shade. Great in containers. See a large specimen in front of our restaurant.
Livistona decipiens (Ribbon Palm) -Attractive and tough, graceful and durable their leaves grow up to 9 feet wide and are held on 6 foot stems and the ends hang like “ribbons”. See one by the raised display near the gift shop.
Livistona chinensis - (Chinese Fan Palm) - very handsome variety with long leaf segments drooping down. Tolerant of infertile soils but love regular fertilization. Blue fruit. Likes regular watering.
Livistona saribus - full sun to part shade—does beautifully under the canopy of Oak trees, where it forms very large and lush leaves. Long spines, but one of my favorites. See one by our giant wind-chime.
Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm) - solitary, massive trunk, dull deep green fronds, must have well drained, even sandy soil. Formal shape goes well with Mediterranean style architecture.
Phoenix dactylifera (Date Palm) -Sports fewer leaves than canariensis and are more stiff and erect. Grayish green fronds with sharp spines. Best fruit production in arid conditions, so don't expect any big harvests here. Slow growing feather type palm, solitary trunk up to 70’ tall. Full sun best.
Phoenix Silvestris (Silver Date Palm), that is similar, though more forgiving of high humidity and smaller, so it’s more in scale with most homes.
Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Needle Palm) - slow to 5', zone 8. Clumping, essentially truck-less, dark green fronds above, silver below, fan type, adaptable to many soil types, adaptable to low, moderate or high light. See on at the top of our waterfall.
Sabal mexicana (Texas Sabal) zone 7B and Sabal palmetto (Cabbage Palm) - zone 8 - these two palms are similar, the Texas being slightly shorter, more massive trunk, less fibrous in the crown, larger leaves, more likely to be covered with leaf-stem bases and having brown, not black fruit. Old leaf bases persist on some trees, not on others. No thorns on either one. Cabbage will grow up to 90' tall, more typically about 45', Texas slightly less.
Sabal minor (Dwarf Palmetto) -Zone 7 this palm is a native growing at Palmetto State Park 40 miles south of Austin and eastward to the North Carolina coast, usually in moist or even swampy conditions. Rarely grows an above ground stem, and if so, only a foot or so tall. Prefers full to part shade. Leaves are green to bluish green from 3-6' wide on 3' long stalks. Maximum spread of its leaf crown is 8' tall. Though it prefers moist shade, it can survive sun and dry soil.
Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto) - zone 8 - Slow to 3-6'. Best to buy these in containers, since large sizes don't transplant well. It makes the "saw palmetto" herb in health food stores. Bees make great honey from the flowers. Green, Blue-Green and Silver forms available. Great for sun or partial shade. See one in front of our restaurant.
Tracycarpus forunei (Windmill Palm) - zone 8 Sun or Partial Shade, but best to avoid west sun exposure. Moderately fast growing, solitary fan palm. We sometimes carry the T. wagnerianus (Dwarf Chusan Palm) which has shorter stiffer leaves and is more cold-hardy than the forunei. We also sometimes carry the T. latisectus (Windamere Palm) which is very robust, dry tolerant and taller growing than T. fortunei. See one by our spinning water-wheel.
Washitonia robusta (Mexican Fan Palm) and Washitonia filifera (California Fan Palm) -zone 8 - these two species are both very similar, the robusta from just across the border in Mexico and the filiera from limited areas in California. Most that are sold in Austin have ancestry from both. The robusta is generally narrower, taller with a more tapered trunk. It has somewhat brighter green leaves and the older leaves have few or no threads in the sinuses. They both do well in our area, though the filifera is thought to be slightly more cold-hardy. This is probably our fastest growing palm in our area. These are the very tall palms in front of the nursery.
We have many other palms available, mostly in smaller sizes, so visit often as our inventory changes daily.
