Palm Tree Growing Guide

Traveler Palm

The travelers palm is native to Madagascar, this tropical beauty belongs to the Strelitziaceae family and is relative to the Bird of Paradise. You may probably be wondering why this plant was given the name travelers palm. History has it that the travelers palm got its name from travelers who traveled long distances and on became thirsty would look for one of these palms use a knife or sharp object to slice into the leaves and drink the water that was stored”. It is said that the traveler’s palm can store up to half a gallon of water. Now that’s a lot of water to quench one’s thirst when traveling long distances, especially during the summertime.

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Guide to Grow Store-Bought Coconuts

Drinking coconut water is so nice and refreshing especially on a hot summer’s day, besides drinking the water the flesh or the pulp of the coconut is delicious, especially jelly coconuts. The flesh of the coconut is used in many pastries and recipes for its amazing taste but where did coconuts first originate?

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Silver Bismarck Palm Care

The silver bismarck (Bismarckia nobilis) is an exotic palm with wide silver-blueish large fan-shaped fronds (leaves) that’s native to western and northern Madagascar near the east coast of Africa growing in open grasslands. The silver bismarck palm belongs to the family endemic.

This sub-tropical beauty is a slow grower that can reach heights of 30-60 ft with a spread of 12-16 ft. Once these palms are established they become drought-tolerant. The silver bismarck thrives in zones 9-11, bismarcks are moderately salt-tolerant withstanding light salt sprays. Silver bismarcks are one of my favorite because it’s unique in appearance and will stand out in a garden design. For more on the silver, bismarck let’s take a closer look.

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Pampering this lady with love

Pulling out all the stops for this lady is worth the effort. The lady palm or as it is called Rhapis excelsa is a plant that is famous for being grown indoors. This was one of the interior plants with which I mostly worked for many years as an interior plantscape designer. What I can say about this lady is that she loves plenty of attention so in order for her to perform at her best shower her with your love.

The lady’s palm is a high maintenance plant that loves moisture. I remember on a few occasions seeing this lady dropping not looking so happy because of a lack of attention. What I love about this lady is how full and beautiful she gets as she matures.

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The Queen of Palms Care Guide

The queen palm is a tropical plant that is native to South America, this beautiful palm loves the warm weather and creates interest by giving that tropical look. The leaves of the queen palm are bright and glossy which looks so graceful making this palm a show stopper that can bring much flavor and style into your landscape and gardens. The queen palm can reach heights of up to 50 ft, this plant can be found in many coastal areas.

It is believed that the queen palm has some of the largest fronds (leaves) which can reach up to over 15 ft. At our international airport, there are a few of them that can be found on the property. The fruits of the queen palm are bright orange which adds to the beauty of this lady.  For more on the care of the queen, palm stick around as we take a closer look at growing this show’s beauty.

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A Hardy Type Palm that is a Fast Grower

The Washingtonian Robusta or Mexcian Fan Palm is an amazing plant that can reach heights of up to 100 ft, These palms are widely used and can be seen gracing the landscapes of many newly built homes especially office buildings. What makes this palm so great is it is a hardy plant and a fast grower. The resort where I once was employed installed many of these palms in some of their garden areas.

Several of these palms were also installed on the resort’s golf course to give that tropical look that was so inviting. The Washingtonia Robusta can work wonders sprucing up that drab area. The downside to these palms is though self-cleaning the dead leaves take a while before they are detached from the tree. Once the leaves turn brown and died they move from an upstanding position to a downward position remaining attached to the tree for a long time which can really take away from the palm’s beauty. The leaves may have to be removed manually especially by a certified landscape company that has both the training and the equipment to perform this job.

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Growing areca palms both out and indoors

The Areca palm is widely used in many landscapes and gardening designs including the interior. I first became familiar with these plants many years ago as an interior plantscape designer. My team and I would install these palms in the interior garden areas, placing them in decorative containers to line public pathways, the lobby areas, restaurants, etc…

These palms have a good spread in height which can grow to 7 ft or taller and a width that makes this plant perfect to use as a privacy plant to screen certain areas that you want hidden. What I love about the areca palm are the long feathery leaves that give it a unique appearance.

The areca palm is also known as the butterfly plant. Driving around the island these palms can be seen growing in many home gardens. Our international airport’s plant nursery has several of these palms lining the border of the chain link fence which acts as a perfect screen keeping the nursery hidden from passing traffic.

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Your guide to growing a date palm and harvesting its fruits

The fruits of the date palm are very delicious one bite and you will want some more when first introduced to these fruits many years ago I was amazed by taste which can really excite your taste buds. The five-star resort where I was employed many years ago had and still have to this day those date palm trees that grace the landscapes and gardens. As far as I can remember the fruits from these trees were not harvested but removed for safety issues and discarded so it was painful at times to see these fruits removed and haul away to the garbage area.

The Date palm, however, is popular in Arizona and Southern California. The fruits of the date palms are highly prized in the middle east and are enjoyed on a wide scale by the citizens. For many, the dates from these palms provide both business and lively hood. These palms can be successfully grown in tropical-subtropical climates and will give your gardens and landscape that polish look.

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A Complete Guide to Growing Sago palm

The sago palm is a popular plant that is used in many garden projects and designs, these plants are among the family of cycads and are said to be dated back as far as the time of the dinosaurs which is a very long time ago. The king and the queen sago is unique in appearance and can really highlight your garden and landscape areas.

These palms can be grown both in and outdoors. The sago palm produces feathery foliage and cones that adds to their attraction, the trunk of the sago palm is thick with thorns or spears which can deliver a very painful experience so care should be taken when handling them. This palm is a slow grower so much patience is needed but its slow growth makes this palm a must because it is low maintenance.

But how do we grow and care for these garden beauties that have made a name for themselves? if you are interested in knowing then stick around as we take a closer look at adding the king and the queen sago palms to our landscapes and gardens.

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Giving that royal touch with the royal palm

The royal palm is an amazing plant, this palm can reach heights of up to 80 ft with a spread of  25 feet. The leaves of this giant can grow anywhere from 10-15 ft so this gives you a feel of how large this palm gets. I know what you are thinking, what am I going to do with a palm of this size in my garden? these palms cannot be found in the average home gardens but can be found in other places such as lining roadways, shopping malls, parking lots, and other areas that are large enough to accommodate these plants.

So for the average homeowner, this palm maybe just a little too much but if you are still interested in the growth and care of these plants then stick around as we take our journey into the world of the royal palm.

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How to grow and care for bamboo palm guide

The bamboo palm is a popular plant that has created a name for its self. Bamboo palms are native to Central America and Mexico. This tropical- sub-tropical plant is grown both in and outdoors. I have used the bamboo palm on many garden projects creating beautiful designs. Their growing height is about 12 ft with a width of 3-15 ft. What I love about these palms is they are natural air purifiers so if you are in the market for a natural air purifier then the bamboo palm is the plant for you. Below we will be discussing the growth and care of the Bamboo palm.

Things you must know

Planting Location

The plant location should be an area that is partially shaded to shaded.

Soil Type

The bamboo palm can tolerate a range of soil types but does well in organic-rich soil that has good drainage.

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A hardy type plant that is worth the investment

The ponytail palm is an amazing plant that is a native of Southeastern Mexico. These garden beauties have a unique appearance and the leaves have a tough texture. I first got introduced to these palms a few years ago as an interior plantscape designer, a part of my responsibility was to keep them growing healthy on the interior, but what I find so amazing about this plant is it is not a true palm at all but rather belongs to the Yucca family.

The ponytail palm is a slow grower so much patience is needed when growing and caring for these plants. The base of the ponytail truck is swollen because this is where the water is stored for the plant during the hot and dry season. Ponytail palms are popular for growing indoors, in this article, however, we will not only be looking at how to grow ponytails indoors but outdoors as well.

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A guide to growing fishtail palms

The fishtail palm grows in the rain forest and is native to India, Southeast Asia, and China. This palm gets its name from the leaves because the leaves resemble a fishtail. When first introduced to these palms many years ago I was pretty impressed by their appearance. This plant is pretty unique and is sure to get heads turning. These palms grow well in tropical regions and require the warmth of the sun to perform at their best.

Fishtail palms where among some of the many palms I used on garden projects creating beautiful designs and what I love about this palms is that it is not fussy. The fishtail palm is easy to maintain but when planted outdoors can reach an amazing height. In this article, we will be discussing how to successfully grow these palms both out and indoors.

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Growing healthy Chinese fan palm

The Chinese fan palm gives an idea right away where it is native to, these palms are a native of China and also Japan. The Chinese fan palms are hardy and can withstand the cold and the heat. This palm is also known as the fountain palm and is a slow grower which makes this the ideal plant because it is low maintenance.

These palms can be planted within the landscape or brought indoors to create a nice interiorscape design. The leaves of the Chinese fan palm have a unique appearance and stand out among other garden plants, be very careful however because this palm can deliver a painful experience because of the spines that develop on the leaves. As the palm matures the leaves lose these spines.

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A guide to growing the Christmas palm tree

When you hear the word palm tree what’s the first thing that comes to mind? I guess for most if not all of us what comes to mind is the tropics with crystal clear waters that have a bluish-greenish appearance, white sand, the sound of water as it makes its way gently to the shoreline then recedes again to the ocean.

I live in a place such as this which is Nassau the capital of the Bahamas chain of islands which is a part of the Caribbean and to be honest with you living here is like an island paradise hopefully someday God’s willing if you haven’t yet you will also visit these shores. But what I want us to be looking at is the topic at hand which is growing Christmas palms.

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Getting a taste of the tropics

Some things that come to mind when thinking of a coconut tree is the tropics where there are beautiful beaches, miles, and miles of white sand, blue skies, resting in peace and tranquility going for a swim in nice crystal clear waters being greeted by the marine life, sun tanning or resting in the shade enjoying a cool drink of sweet coconut water while listening as the waves gently clashes against the rocks or comes to the shoreline and then returns to the ocean. What a great way to sit back and enjoy all that nature has to offer.

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Palms and their uses indoors and outdoors

In this article, we will be looking at palms their care, and how to use them indoors and outdoors. While we will not be covering every aspect of palms in this article because of the vastness of the subject, however, we will be looking at some general information that pertains to palms.

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