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The Palm Tree Oasis
For centuries palm trees have been symbols of an escape from the
ordinary-- of a luxurious haven in the sun-drenched landscape. So what more
perfect place for a palm or two than your own garden.
But if you are
considering planting palms as part of a backyard desert
oasis, be aware that there are only 9 palm trees you can grow with confidence
in our dry, hot desert -- out of the over 2500+ species of palms around
the world.
And they should be planted during warm weather,
unlike most other trees. The ones on this list can stand our
sizzling hot summers and poor soil conditions. Additionally, these palms
tolerate winter cold.
See bottom of page for Pruning Palms.
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Mediterranean Fan Palm (Chamaerops
humilis) - a multi-trunk palm that grows to about 15 feet. It is
a good palm near pools. Fronds are shaped like an open fan. Often you see
them trimmed as shown in this photo, but they really are a
"shrub" palm. A new silver-blue cultivar has been
introduced but you may have to special order it. |
Mexican Blue Palm (Brahea Armata) -
a slow-growing palm with arching, silvery-blue feather-like fronds. Reaches about
30 feet at maturity.
Guadalupe Fan Palm (Brahea edulis)
- similar to the Mexican Blue Palm, this one grows faster to 30 feet in
height. The fan-shaped fronds are a light green. Edible fruit.
| Pindo Palm (Butia capitata) -
Another short palm, growing only to 20 feet. The gray-green
feather-shaped fronds
curve downward. Edible fruit.
The Pindo palm, right, stands side by
side with a much faster growing California fan palm. Both were
planted at the same time. |
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| Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix
canariensis) -- a giant among palms, grows to 50 feet high
with a massive trunk and 10 foot long fronds. Shown on the right, it is called a date palm for
a reason: the fruit is the edible date. Thorns on the fronds are dangerously
sharp.
Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)
-- more slender than the Canary Island palm, but also grows tall: 60
feet. The fruit is edible, of course, and the thorns on the fronds
are very sharp.
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Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)
- a semi-dwarf palm with windmill-shaped fronds. Slow-growing to 15
feet tall. This tree loves our summer heat!
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California Fan Palm (Washingtonia
filifera) - a native of California, Arizona, and Mexico, this massive
palm grows to 50 feet. Old fronds droop against the trunk giving a
"hula skirt" effect, unless removed.
The 3 Washingtonias shown here
are accompanied by an olive tree and juniper hedge. The "hula
skirts" of old fronds have been removed. |
Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta)
- a palm equivalent of a skyscraper, it grows to 80 feet or
more. It looks very much like the California Fan Palm but more
slender and , eventually, taller. It grows fast. This one, too, loves our summer heat.
Two other palms worth trying are the Chinese
Fountain Palm (Livistona Chinensis ) and the Australian
Cabbage Palm (Livistona australis). Both have a
"weeping" shape with gracefully drooping fronds. Both look
somewhat like short California fan palms and reach a height of only about
40 feet. The Chinese Fountain Palm has bright green fronds; its Australian
cousin has dark green fronds.
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A personal favorite, the Queen Palm,
(Syragrus romanzoffianum), does not do particularly well in
parts of the desert that have cold winters. The fortunate people who live
in Palm Springs and other warmer winter areas can enjoy its beauty
year round. This Brazilian
native suffers in the cold and may die when the temperatures
fall much below freezing. But oh, how graceful and beautiful it is
with its long, flowing fronds. It has been known to thrive in high desert microclimates that are warm in winter. |
Some final words about palms: these trees are
essentially architectural. As they mature, many become tall brown columns with a giant
powder puff of green at the top, usually too high for easy viewing at
ground level. Generally, a shorter palm trees will look better in a
backyard garden over the long term.
About Planting Palms
Palms, unlike other trees, are best planted in late Spring or
Summer. They like warm soil for their roots to grow. Be sure
the hole for planting is 2 to 3 times as wide as the root ball. And
water regularly. |
About Pruning Palms
Only trim off the brown drooping fronds on your palm. Do not
trim off the ones that are still green -- the tree needs them to
collect sunlight to create chlorophyll for growth and best health.
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Creating a
palm oasis
Native palms usually grow in clusters near
a water source in the desert. If you intend to create an oasis
look, follow Mother Nature and plant three or more palms in a
group. Give them some growing space, however.
At the foot of the your cluster of palms,
plant Sago palms (Cycas revoluta) and Dwarf mock orange (Pittosporum
tobira "Wheeler's dwarf"). The pittosporum needs
some afternoon shade.
Next add a couple of agaves (Agave palmeri),
for example, or aloes to enhance the desert
oasis feeling. A few large
rocks or small boulders with clumps of purple Fountain grass (Pennisetum
setaceum) or flax (Phormium tenax) with bronze color
leaves or other upright grassy plant will give an even more dramatic appearance.
Then add a
trickling water feature such as a bubbling jar fountain--or include a
rocky, dry stream
bed. And "Voila!" you have your palm oasis!
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But
it looks like a palm!
And it is even called a "Sago
palm" (Cycas revoluta), but the plant that looks like a
short stubby palm is actually a
cycad. Cycads are ancient plants related to conifers like
pines.
Cycads are
excellent companions when planted near the base of palm trees.
A Japanese native, the Sago palm is slow growing, eventually reaching 10
feet high. But that will take a very, very long time--perhaps
even a lifetime or two! One note: the seeds and leaves of the
sago are poisonous if eaten. Keep them away from small children and pets.
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