Recommendations for backyard palm trees in Arizona

[Cantoaz]

Hello Everyone! 
 

I came across this site while trying to do research myself and figured I would sign up and post to see if I could get some opinions! I am a Canadian who recently moved to Arizona (Phoenix area) and bought a brand new home with my wife. We are currently in the process of landscaping our bare dirt backyard. I grew up in Canada so I know nothing about palm trees but I always loved them whenever vacationing so I am super excited to finally live somewhere where I can put palm trees in my own yard. 
 

I am looking to plant multiple medium/large palms in the back corners of my backyard, which is on the south side of the house, as statement pieces I can stare at through my back patio doors. I have looked at local nurseries and am having a hard time trying to decide what kind of trees I should get. I like the date palms a lot but they are super expensive and even though slow growing, eventually they get very large for a backyard. The Canary island date palms or pineapple palms are also nice but they’re too wide and I don’t think I have enough room for them. I also like the fan palms but from what I hear and what I see around town, they grow quick and they get a little bit taller than I’d like to have in my yard.  Queen palms have been suggested to me the most at nursery’s, I like the looks of them when they look good but whenever I drive around all of the queen palms in the Phoenix area look terrible and are usually brown and dead. 
 

Does anybody have any suggestions for me that I might not be thinking of? Or would queens be my best option? If So, can queens survive here or will it be more effort than it’s worth to try and keep them alive. I am open to anything really. 
 

Thank you in advance, I apologize for my lack of knowledge and correct terminology and appreciate any input you guys might have 🙂

 

[aztropic]

Sounds like you are searching for mule palms - you just don't know it yet... In AZ,queens do well until they get 10 ft of trunk,then go downhill pretty quickly after that. You will be most happy with mules,or possibly Butia species as a slower grower. Expect to pay $400 per mule in 15-25 gallon pots. Avoid shopping at moon valley as their prices are the absolute highest locally.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

[Silas_Sancona]

57 minutes ago, Cantoaz said:

Hello Everyone! 
 

I came across this site while trying to do research myself and figured I would sign up and post to see if I could get some opinions! I am a Canadian who recently moved to Arizona (Phoenix area) and bought a brand new home with my wife. We are currently in the process of landscaping our bare dirt backyard. I grew up in Canada so I know nothing about palm trees but I always loved them whenever vacationing so I am super excited to finally live somewhere where I can put palm trees in my own yard. 
 

I am looking to plant multiple medium/large palms in the back corners of my backyard, which is on the south side of the house, as statement pieces I can stare at through my back patio doors. I have looked at local nurseries and am having a hard time trying to decide what kind of trees I should get. I like the date palms a lot but they are super expensive and even though slow growing, eventually they get very large for a backyard. The Canary island date palms or pineapple palms are also nice but they’re too wide and I don’t think I have enough room for them. I also like the fan palms but from what I hear and what I see around town, they grow quick and they get a little bit taller than I’d like to have in my yard.  Queen palms have been suggested to me the most at nursery’s, I like the looks of them when they look good but whenever I drive around all of the queen palms in the Phoenix area look terrible and are usually brown and dead. 
 

Does anybody have any suggestions for me that I might not be thinking of? Or would queens be my best option? If So, can queens survive here or will it be more effort than it’s worth to try and keep them alive. I am open to anything really. 
 

Thank you in advance, I apologize for my lack of knowledge and correct terminology and appreciate any input you guys might have 🙂

 

Cantoaz,

Welcome to the forum.  If you look through various pages here in the main section, look for the " Arizona Thread " which is dedicated to various palms which will work here. 

@aztropic would be the perfect person, who i see just chimed in, to talk to regarding less common, and great palm species worth researching/ considering.

Would avoid the common, over planted stuff like Phoenix ( " spine "-like leaflets near the base of the leafstalks can be very dangerous / Fruit can be messy ), Washingtonia ( CA. native species is the best of the two, if those interest you. ) and Queen Palms ( Horrible choice here )  " Mule " Palms are a great, and easy to find alternative to Queens.

[Cantoaz]

45 minutes ago, aztropic said:

Sounds like you are searching for mule palms - you just don't know it yet... In AZ,queens do well until they get 10 ft of trunk,then go downhill pretty quickly after that. You will be most happy with mules,or possibly Butia species as a slower grower. Expect to pay $400 per mule in 15-25 gallon pots. Avoid shopping at moon valley as their prices are the absolute highest locally.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

Thank you for the reply! I have seen a little bit about mule palms online and they did look great but they seem quite uncommon. Do you have any recommendations on nurseries or stores in the area I could get them from? 
 

Also on your moon valley comment, I went there first because I’ve driven by them and thought they looked well stocked. Was shocked at how expensive they were and extremely put off by the salesman’s lack of knowledge and attitude as if he were trying to sell me a used car. 

[aztropic]

Can't recommend any specific nurseries but you should visit several before making a choice on finding a tree that looks good to you,at a fair price or better. $400 is the current going rate for mules here,but you may also be able to mail order smaller examples at considerable savings. 3 gallon mules have been $100 or less in the past.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[96720]

There are mules!!! Absolutely agree that moon valley is crazy prices you might try his brother Whitfill there prices are better still mules are expensive if you are a do it yourselfer you could check out some of the big box stores!!

[Silas_Sancona]

38 minutes ago, 96720 said:

There are mules!!! Absolutely agree that moon valley is crazy prices you might try his brother Whitfill there prices are better still mules are expensive if you are a do it yourselfer you could check out some of the big box stores!!

Good call..   Local Big Box here in Chandler has a bunch of nice 15's for $299.00. 






Treeland had a nice selection as well when i visited a couple weeks ago. Can't recall their pricing though.

[SeanK]

I didn't see where in AZ you live, so I will merely make general suggestions.

1. Do drive around and see what species do well in your climate.

2. Consider water requirements.

I think the basic palms for you ARE in fact Phoenix and Chamaerhops. Add in Brahea. These all originate from desert areas. Washingtonia also does, but robustas grow disproportionately tall for residential properties. You want to own your landscape, it shouldn't own you.

 

[sonoranfans]

I had great success with bismarckia nobillis and brahea armata when I lived in AZ.  These two take the dry heat even better than a mule and offer a blue grey color contrast to the mules green.  Here is one of my (6) brahea armata grown in gilbert AZ.  They are 5-6 years in the ground from 24" box size.  As you can see I also grew queens but I really don't recommend them.  They are water and fertilizer hogs that tend to look ratty as they get size.  Its best to go with the yin/yang of nature.  In arizona, that means drought tolerant palms that don't need shade.

[Cantoaz]

Thank you everybody for the replies! After looking more into the mule palms I think that is what I am going to get. I will do some shopping around!
 

If I were to get them from a big box store and plant them myself, does anybody have any good tips/instruction for planting? What kind of soil should I use and how much? How deep to plant it? How much should they be watered when young? Do they need a drip irrigation system for consistent watering or would watering them from above with a garden hose work? 
 

Again, thank you so much, I have absolutely no knowledge on the subject and I want to make sure I plant them and grow them correctly to get as nice of palms as I can! 

[SeanK]

I don't think you'll find mule palms at a big-box store (am I wrong?). More of a private nursery item. 

[Silas_Sancona]

51 minutes ago, Cantoaz said:

Thank you everybody for the replies! After looking more into the mule palms I think that is what I am going to get. I will do some shopping around!
 

If I were to get them from a big box store and plant them myself, does anybody have any good tips/instruction for planting? What kind of soil should I use and how much? How deep to plant it? How much should they be watered when young? Do they need a drip irrigation system for consistent watering or would watering them from above with a garden hose work? 
 

Again, thank you so much, I have absolutely no knowledge on the subject and I want to make sure I plant them and grow them correctly to get as nice of palms as I can! 

Planting is pretty straight forward.. Plant no deeper than the base of the Palm / top of the root ball..  If planting something like a Mule, They're pretty adaptable, and don't need any special soil to thrive.. you can add something like a bag of compost to your soil if you choose to, but they'll do fine if you don't.  ...Mix it 50/50 with your native soil so that the roots will grow into the native soil, rather than stay in the " good " soil ( a term sometimes called " bath tubbing " ).

No fertilizer necessary when planting, ...and definitely not something strong / quick release..  You could add a good organic " starter " fertilizer with a Fert. ratio of say 3-3-3, which also contains soil microbes in it to inoculate the soil around the root ball, and provide a nice, slow release " meal " while the palm(s) start establishing themselves.

Once we get to March, you can feed them with something that contains a Fertilizer ratio of 8-2-12 + important "minor" elements/ nutrients.

Now that we're headed into the cooler months ( relatively speaking here in this part of AZ ) anything planted will slow down growth-wise, so it won't be until March -ish before you notice newly planted things start to pick up speed.  Mules are pretty tough so planting them this  time of year is less risky compared to planting some other palm species which might experience stress- related issues if planted during the winter. Using a slow release Fert. will also help avoid pushing too much tender new growth during a time it could get nipped by a quick frost.


This time of year, i myself would provide a deep soak only once every couple weeks, if not once a month ( ..or less if we see some decent rain events this winter ).. Soil here retains moisture for longer periods of time during the cooler months compared to the summer ( You'll definitely have to water more to keep the palms healthy and happy come April / May ) so watering too often during the cooler months can lead to root rot issues. Remember, it's not how much moisture is in the first few inches of soil that matters.. It is how wet the soil is below that ..say at a 6" or more depth.

Others here can add any other important information i'm probably missing regarding watering, esp. this time of year..

When you plant, i'd make a " bowl " around each specimen that you can place a hose in and allow it to fill, then slowly drain / completely soak the roots, then fill once more   ..this way you can be sure the entire root ball is being soaked adequately.  Later, once they have established themselves, you can flatten the bowl, and add a layer of mulch ( keep any mulch away from the trunk ) if you choose to, to help the soil around the roots stay moister longer / keep them cooler.  Gravel " Mulch " will also provide the same moisture retention / cooler soil temps. benefit if laid correctly ..if you enjoy the look.

Drip can be added later..  Going with experience, esp. here, drip doesn't always provide enough water to keep the root balls of newly planted things moist.  If you install drip right from the start, talk with some experts on the subject about how much water to apply -to keep the roots moist while they start to expand out into the soil..  Would also recommend getting any drip- related products from your neighborhood Ewing Irrigation Supply location rather than the big box stores. Prices are about the same, or sometimes better..

Overall, 15 gal sized Mule, or almost any other palm / tree is a great size to start off with since it isn't too big.. Easier to transport / plant yourself,  if you choose to,  and you're starting off with a nice sized specimen that will take off fairly quickly after planting..  Some folks like planting Big ..40gal size of bigger.. Some things do ok after being planted at that size. Many other things don't and actually stall and start down a path of steady decline. Plant a 15 gal plant next to one of these big specimens and the 15gal will out grow the big one in no time.

Good luck and enjoy creating your desert oasis..



 

[aztropic]

1 hour ago, SeanK said:

I don't think you'll find mule palms at a big-box store (am I wrong?). More of a private nursery item. 

Mules ARE often available at the orange big box's in Arizona. Last year,they sold 7 gallon plants for $129. This year,only 15 gallons available for $299/$399.

Better bet might be to check with the supplier to the orange box - 'the plant stand'.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[96720]

They are the same price at plant stand if you can get one for 299 that is better than plant stand if I remember correctly they might be even more at plant stand 

[Palmfarmer]

I would do 2 California fan palms on each edge and a Blue Brahea between them. You could swap the brahea for a Bismarck for faster growth and lower price. Brahea will fit in better with the California fan palms though since they look more similar. 

about the queens looking bad. I am fairly sure they look bad due to drought, bad soil and sun damage. If you water the queens well fertilize some perhaps they should look good except for a little sunburn In the summer. You can eliminate the sunburn by planting in partial shade. I rather plant a King or royal palm instead if you like that style of palm. Or royal in the middle with a queen on the left and a king palm on the right side. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Palmfarmer

[UK_Palms]

I have never understood all the hate that Washingtonia Robusta gets lol. I see people in CA and AZ cutting them down or telling people to avoid them all the time. Obviously there is more to it than that, which I assume is due to how common they have become as a landscape palm, which has led to them seeding and spreading aggressively in areas. People are probably fed up of seeing them. I get that. But there does seem to be a disproportionate amount of negativity towards Robusta's nowadays, which I also struggle to understand. I am aware that Filifera is viewed as the more attractive Washingtonia, but I personally like the idea of having 2-3 tall skydusters and say one chunky Filifera sat just in front of them. Each to their own though.

I probably look at Trachycarpus Fortunei in the same way that the CA and AZ members look at Washingtonia Robusta. Trachy's are so common around my area that I, generally speaking, don't like them. I won't even photograph Trachy's really. The only reason I have some is because they are the first palms I ever planted. There is a reason why I never post about Trachycarpus in all the various posts I have done, given that London and the UK is absolutely loaded with Trachycarpus. There's probably more Trachy's in southern England than anywhere else outside of China and Asia. They are overplanted here and I don't really find them 'exotic' looking enough. But then I will see some people in SoCal posting about how much they like Trachy's, or prefer them to Washingtonia. So it is the exact reverse to my viewpoint! 

Anyway, if I moved to Phoenix the first batch of palms on my list would be (in order)...

3 x Robusta

1 x Filifera

1 x Dactylifera

1 x Bismarkia

1 x Butyagrus

[Foxpalms]

5 minutes ago, UK_Palms said:

I have never understood all the hate that Washingtonia Robusta gets lol. I see people in CA and AZ cutting them down or telling people to avoid them all the time. Obviously there is more to it than that, which I assume is due to how common they have become as a landscape palm, which has led to them seeding and spreading aggressively in areas. People are probably fed up of seeing them. I get that. But there does seem to be a disproportionate amount of negativity towards Robusta's nowadays, which I also struggle to understand. I am aware that Filifera is viewed as the more attractive Washingtonia, but I personally like the idea of having 2-3 tall skydusters and say one chunky Filifera sat just in front of them. Each to their own though.

I probably look at Trachycarpus Fortunei in the same way that the CA and AZ members look at Washingtonia Robusta. Trachy's are so common around my area that I, generally speaking, don't like them. I won't even photograph Trachy's really. The only reason I have some is because they are the first palms I ever planted. There is a reason why I never post about Trachycarpus in all the various posts I have done, given that London and the UK is absolutely loaded with Trachycarpus. There's probably more Trachy's in southern England than anywhere else outside of China and Asia. They are overplanted here and I don't really find them 'exotic' looking enough. But then I will see some people in SoCal posting about how much they like Trachy's, or prefer them to Washingtonia. So it is the exact reverse to my viewpoint! 

Anyway, if I moved to Phoenix the first batch of palms on my list would be (in order)...

3 x Robusta

1 x Filifera

1 x Dactylifera

1 x Bismarkia

1 x Butyagrus

The only downside to Washingtonia is they can make a mess, but they are still nice looking palms so I don't also don't get why people don't like them even if the are common. I also agree Trachycarpus doesn't look that tropical and they are overplanted, the main reason I don't like them that much though is not that they are common, they are just not the nicest looking of palms. Chamaerops humilis and phoenix canariensis are probably the most common palms here, lots of small CIDPs everywhere and in pots.             

Can Hyphaenae thebaica, hyphaene petersiana and  Medemia argun grow in Arizona?

[aztropic]

19 hours ago, Foxpalms said:

Can Hyphaenae thebaica, hyphaene petersiana and  Medemia argun grow in Arizona?

Absolutely,if you can find seeds or a plant to start with.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona