How Fast Will a Majesty Palm Grow Outside?

Types

• Visit a tropical plant nursery or houseplant section of a garden center in the U.S., and you'll likely encounter one of two majesty palm species. Ravenea rivularis is a water-loving, fast-growing palm that matures 40 to 60 feet tall. The long, 8-foot fronds twist 90-degrees midway up the frond, so the leaflets orient in a different direction. By contrast, R. glauca is slower growing, not as moisture requiring and matures up to 25 feet tall. Its fronds do not twist but remain long, flat and featherlike.

Growth Rates

• R. rivularis grows quickly as a young seedling, adding six to 10 new fronds during the growing season's heat. Specimens with a trunk add 6 to 12 inches at the trunk tip annually if not stressed by nutrient-poor soil, arid air, cold and dry soil. If you have an R. glauca, expect two to four new fronds a year from the plant's top. The trunk grows 4 to 6 inches a year in tropical conditions. Either of these majesty palm species displays 15 to 25 healthy, green fronds from the trunk top. Once a trunk of at least 5 feet develops, the growth rate in both species slows.

Increasing Growth

• Majesty palms grow faster when soil temperatures are above 75 degrees, and the air is humid and warm-to-hot. The nonalkaline soil must be moist with good drainage. Adding organic matter at planting time and mulching the soil keeps the soil fertile and rich in humus. Apply slow-release granular fertilizer in spring, summer and early fall. Using a nitrogen-rich formula with micronutrients prevents premature leaf yellowing. R. rivularis responds well to moist-to-wet soils, especially in hot weather. This increases leaf production and overall growth. R. glauca should never have wet, flooded soil. Cooler winter weather and weaker sun rays naturally slow growth, so do not fertilize and overwater in winter.

Growing Tips

• Plant majesty palms outdoors in partial sun to partial shade mimicking the dappled and shifting light in a forest setting. The plants adapt to hot, full sun only if soil is rich and always evenly moist. High humidity without drying winds increase growth and keep many lush, green fronds at the trunk top. The more leaves present, the more photosynthesis occurs and the more overall annual growth achieved.