I've recently moved into a house where numerous palms grow. One of the species has multiple palms growing in a cluster/bunch of 5 or 6. For now they're only 3-4 feet tall and growing more out to the sides than straight up. I'd like to cut them down to 2 and tied them to grow straight because if left unchecked, they would grow and block part of the driveway and sidewalk. How do I choose which one to cut and which one to leave?
A photo would be most helpful. It sounds as though you may be describing one of the species known as Canary Island Date Palm but without a photo that is impossible to verify. If you are growing what I think you may be growing new plants will continue to come up for the life of the plant. I fought four of these for a long time in Florida and cut them back and cut them back. I finally gave up and sold the house! Please post a photo and maybe we can help you figure out what you are growing and if anything can be done.
Are the leaves fan shaped? ... then perhaps it's Chamaerops humilis. Pinnate leaves? ... it could be Phoenix dactylifera (true date palm). Without a photo it's difficult to properly identify. Cheers, LPN. P.S. - I've never known Canary Island Date palms to sucker (Phoenix canariensis)
When I bought my plants in Miami in about 1995 they were labeled "Canary Island Date Palm" but no scientific name. They were about 4 feet tall. Once mature, they produce dates and I finally learned they were from that region of the world but were not the true species that grows tall and beautiful. Still, at least in Miami, they were called "Canary Island Date Palm". These consistently produced suckers, and fruit. Constantly. I once hired two guys to try to clean them up and they cut down an area over three feet wide filled with suckers that had grown to over 10 feet tall leaving a single plant in the center. Within a year most of the ones we had removed regrew! And they did so at great personal pain. The plant in the middle got even taller. From 1998 to 2001 I had to pay a crew almost annually to clean out all the new suckers. And they had horrible stickers on the base of the plant and if you bumped into a frond it hurt! Most of the time they would use chain saws to keep from having their arms ripped up. I'm still trying to find the scientific name of that plant! But when I bought it, it was sold by a large Miami tree company as a form of the "Canary Island Date Palm". And I hated the things! I visited Miami 3 weeks ago, drove down to our old house, and the trees now have a ton of suckers that are ever widening. The species everyone associates with the name Canary Island Date Palm is Phoenix canariensis but there are over 20 species of Phoenix listed on TROPICOS. Mine was obviously something else. Phoenix reclinata is a clumping form but I do not know for certain mine were that species. But mine did fit the general description that started this thread. And I'd bet more than one plant of that genus is sold in Phoenix AZ since they grow well in drier climates. Mine never produced really delicious fruit and I was told that was due to the high rain fall and humidity in Miami. And yep, a photo would be helpful.
That one certainly could have been what I was growing in Miami. Still, we have no idea what this person is growing in Phoenix.
Well, from what i know, phoenix is zone 9-10. As far as I know all phoenix will grow there temprature wise. The only thing is is that it is very dry there, and all species of roebellenii ( once again to my knowlage), are from S china and surrounding areas, which is more humid. Edible date palms, rupicola, canari island date palm, and senegal date will tolerate the dry weather. That only leaved the suckering. To my knowlage, edible dates dont sucker, and neither do the Canary island date palms. Rupicola, i think does ( someone may needto correct me) and i know that the senegal dates do. The only other thing is that is isnt a Phoenix palm at all. So what kind of suckering pinnate palms will grow as vigorous as the one jekago in phoenix?
"To my knowlage, edible dates dont sucker" They DO sucker and that's how growers get new plants to keep the varieties pure. Cheers, LPN.
