Tree of the week

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Sorry the delay, but here it is -- Pieter Severynen’s ‘Tree of the Week.’

The Queen Palm – Syagrus romanzoffianum

‘Palms have roots, trunks and leaves. They don’t have true bark, branches or wood. That is because they are more akin to giant grasses than to broadleaf trees. An advantage they get from this relationship is that they can sway many feet in the wind without breaking. On the other hand, trunk wounds never heal and damage to the one and only growing point at the top of the trunk, between the leaves, is fatal.

‘Although at first glance similar to the King Palm, the Queen Palm, which in older books may still be listed as Arecastrum romanzoffianum or Cocos plumosa, has its own character. The tree grows faster, taller (to 50’) and wider (to 20’) than a King. The gracefully arching, 10-15’ long feathery fronds, as palm leaves are called, are soft gray green, and the ‘shreds’ are arranged in a horizontal plane around the midrib. The whole tree has a softer, looser appearance. To me a street planted in Queen Palms has a much less formal appearance than one with King Palms and I could see Queen Palms illustrating a Dr. Seuss book, but not Kings.

‘Yellow flowers hang in clusters directly below the leaves, turn into green, then orange dates. The abundant fruit can become a nuisance; if you prune the tree do it at the flower or pre-fruit drop stage. The Queen Palm, which is originally from Brazil, likes water but is drought tolerant. It can stand smog, seacoast conditions and temperatures down to 25 degrees F (some have recovered from 16 F). Fronds tend to break in high wind. Queens cost about half as much as Kings, but initial price is a very small factor compared to annual and lifetime maintenance.’

Thanks, Pieter.
E-mail Pieter: plseve@earthlink.net
Photo credit: L.A. Land