Why Do Windmill Palms Flower?

Description

• The windmill palm has a single, slender trunk and reaches heights of 20 to 40 feet. Mats of brownish gray fiber cover the trunk, sometimes falling away to reveal the smooth bark underneath. The foliage grows in the typical palm fashion, with a single stem holding bright-green sword-shaped leaves. Large clusters of yellow flowers appear in summer. These can develop into seeds, for producing new trees. It is a useful tree as a specimen plant or in formal gardens.

Care

• The windmill palm is one of the most cold-hardy palms available. It can even withstand some exposure to freezing temperatures. It grows best in partial shade and prefers well-drained, fertile soil. Keep it well watered, although it will tolerate some drought if not prolonged. Salt tolerant, it can be planted near the shore. Fertilize with plant food formulated for palm trees. The windmill is generally disease and pest free.

Flowers

• Windmill palm is dioecious, meaning that there are male and female trees. Both will produce an abundance of small yellow flowers on a long-branched stalk called an inflorescence. The flowers hang down in large clusters throughout the summer. Flowers are how plants develop seeds and are the reproductive organs of the tree. The flowers of the windmill palm do not attract birds or wildlife. It is not a messy tree, and dropped flowers will not require excessive raking or cleanup.

Fruit

• If a male tree is in the vicinity, the female tree will develop blue, round fruit after flowering. You can leave this on the tree until it dries, then harvest for seeds. Plant these where you would like a new palm tree. If you are not interested in harvesting seeds from the flowers, you can cut the flower stems off once they turn brown. The fruit is not particularly attractive to birds or wildlife and is not edible for humans.