How to Grow Queen Palm Trees

The queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) is a fast growing tree that can reach a height of 50 feet. It is native to South America, but is now prevalent in warmer states such as Florida and Arizona and can withstand temperatures as low as 25 degrees F. Each frond of the queen palm has a double row of dark green leaflets. In the summer, the tree has beautiful clusters of blooms and non-edible fruit begin to appear in the early winter that will turn orange as they mature.

Things You'll Need

• Fertilizer
• Manganese
• Garden bug killer
• Dish soap
• Rubbing alcohol
• Horticultural oil

Instructions

1. Plant your queen palm tree in full sun to some shade in well draining soil. Water it every day for the first week and then every other day for the second week. Thereafter, water the tree three times a week during the summer and twice a week during the winter.

2. Fertilize your queen palm tree two times a year, in March and July. Use a fertilizer that contains iron, copper, magnesium and manganese. Because different fertilizers contain different amounts of nutrients, follow the dosing instructions on the package and apply it to the soil about 2 feet away from the trunk and circle around the tree. When finished, apply extra manganese (not magnesium), again using the dosing amounts stated on the label.

3. Prune your queen palm tree from September to early November to sparingly remove yellow or brown fronds. You can saw off damaged fronds at any time. Excessive pruning can weaken and slow the tree's growth.

4. Prevent Ganoderma butt rot, which is when a fungus, Ganoderma zonatu, rots out the queen palm's root system and kills the tree. Remove any roots and stumps of any dead palm trees nearby and don't damage your tree with lawnmowers and trimmers, which makes it more susceptible to the disease.

5. Control insect damage by cutting away any infected leaves as soon as you notice them. Then spray nearby fronds with a garden bug killer such as Sevin Ready to Kill Bug Spray. If too many fronds get damaged and cut away, it could kill queen palm tree.

6. Control scale buildup. If you notice a sticky substance on the queen palm's fronds, it is scale, which can kill your tree if it spreads. When you first notice it, mix equal amounts of mild dish soap, rubbing alcohol and horticultural oil. Spray the infected fronds and gently wipe away with cotton balls.

References

• Florida Palm Trees: Queen Palm Trees
• Queen Palm Trees--Cold Hardy Palms