What Are the Consequences of Planting Palm Trees Every 3 Feet?

Types

• Planting small, single-trunked palms every 3 feet in a row may not be problematic for at least 20 years after planting. For example, the buccaneer palm (Pseudophoenix sargentii) grows slowly, eventually maturing 25 feet tall with a trunk 12 inches wide. When young, a 3-foot spacing may be fine until roots interlock underground and shading occurs. Larger and faster-growing palms, such as Canary Island date (Phoenix canariensis), coconut (Cocos nucifera), queen (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Bismarck (Bismarckia nobilis), royal (Roystoeia regia) and foxtail palms (Wodyetia bifurcata) would crowd out each other within a few years at such close spacing.

Palm Clusters

• Palms with slender trunks, perhaps no greater than 4 to 6 inches at maturity, may be planted in clusters for an attractive effect. Often nurseries grow palms in tight clusters in the same container. However, planting three singular palms 3 feet apart in a triangular formation will also create a handsome silhouette as they grow. Stagger the plant heights so their leafy canopies do not shade each other out as they grow. If too much shade exists, the palms will grow outward from the clump in an attempt to receive more sunlight to sustain all the fronds.

Competition

• Ultimately, planting any palm in multiples that are spaced only 3 feet apart will lead to problems. Close spacing causes the long, slender roots to interlock and tangle, absorbing the same water and nutrients in the same area. More watering and fertilizing may be needed to keep the palms from yellowing or displaying stunted growth. High concentrations of palm roots in a small area can compromise the anchoring qualities of the roots, too. Roots push up to the soil surface. Palms, which are naturally wind-resistant, may not be able to withstand winds as well and crowded-root plants may topple or tear-up nearby palms if one tips over. Or, if winds are very strong, the mass of tangled roots may not allow the tall palm to sway and rock naturally, creating a harsh load on the trunk, causing it to snap off instead.

Insight

• Planting any palm every 3 feet ultimately will increase maintenance costs and concerns. A thicket of fronds, the need for more irrigation and fertilizer, and removing any palms to clean or thin-out the row of plants will be more laborious. If you invest money on numerous palms, plant them at distances more appropriate for the natural size of their canopies. This increases their beauty as they grow and avoids having to cut down palms later to provide space for fewer plants to continue to grow. If a dense screen or windbreak is needed, use a hardwood shrub that matures with a shorter and fuller habit rather than relying on palms.