Queen Palm

Queen Palm, Palm Family ( Palmae )
( Arecaceae ).
The queen palm really does strike a regal pose in the landscape. Growing to maximum height of about 50 feet, this plam has a smooth straight grey trunk ringed with evenly spaced leaf scars and topped with a large canopy of feathery plumes. These lacy fronds are a dark glossy green and have double rows of leaflets. These droop to the ground like double rows of fringe to cast shady patterns on the lawn. Informal groupings of three or more
queens provides soft filtered sunlight perfect for shade gardens. During the summer season the queen decks herself out with impressive infloresences (flower structures - photo at left). In early winter she takes on a sporty look when huge amounts of fruit appear. Bright orange 1 inch oval "dates" hang in impressive 6' bunches creating a colorful show. The party's over though when they fall to the ground creating sticky piles of rotting fruit that attract disagreeable insects. On the up side, volunteer seedling palms often grow from the mess if undistubed!

Queen palm is tolerant but prefers enriched sandy soils. Fertilize twice a year in spring and summer with a fertilizer that contains micronutrients, especially manganese. A deficiency of this micronutrient results in a condition called "frizzle top" which causes leaves to look frayed and torn. This condition can be corrected by spreading a 1 to 3 pounds of manganese sulphate beneath the palm (amount depends on the size of the tree). With that said; once the condition has shown itself, the likelyhood of recovery is minimal.

At A Glance Summary:
Queen palm is a beautiful palm that is inexpensive, easy to find and easy to grow. With a little care a small plant will make a dramatic specimen within a few years.
Height: Up to 50 ft.
Flowers: Its flowers, unisexual on dioecious plants, are small, whitish, fragrant, clustered in axillary spadices up to 120 cm long markedly bent downwards by their fruit weight.
Blooming Time: Southern Arizona, March - April. Phoenix Area, April - May.
Fruit & Seeds: Yellow orange when ripe. Up to 1 inch long. ovoid in shape.
Leaves: The leaves are pinnate, 7 to 15 plumose leaves with 150 to 200 leaflets, 10 to 15 feet long .
Found: Native to Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina in South America. Found throughout Arizona at lower elevations.
Elevation: 0 - 1,600 Feet.
Habitat: Lower elevations where water is available. It grows well in sand, sandy loam, clay and other heavy soils. It needs good drainage and aeration. It is remarkably tolerant of alkali.