Majesty Palms Outdoors Orlando

[sacts]

Curious why nurseries around Orlando don't suggest planting Majesty Palms outdoors?  I have two in my backyard that I planted five years ago and they are doing way better then my cold hardy coconut palms that blow over with the slightest breeze.  I'm thinking of planting more Majesty's but was curious if there are major drawbacks I'm overlooking since most nurseries I've been too only recommend them inside.  We've had some cold temps over the last 5 years and the ones I have had no problems what so ever.  Both have trunked and are looking great.  I just fertilize and have a drop system on them.  In my opinion, a very underrated palm.  I picked up four of them at home depot this weekend for 50 dollars (for all four) and they are in great shape.  Bases are about the size of a soda can in diameter.

[PalmatierMeg]

Contrary to what those nurseries say majesties make terrible houseplants. They are totally hardy in Cape Coral. They have potential in warmer microclimates of central FL. I can arrest that both my mature majesties came through hours of Ian’s eyeball with only minor frond damage.

[Fusca]

I agree, they should be planted outdoors more in 9b and 10a zones.  I planted a 3-gal sized majesty on the west side of an unheated garage a few years ago and it survived 22°F unprotected.  Same freeze from February 2021 killed a similar sized Beccariophoenix alfredii and Chrysalidocarpus decaryi (triangle - did I spell the new name right?)  As long as they get plenty of water and fertilizer they grow fine!  I like the looks of them when they get large as much or more than they do as a juvenile.

Edited November 15, 2022 by Fusca

[JohnAndSancho]

Majesties indoors keep Waste Management in business. 

[Fusca]

1 minute ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Majesties indoors keep Waste Management in business. 

And the big box stores' garden departments!

[kinzyjr]

In Central Florida, I've seen quite a few mature specimens in Lakeland and Orlando.  They seem much more bud hardy than foliage hardy as evidenced by these that are still alive in Tallahassee: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/13879-majesty-palm-ravenea-rivularis/

 

[RedRabbit]

We have a lot of mature majesties in my area. Here’s one I can see from my backyard:

Here’s another good example nearby:

They're very underrated palms. Give them enough nutrients and water and they’re fantastic palms for Central Florida. I recently planted two in an area with poor drainage and they love it!

These palms are tough, I think they’re good candidates for North Florida, or even coastal Georgia. 

Edited November 15, 2022 by RedRabbit

[ZPalms]

I'm big fan of majesties, would love to see them planted more throughout florida. Funny how people in florida will plant a norfolk pine without thinking but not the majesties

[Eric in Orlando]

I see a lot get planted around Orlando since they are cheap and readily available. But 95% are dead within the first year as most people plant and forget. These need lots of water and nutrients so need care. The ones that do get cared for look nice. Dry, no-nutrient sand is the quickest way to kill them and thats what many yards are in this area. And most people that plant a $10 palm from a box store aren't researching or caring for the palm after planting.

[JLM]

I have a majesty in the ground all the way up here in NW FL. Its planted under a large crape myrtle, so it never has to deal with frost. Last winter it did defoliate, but it started growing like normal as soon as it warmed up in Spring. It has put out several fronds over the summer.

[PalmatierMeg]

2 hours ago, Eric in Orlando said:

I see a lot get planted around Orlando since they are cheap and readily available. But 95% are dead within the first year as most people plant and forget. These need lots of water and nutrients so need care. The ones that do get cared for look nice. Dry, no-nutrient sand is the quickest way to kill them and thats what many yards are in this area. And most people that plant a $10 palm from a box store aren't researching or caring for the palm after planting.

Agree wholeheartedly. If you plant one you must invest fertilizer and water in it - majesties are hogs for both. My two are likely the largest and until Ian tattered them, the best looking majesties in Cape Coral. They’ve been in the ground 25 years and are 30+ ft & 20+ ft, respectively. The larger one benefited from a/c runoff and both get irrigation as well as rain. And they’ll probably scarf extra fertilizer since Ian took out the Attalea butyracea, Beccariophoenix alfredii & Elaeis guineensis nearby.

[jgi27]

The HD here keeps their R. Rivularis inside the store. I don't know how they stay so green and lush since they don't water them and there is literally no sunlight where they're sitting. I picked one up and one of the employee said these were grown indoors and they might die when planted outside since they can't handle the strong sunlight. If I picked one up, how do I slowly acclimate them outdoor?

[Fusca]

53 minutes ago, jgi27 said:

The HD here keeps their R. Rivularis inside the store. I don't know how they stay so green and lush since they don't water them and there is literally no sunlight where they're sitting. I picked one up and one of the employee said these were grown indoors and they might die when planted outside since they can't handle the strong sunlight. If I picked one up, how do I slowly acclimate them outdoor?

I would start them out in bright shade outside for several days while in the container then move them to a spot with morning sun for an hour a day for several days, then 2 hours a day, then 3, etc.  I wouldn't recommend planting in a full sun spot or where they would get late afternoon sun or they won't look very good.  If you have a good spot for it and want to plant it right away you can always use shade cloth around it to help with the acclimation.

[Silas_Sancona]

47 minutes ago, jgi27 said:

The HD here keeps their R. Rivularis inside the store. I don't know how they stay so green and lush since they don't water them and there is literally no sunlight where they're sitting. I picked one up and one of the employee said these were grown indoors and they might die when planted outside since they can't handle the strong sunlight. If I picked one up, how do I slowly acclimate them outdoor?

If the store is on top of things, chances are they constantly rotate stock.. being sure any that start to go downhill from  being inside are quickly yanked from the sales floor.

As far as where they're grown.. " Inside a greenhouse"...   would've been the correct response from the employee,  not the response you received.

If you surf through Majesty Palm- related threads here, there are plenty of thriving, well established Majesty specimens growing all over S. Cal..  I'd show any  BB "nursery" person who says " they'll die if planted outside " there those threads on my phone / a tablet / their computer in a similar situation to put an end to that assumption..

As far as acclimating a greenhouse grown specimen to life in the ground?  esp. in this part of the U.S.?  start by placing the plant in a spot that gets minimal direct sun ..w/ morning sun exposure being the only sun i'd allow on it..  Over the course of a few weeks, move it into a spot that gets more sun.  That said, when planted ( ..esp. if planted during the summer... ) old, greenhouse- grown foliage will burn, no matter what...  Foliage that is more sun tolerant should start to replace the burnt, older fronds at the same time though.. 

As others have mentioned here and in the many other Majesty- related threads here,  these require lots of water ( ..the "rivularis" part of the scientific name is an obvious clue that these love water.  > rivularis = grows near rivers / other water sources )  ..and are heavy feeders.. 

Provide both of those things, and they thrive ( ...and grow at a pretty good pace ) 

One of the most underrated, under-the-radar palm options for Southern ..and warmer parts of Central... California   that screams "tropical" ..but can also withstand reasonable cold exposure.