Not just for tropical holiday hotspots
Growing a palm tree at home can be done – and here’s some expert advice on how
Mention palm trees and you might think of the Caribbean and other tropical holiday hotspots – but you can grow your own palm tree at home, if you choose the right type. So says palm tree expert Chris Kidd, curator of Ventnor Botanic Garden (botanic.co.uk) on the Isle of Wight. Ventor’s Arecaceae (palm tree) collection was last year awarded National Plant Collection status by Plant Heritage (plantheritage.org.uk).
‘People have preconceived ideas about what palms are and what conditions they are going to like, but in Britain, climatically at least, if you can place a palm tree in a position where it is not waterlogged or having to contend with continual salty wind, they will grow just about anywhere if you pick the right species,’ he says.
Trachycarpus
Kidd explains: ‘If you live in a frost pocket, trachycarpus is the palm to have. It will withstand really cold temperatures and will grow much faster in dappled shade, where it will become more leafy.’
Chamaerops
The next hardiest palm is chamaerops, which comes from the Mediterranean and sunny parts of Europe. It can be grown in southern England, up to the Midlands, and needs a sunny position, he says.
Palms more suitable for containers
Kidd says: ‘Some palm trees are better grown in a container and then you can bring them indoors for winter or leave them by a sheltered south-west facing wall with plenty of sunshine. They need to remain frost-free.
‘The Jelly palm (Butia capitata) and the Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis) are two good examples.’
How fast do they grow?
‘They can grow very fast if you put them where they’d have as much moisture as a normal garden plant and don’t treat them as if they are something that needs to be kept dry,’ he adds.
What should you look for when buying?
You are looking for really fresh palm tree whose trunks are light brown and the old leaves haven’t been freshly cut off. At the bottom of the pot, look for lovely fresh white roots growing, particularly early in the season.
How do you look after them?
The biggest mistake is when people become over-zealous and cut off the old leaves, Kidd says. Feed and water palms regularly, and it’s a good idea to change the compost every year, preferably January or February.
Which plants make good palm partners?
‘Palms are statement plants which are very architectural and will remain that way. It can lend itself to a formal situation, in groups of even numbers,’ Kidd says.