How to Trim Elephant Palms

With fanlike leaves that can reach 6 feet wide, elephant palms make an impressive plant. If you have the space, elephant palms (Kerriodoxa elegans) make ideal houseplants. They can also can be grown outdoors in areas where winter temperatures stay above freezing. Also known as white elephant palm, these plants prefer filtered light, warm conditions and well-drained soil. Elephant palms require little maintenance, but occasionally trimming away dead leaves will improve your plant's appearance.

Bypass cutters, pruning shears or garden scissors
Fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Observe your elephant palm. Look for any leaves that have turned brown or yellow. Also look for leaves that have broken along the stem. These are the leaves you'll want to trim away.
- 2
  Cut the dying or broken leaves you've found with your scissors, cutters or shears. Make your cut so you leave the entire leaf base -- the point where the leaf attaches to the trunk. Leave 3 to 4 inches of leaf stem if you have any doubt as to where the leaf base is.
- 3
  Continue trimming away the dying or damaged leaves. The brown or yellow leaves should all be on the lower part of the plant. If you have several dying leaves in the upper leaves, your palm may have an insect or nutritional problem.
- 4
  Feed your elephant palm with a fertilizer specifically intended for palm trees. If you have trouble finding this type of fertilizer, look for a balanced fertilizer that contains manganese, magnesium and sulfur.

What Kind of Moss Do You Use to Plant a Staghorn Fern?

How to Grow Variegated Ficus

Plant Basics