Queen Palm Help

[PalmsAZ]

Hello All,

I’m concerned about my queen palm and wanted to reach out to the network for any thoughts. See pictures attached but the issue is the newest frond was damaged by the wind and is completely bent over and did not fully emerge from the crown.  There is a new spear pushing but it hasn’t moved much in weeks and might be blocked from emerging due to the other frond. Has anyone seen anything like this? Should I be concerned? Is there anything I can do? The tree went through an extremely harsh summer and I’m hoping it can recover. Thanks in advance for any advice, let me know if I can provide further details. 

[SeanK]

How much do you water this each day?

[Jim in Los Altos]

Queen palms often suffer in roasting hot and dry climates such as yours. Keep you Queen palm well watered. Daily soaks until much cooler weather arrives this Fall. It should start improving. 

[PalmsAZ]

2 hours ago, SeanK said:

How much do you water this each day?

I have been watering by drip 3x a week for 20m on M/W/F and then manually watering on Saturday since start of June. I feel like it has been watered plenty. It was fertilized and doing well when it pushed out the frond in September (Now broken by the wind) I thought we made it past summer and all was good. Then the wind damage happened and the new spear is stuck. I’ll continue to water but I can’t imagine watering much more 

[PalmsAZ]

21 minutes ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Queen palms often suffer in roasting hot and dry climates such as yours. Keep you Queen palm well watered. Daily soaks until much cooler weather arrives this Fall. It should start improving. 

Thanks Jim appreciate your expertise and I will watch for the recovery 

[96720]

Dig it up throw it away and plant a good palm!!!

Palm Mod Edit: While this may eventually be what happens with this palm, could we be a little friendlier to Newbies who take the step to post and ask for advice from some of our grizzled veteran growers. It will make it easier for others to follow.

[PalmsAZ]

On 10/13/2023 at 4:25 PM, 96720 said:

Dig it up throw it away and plant a good palm!!!

Palm Mod Edit: While this may eventually be what happens with this palm, could we be a little friendlier to Newbies who take the step to post and ask for advice from some of our grizzled veteran growers. It will make it easier for others to follow.

What makes you say that? I agree not my ideal palm either. I don’t have all the money in the world and was happy to find this sized of a queen palm for $50. I’d prefer many other species but they are very hard to find in AZ and not as affordable. I’ve spent alot of effort to take care of this queen this summer I’m not inclined to just give up. 
 

I respect your knowledge and am jealous of your garden but I’m just a beginner with not much funds trying my best to have a garden of nice palms in AZ. I’ve seen countless amounts of nice queens in AZ and I think you are mistaken saying this tree isn’t worth care or trying to grow in AZ. Sounds like you don’t have a queen palm ? I find that hard to believe 

[PalmsAZ]

On 10/13/2023 at 4:25 PM, 96720 said:

Dig it up throw it away and plant a good palm!!!

Palm Mod Edit: While this may eventually be what happens with this palm, could we be a little friendlier to Newbies who take the step to post and ask for advice from some of our grizzled veteran growers. It will make it easier for others to follow.

This post was intended to get advice from palm experts and enthusiasts. The feedback you provided is useless and just want to tear other junior enthusiasts down.  If you can’t help me with my queen palm issue it’s better to keep silent instead of tell me I’m stupid for growing a species. I’m asking for advice on this species if you don’t have any to provide then why are are you even commenting ? What is your problem? 

[Silas_Sancona]

18 minutes ago, PalmsAZ said:

This post was intended to get advice from palm experts and enthusiasts. The feedback you provided is useless and just want to tear other junior enthusiasts down.  If you can’t help me with my queen palm issue it’s better to keep silent instead of tell me I’m stupid for growing a species. I’m asking for advice on this species if you don’t have any to provide then why are are you even commenting ? What is your problem? 

I get the idea, though the approach was a complete bust ...Like when a Plane nose dives into the ground, ..then grinds into the ground for several hundred feet.. lol.. 

There is truth in the plane- crashed statement in that trying to keep Queens alive here is often far more trouble than the effort put into trying.. Here in Chandler, 99% of the ones i've seen after this summer, that barely eeked by in 2020,  look awful and won't be around much longer.. 

You can try keeping it going for as long as possible of course, but, i won't be the first Phoenix area forum member here to suggest researching other options -at the very least-.. Mules, ..a cross between a Queen palm and Butia ..often called Pindo Palms,  are a much more stable / take the heat better option that won't be as challenging to grow as Queens.. 

There are other interesting options too.. Take a look over this thread for some great ideas / options:
 

 

[SeanK]

I am trying to understand your planting layout. It looks like this Queen is in a raised box approx. 6-inches wide. I think you will always have problems with water given the restriction of the root zone. Also, the break is more likely caused by wind. Although planted in a nook, the wind may create turbulence in this corner.

[96720]

I planted many queen palms when I started have very few left after 18 years you grow a palm and it’s beautiful and then it dies or starts looking bad and nothing seems to turn it around!!! I lost 5 queens to our hellish summer so just don’t think it is a good choice for our area!!! They sell cheap palms like queens and majesties but I don’t think they are very good choices in the long term for our area!!!

[PalmsAZ]

Again to all I’m looking for advice from people who care to help me with my queen palm. I thought this forum was a place to get advice from the palm

enthusiast network. Instead of providing advice you tell me to no longer grow this species. I didn’t ask for whether you thought this was a viable species. I didn’t ask to be judged. If you don’t have advice to offer other than find a different species go find another post to speak on. It’s sad an unfortunate to run into a bunch of “experts” who tell you a species is garbage and offers zero help. 
 

I’ll continue to grow my queen palm I hope it survives but @Silas_Sancona and @96720 you guys have some serious issues. You aren’t offering help you are  just being hateful take it elsewhere. I asked for help you provided hate, definitely not what was requested. Find another thread, you have discouraged me from asking this network for advice! Nice job i hope that was your goal, hateful people. 

Edited October 15, 2023 by PalmsAZ

[PalmsAZ]

14 hours ago, 96720 said:

I planted many queen palms when I started have very few left after 18 years you grow a palm and it’s beautiful and then it dies or starts looking bad and nothing seems to turn it around!!! I lost 5 queens to our hellish summer so just don’t think it is a good choice for our area!!! They sell cheap palms like queens and majesties but I don’t think they are very good choices in the long term for our area!!!

It’s comedy you personally grew these trees the last 18 years but you tell me to kill mine. Last year you would have offered help I assume? It was the 18th year for you and the species to trash it? Must  have offered something to take that long. Go find another thread. Why are you here if you don’t like this species? 

Edited October 15, 2023 by PalmsAZ

[96720]

The species is fine for other areas but phoenix as we have hotter and hotter summers they are having a hard time yours will be just fine for some years but long term it will have a hard time!!

[PalmsAZ]

16 hours ago, SeanK said:

I am trying to understand your planting layout. It looks like this Queen is in a raised box approx. 6-inches wide. I think you will always have problems with water given the restriction of the root zone. Also, the break is more likely caused by wind. Although planted in a nook, the wind may create turbulence in this corner.

Ok so what advice did you offer here? You are curious about my layout? What layout do I need? Any assistance is appreciated I didn’t gather anything from your response 

[Silas_Sancona]

8 minutes ago, PalmsAZ said:

Again to all I’m looking for advice from people who care to help me with my queen palm. I thought this forum was a place to get advice from the palm

enthusiast network. Instead of providing advice you tell me to no longer grow this species. I didn’t ask for whether you thought this was a viable species. I didn’t ask to be judged. If you don’t have advice to offer other than find a different species go find another post to speak on. It’s sad an unfortunate to run into a bunch of “experts” who tell you a species is garbage and offers zero help. 
 

I’ll continue to grow my queen palm I hope it survives but @Silas_Sancona and @96720 you guys have some serious issues. You aren’t offering help you are  just being hateful take it elsewhere. I asked for help you provided hate, definitely not what was requested. Find another thread, you have discouraged me from asking this network for advice! Nice job i hope that was your goal, hateful people. 

I was trying to help you out / offer you some great alternatives, but, if you're going to be that disrespectful when offered helpful advise, ..i hope it croaks,  just to teach you a lesson..    Good luck on your endevor.

 

[PalmsAZ]

1 minute ago, 96720 said:

The species is fine for other areas but phoenix as we have hotter and hotter summers they are having a hard time yours will be just fine for some years but long term it will have a hard time!!

Again I’m not asking if this species is viable, I know it is from living here.  I’m trying to figure out what is wrong with mine and if it can recover.. It sounds like it can so I’m grateful to hear that.  Thanks for the encouragement, it’s helpful 

[PalmsAZ]

1 minute ago, Silas_Sancona said:

I was trying to help you out / offer you some great alternatives, but, if you're going to be that disrespectful when offered helpful advise, ..i hope it croaks,  just to teach you a lesson..    Good luck on your endevor.

 

What alternatives did you offer? You sent me a link to a thread I’m well aware of. I have most of the species mentioned. Just because I’m trying to cure a queen palm you act like I can’t read. You have been super helpful!!!!! 

[PalmsAZ]

To be 100% clear I asked for help with my queen palm and @Silas_Sancona and @96720 respond telling me to find a new tree. Super helpful information, you guys are really the best!!! 

Now according to @Silas_Sancona I am being disrespectful? I would argue you are out of line, you aren’t answering any questions that were asked,  instead respond with nonsense about alternative species. Please explain what I said that was disrespectful.
 

Meanwhile @96720 admitted he’s grown many of these trees in AZ for 18 years, but I’m dumb for trying to care for this one. 

This post isn’t asking for alternative species it’s asking for help with this one. If the best you have to offer is find another species, that’s not an appropriate response to the questions being asked. I would suggest not commenting like most people on this forum wouldn’t when they can’t provide anything helpful.

@Silas_Sancona, you told me to me to go find a mule palm! It’s funny you assume I don’t have one and in fact I have multiple. You must have missed the part above about affordable options for an AZ garden. Good luck finding a mule for an affordable price in AZ, it’s definitely not mentioned where to find in the link you so gracefully provided. 
 

I’m asking what’s wrong with my queen, If you don’t know, don’t comment. I didn’t ask for what species are good in AZ, I have read the provided thread and am fully aware. Whether we agree or not shouldn’t even be a topic of this thread.  Just because I want a queen in my garden doesn’t give you the right to tell me not to, I’m asking for help and knowledge of whether this tree can be helped. If you would have told me my tree is dead and I should look for replacements that would have been the feedback I was looking 
 

 Maybe I change the location, would I have received a different response? Seems like it, these Arizona people are trolls filled with hate. 
 

[Merlyn]

Wow guys, I know queens aren't ideal for the hot desert...but chill!

  @PalmsAZ there's an easy reason why the new frond is "falling over" or opening up so low.  It's stretched out from being grown in a nursery under shade cloth.  Technically this is called "etoliation."  The "normal" frond length on a queen that size is probably 3-5 feet, but the older ones are sticking way up at probably 8-10 feet long, right?  The palm is probably trying to adjust the length back to normal for full sun, which means they get abruptly shorter and might get "stuck" in the crown like yours.  So that's one reason there are 2 fronds that are super-short and not opening up normally.  It'll probably improve as it gets cooler.

The second reason they fell over so soon is "lack of hydrostatic pressure."  If it's not getting enough water then there isn't enough force to keep the new spears straight.  They can droop or kink in half.  So not enough water and being cooked by the walls is probably a factor.

And the third obvious reason is high winds causing mechanical damage, like you said.  it's possible the broken spear is pushing horizontally against the next one, restricting it from growing upwards.  The only suggestion I have is to carefully snip and/or loosen up the thin fibers wrapped around the trunk.  That may open up the crown just enough to allow the next spears to push through.  That's only a guess though.

Long-term I agree with the others, that's a really small spot for a queen.  I have 8 here in the swamp of Floriduh, and the trunk diameters at the base are much bigger than the spot you've got there.  Looking out the window I'd guess the bigger bases are easily 2' in diameter with roots spreading out straight horizontal.  I don't think it would damage the wall...maybe?  But it'll definitely limit the palm's growth in a couple of years.

[SeanK]

17 hours ago, PalmsAZ said:

Ok so what advice did you offer here? You are curious about my layout? What layout do I need? Any assistance is appreciated I didn’t gather anything from your response 

My take reading this thread is that a Queen Palm is not the optimal choice for your climate or site prep. 

My suggestion then is to plant something more appropriate to your climate and provide better site prep. 

It seems you want to do neither. You want the Queen; you want it there; you will not reconstruct the area to expand the root zone.