King Palm Tree

Who doesn’t love the unique king palm tree? This species is native to Australia and beloved around the world for its lovely foliage and unique, slender appearance. While this palm is mostly grown outdoors for landscaping, it has also become a popular palm to grow indoors as well.

Let’s take a look at what the king palm tree is and how to grow your very own, either indoors or outdoors.

What is the King Palm Tree?

The king palm tree, also known as the Alexandra palm, feather palm, or Bangalow palm, is classified as Archontophoenix alexandrae. This plant’s common name, the Alexandra palm, as well as its botanical name, were chosen in honor of Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

The often 100-foot-tall king palm has a trunk that can reach 12 inches in diameter, is usually bloated at the base, and has noticeable leaf scars. The beautiful crown includes eight to 10 pinnate fronds that grow up to 15 feet long. These fronds resemble feathers and boast 60 to 80 leaflets on either side of the midrib. The whole frond is often twisted laterally, and the pinnae are up to 30 inches long, silvery-grey underneath, and dark green on top of the leaf. Each frond has a massive, up to three-foot-tall, light green crownshaft at its base.

The king palm’s inflorescence is a panicle, which begins creamy white as it emerges from the protective sheath or prophyll that it grows within. It changes to light green as the fruits mature, and ultimately becomes brown or red when it falls from the tree. It protrudes from the base of the crownshaft and is 20 to 40 inches wide by 20 inches long. It is common to encounter a group of these palms in one spot, some of which bear fruit and flowers while others have neither, and flowering happens at random throughout the year. These are pretty unpredictable palms!

This plant is indigenous to Australia and has spread around the world (particularly in Hawaii) through naturalization. This species’ natural habitat is in northeast and central Queensland. The altitudinal range for this species extends from sea level to 3,300 feet. However, it’s most often found in lowland riparian rainforests along river courses and marshes, usually in areas that become highly flooded during large rain events. They have evolved into the dominant species thanks to their capacity to tolerate these harsh environments.

The palm heart of this species was originally eaten by the Kuku Yalanji inhabitants of Far North Queensland. This species is mostly planted for landscaping and as indoor houseplants in addition to being used as food.

How to Plant and Grow King Palm Trees

King palm trees provide residential and commercial landscape designs with an appealing touch of the tropics. Usually, a single specimen serves as the landscape’s focal point. In large residential and commercial landscaping, these trees will often be placed in a row along a driveway or curving road. This fast-growing palm does well in both full sun and a little shade. In wet, well-drained soil, it will grow at its best.

USDA hardiness zones 10 to 12 allow for the year-round planting of this species. Choose a spot that gets some to full sun. The area should have adequate room to support complete growth. Select a location where there are no overhead power lines or other barriers when the plant is at its full height. At least 12 to 15 feet should be left between each planting. The soil must be sandy and well-draining for this plant.

Put your king palm outside in a shaded area, and over the course of a few weeks, gradually increase its exposure to the sun by an hour every day. Plant it in the desired location once it has gotten used to the full sun. Double the size of the root ball when digging the hole you plan to plant it in. The hole has to be twice as deep as the root ball for it to grow properly. For ease of establishment, the soil around the roots should be loose and aerated. To loosen the earth, score the sides of the hole with a shovel. This will make it easier for the roots to sift through the dirt in their new environment.

Sand should be combined with the soil from the hole and the pot the tree arrived in to make a mixture of two parts dirt and one part sand. This will enable suitable drainage. Shovel a thin layer of the soil mixture into the hole after adding a tiny quantity of water to the bottom. This will lessen the impact of the palm tree’s planting shock.

Make sure your king palm tree is standing straight before placing it in the hole. Soil should be tossed halfway into the hole and packed tightly. The leftover soil and sand mixture should be poured into the hole and packed tightly around the palm tree’s base. Around the palm tree, spread an organic mulch three inches thick. Give the plant plenty of water. It may be necessary to use a brace to shield large or recently planted king palms from winds and storms.

When the planting is finished, give the young palm a good watering. Plenty of water is ideal for newly planted palms. Be sure to water your king palm tree every day for the first two to three weeks. From there, water the palm three times per week. When they have grown to maturity, king palms require little watering. Water the palm tree around two times each week throughout the warmer months. Throughout the winter, water around once per week.

Apply a premium palm tree fertilizer to your royal palm around six weeks after planting. After that, fertilization should be done three times every year. Remember to make a sensible placement choice; moving large, established king palms is dangerous and not recommended.

How to Care for Indoor King Palm Trees

Make sure to put your indoor king palm tree in a location where there won’t be a lot of traffic that can rub against or tug on the fronds and damage the plant. Always plant your king palm in a pot or container that is very strong, has drainage holes, and is twice the size of the plant’s root ball. Remember that trimming the top of a palm tree will cause it to die, so try to keep pruning at a minimum as it acclimates to your home.

When the top one or two inches of the soil are fully dry, water your king palm. Often, this occurs two to three times each week. Moreover, remember that your king palm tree will need lots of drainage. Never allow the root ball of your plant to sit in water as this might result in root rot and death.

Make sure your king palm is situated in an area with typical room temperatures of 60 to 80 degrees F. While your indoor palm tree could survive remarkably well in conditions of typical indoor humidity, it is advised to water it often, set it close to a humidifier, or use a pebble tray to keep it hydrated.

Put your king palm in a location with strong, indirect light. It can technically survive dim lighting, particularly in the winter, but it cannot thrive if not provided adequate sunlight in the long term. Avoid placing your potted king palm tree in direct sun since too much direct light can cause leaf issues such as browning and burning.

Throughout the growing season, routinely fertilize your indoor king palm using a water-soluble fertilizer. Also, since most palm trees are prone to potassium deficiencies, give your plant additional potassium and manganese if needed. If the fronds of your plant are becoming brown or yellow, it is the biggest indication that it has nutritional deficiencies.

Pests and Illnesses to Look Out For

Mealybugs, scale, and mites are just a few of the typical pests that might harm your indoor king palm tree. Use neem oil or insecticidal soap to get rid of these pests.

Your indoor king palm tree’s leaves becoming brown or yellow indicate irregular watering or tap water that hasn’t been filtered. Your palm can also become stressed if you don’t water it regularly, especially if the soil is too dry. It’s best to plan out when to water your plants. Make sure the soil feels dry before watering as well. Your water quality might be another contributing factor if you are not filtering it before giving it to your plants. Because tap water will often contains chlorine, mineral deposits, and fluoride, the palm’s leaf tips can burn and turn brown. Use a water filtration device or overnight storage in an open container to remove the chemicals from your water.

Just as well, your king palm tree is not getting enough light if it starts turning yellow. Even though your indoor king palm tree can handle less light, it will stop growing and its leaves will start to turn yellow if the space is too dark since there isn’t enough sunlight to encourage photosynthesis. The perfect location for this species is somewhere that can get medium to bright, indirect light.

Yellow leaves can also indicate low humidity levels and entirely dried-out soil for the plant. Get a humidifier if at all feasible for your plant. Routine misting with a spray bottle will also work. To keep your indoor palm tree happy and healthy, keep it away from cold breezes, air conditioning vents, doors, radiators, and other abrupt temperature fluctuations.

Your king palm’s leaves turning brown might be the result of overfertilizing. Applying too much fertilizer to your indoor palm tree can cause fertilizer burn, also known as plant burn. Salts used in fertilizer wick moisture away from plants.

Do Indoor King Palms Need Regular Maintenence?

Yes. Once a month, you should use a moist cloth to wipe down the king palm plant’s leaves to remove any dust that has accumulated and could be obstructing the leaves’ ability to breathe. It’s totally natural for older fronds to age and fade in color or become brown, usually towards the plant’s base. Sharp and clean scissors should be used to remove any fronds that are damaged or dying so that the plant can concentrate its energy on fresh, new, and healthier growth.

The king palm tree is a great species to grow outdoors in the appropriate hardiness zones, and it’s also a fantastic species to add to any indoor tropical plant collection.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Sve_M/Shutterstock.com