Within the Phoenix space, queen palms are one of the vital widespread useless crops I see. They will survive right here, however most by no means look pretty much as good as they do in different climates. They battle via our scorching summers and infrequently turn into high-maintenance tasks. If you need a palm within the low desert, there are higher selections that deal with our warmth, wind, laborious water, and alkaline soil with fewer issues.
Key Takeaways
Queen palms usually fail in Arizona resulting from excessive warmth, alkaline soil, and laborious water, making them high-maintenance crops.
Widespread indicators of a struggling queen palm embrace yellow fronds, brown ideas, and frizzled high progress.
Take into account extra appropriate palms, such because the Mexican blue palm and Mediterranean fan palm, for a extra care-free expertise.
If you have already got a queen palm, give attention to correct watering, utilizing palm fertilizer, and managing warmth stress.
For shade, take into account planting desert-adapted timber as an alternative of palms to attain higher cooling and decreased upkeep.
Why skip queen palms in Arizona
Queen palms will not be desert-adapted. In our local weather, they generally battle with:
Excessive summer time warmth and really low humidity
Drying winds and mirrored warmth from partitions, rock mulch, and pavement
Alkaline soil that ties up vitamins
Onerous water and salt buildup that stress roots
Ongoing nutrient deficiencies (manganese is the large one, however potassium and others may also present up)
The result’s a palm that may look “off” many of the yr until you water and feed it constantly, and even then, it might by no means look nice. In case your queen palm seems worse each summer time, my submit on gardening in excessive warmth explains what helps most throughout a heatwave and what to keep away from.
What it seems like when a queen palm is failing
These are the pink flags owners normally discover:
Yellow, pale fronds that don’t totally inexperienced up after fertilizing
Brown ideas and crispy edges on in any other case inexperienced fronds
Skinny cover with fewer full, arching fronds than you anticipated
New progress that appears frizzled, stunted, or distorted (basic “frizzle high”)
Total scorched look by late summer time, even with irrigation
In extreme decline: all fronds brown, trunk could ooze, or the middle spear leaf could fail
If the latest heart progress is collapsing or pulling out simply, that may be a “name a professional” scenario.
Why Queen Palms Battle
Alkaline soil
Low desert soils are usually alkaline. When soil pH is excessive (alkaline), sure micronutrients turn into more durable for crops to soak up. Queen palms are particularly recognized for manganese deficiency, which exhibits up as frizzled, weak new progress.
Warmth and wind
Even if you water repeatedly, the mixture of intense solar, scorching nights, and wind can desiccate fronds. Queen palms do higher in protected, much less uncovered places, which many desert entrance yards will not be.
Onerous water and salts
Our irrigation water usually leaves salts behind. Over time, salt buildup can burn roots and make it more durable for the palm to take up water and vitamins. For this reason “simply water extra” doesn’t all the time repair the issue.
Excessive upkeep
Queen palms usually require extra frequent summer time irrigation and extra cautious fertilizing (together with micronutrients) than better-adapted palms. If you need low-maintenance landscaping, queen palms normally work in opposition to that purpose.
Higher palm selections for the low desert
If you need the palm look with fewer issues, begin with these:
Mexican blue palm (Brahea armata)Robust, desert-friendly, putting blue foliage.
Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis)Nice smaller palm for courtyards and round swimming pools, usually one of many best palms to maintain engaging.
Tip: Before you purchase, go searching your neighborhood for mature examples that look constantly good, not simply newly planted ones.
If what you really need is shade, skip palms altogether
A palm cover doesn’t cool a yard in addition to a shade tree. In case your purpose is out of doors consolation and decrease water use, take into account desert-adapted shade timber as an alternative:
Desert willow
Palo verde
Mesquite
Texas ebony
Desert ironwood (slower, glorious long-term tree)
You’ll normally get higher shade, higher cooling, and fewer long-term points. Within the low desert, just a little shade could make a giant distinction, and these concepts for the right way to create shade within the backyard work in every kind of yards.
Have already got a queen palm? Do that earlier than you hand over
If you’re making an attempt to maintain one wanting respectable:
Cease over-pruning. Solely take away totally useless fronds.
Water deeply and constantly in summer time. Keep away from frequent shallow watering. If you’re making an attempt to maintain an current queen palm wanting respectable, begin with the fundamentals in my information on the right way to water your backyard.
Use an actual palm fertilizer with micronutrients, not only a normal fertilizer.
Take frizzle high critically. Manganese deficiency is widespread and wishes the suitable correction.
Scale back mirrored warmth if doable (extra shade on the trunk space, much less rock proper on the base, add mulch the place it is sensible).
If the palm is quickly declining, take into account a soil check and seek the advice of a licensed arborist. Palms don’t bounce again shortly as soon as the rising level is broken.
Different “remorse crops” to skip within the low desert (and higher picks)
If you need crops that look good with much less water, fewer nutrient points, and fewer ongoing upkeep, listed below are just a few widespread selections that usually disappoint in our warmth and alkaline soils.
Male mulberry and male oliveWhy skip: In Phoenix, pollen-producing varieties are restricted resulting from allergy issues.Higher decide: Desert willow, palo verde, mesquite (for shade), or fruit timber like citrus, pomegranate, fig (for harvest). If you need a tree you’ll really get pleasure from dwelling with within the low desert, this listing of finest fruit timber for low desert Arizona is a good place to start out.
Gardenia, azalea, rhododendron (acid-loving shrubs)Why skip: Typically flip yellow and battle in alkaline soil until you always modify nutrient ranges.Higher decide: Texas sage, hopseed bush, jojoba
White birch, pin oak (acid-loving timber)Why skip: Widespread chlorosis and stress in alkaline desert soils, particularly in summer time warmth.Higher decide: Desert willow, palo verde, mesquite
Willow, cottonwood (riparian, high-water timber)Why skip: Excessive water demand, and so they decline quick if irrigation slips.Higher decide: Desert willow, palo verde, desert ironwood (slower however very powerful)
Eucalyptus (particularly close to patios, swimming pools, partitions, and sidewalks)Why skip: Messy litter, can have aggressive roots, and limb drop could be a security challenge.Higher decide: Texas ebony (evergreen), mesquite (filtered shade), palo verde
Photinia hedgesWhy skip: Typically look pale and pressured in alkaline soil, and turn into a repeat-fertilize cycle.Higher decide: Hopseed bush, Texas sage, feathery cassia
Ficus nitida hedges (Indian laurel fig)Why skip: Chilly snaps can burn it again, and laborious pruning can expose trunks to sunscald.Higher decide: Hopseed bush, Texas sage, jojoba
