Queen Palm Tree Care

The queen palm tree, is a tropical palm, and is native to the South American continent, mainly found in countries like Argentina, Brazil, etc. This palm tree is very popular as an ornamental tree and is widely used for landscaping purposes. Although very similar to the coconut palm, the queen palm tree (Syagrus romanzoffiana) was earlier classified under the Cocos genus as Cocos plumosa, but was later moved to Syagrus, the genus of palms.

Queen Palm Tree - Appearance
Queen palm trees can grow up to 50 feet in length and have dark green fronds with a double row of leaflets. The smooth gray trunk of the queen palm tree sports rings of evenly spaced leaf scars. These palm trees are very popular for the colorful display of its flowers and fruits. During summers, large clusters of cream-colored flowers emerge from large pods and transform to green fruits during winters. These fruits are spherical in shape and each fruit is about an inch long, housing a single seed with three spots. With time, the fruits of the queen palm tree turn bright orange in color. Such clusters of fruits are around six feet in length. Though these fruits smell very good, they are not edible.

Growing Queen Palm Tree
The queen palm tree is fast growing and if the conditions are suitable, it can grow up to an average height of around six feet, every year (after establishing). When fully grown, these palm trees can be almost 50 feet tall and have a width of around 20 feet. Queen palm trees love direct sunlight and can tolerate cold to a temperature of around 25° F. Acidic and well-drained soil is perfect for planting a queen palm tree, whereas alkaline soil may lead to mineral deficiencies, which can stunt the growth of the tree and eventually cause its death. If planted in alkaline soil, regular preventive applications should be taken, in order to prevent its death. This includes iron, manganese and potassium. Queen palm tree care starts with its planting, and includes watering, fertilizing, pruning and pest control. This palm tree grows well, if planted in the right location and if properly looked after.

Queen Palm Tree Care
As mentioned earlier, queen palm tree care starts with its proper planting. The soil must be suitable for this palm tree and the place, where you intend to plant the tree must get enough sunlight. Once you plant it, water it thoroughly and make sure you water it daily for at least two to three weeks. After this period, the watering can be done three times weekly. During summers, you should water the plant at least three times a week, which can be reduced to two times a week in winters. As far as fertilization is concerned, it should be done for 2 to 3 times a year, during the spring or summer. The fertilizer should contain iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and nitrogen. Fertilizer application can be done twice - in March and July. Care must be taken not to apply fertilizer near the trunk of the tree. It must be applied at a distance of around two feet from the tree trunk, in a ring-like fashion. In general, a queen palm tree requires manganese the most. So you can even add some manganese to the soil in which the palm tree is planted, because manganese deficiency leads to the 'frizzy top' condition in queen palm trees, which can lead to the death of the trees. You can also use homemade palm tree fertilizer.

Another factor regarding queen palm tree care is its pruning. Pruning can be done during September, till the onset of November. This is mainly aimed at developing a strong structure. Excessive pruning is not advisable as it can prove detrimental to the palm tree. Only brown or yellow fronds can be pruned with the help of a saw. There is only one disease, that can affect queen palm trees - Ganoderma butt rot, which enters the tree through the wounds and cuts the lower trunk and roots. There is no cure for this disease, but you can prevent the occurrence with prevention treatments. The common pests that attack this tree are palm leaf skeletonizer and scale, which can also be controlled with sufficient pest control measures. These trees can be a beautiful addition to your landscape, with its unique appearance. You can easily grow these trees successfully, if you know the proper queen plant tree care.