Phoenix theophrastii (Cretan date palm)

[Laaz]

I have had these in the ground now for three years from 1 gal pots. The leaves reach over 6 ft now. Here some photos I took today. I notice what looked like deformed leaves on two of them. Upon further inspection they are producing suckers... Now I have to decide weather to keep them as singles, or let them grow with multiple heads...

[Dean W.]

Laaz,

Great pictures, I wonder how hard it would be to dig out the suckers?

Dean

[Laaz]

Hi Dean. The suckers are not coming from below the soil. They are coming out between the fronds...

[Dean W.]

Hello Laaz,

I guess, I was refering to the last picture. Multiple heads, that would be a wierd looking palm though, I have seen a picture of one before. Now, I understand what you mean about the "deformed leaves".

Dean

[Barrie]

Suckering is the natural habit for these palms, however some folks prefer to remove them and have a single trunk. Nice healthy palms there Laaz!

Cheers, Barrie

[lucky1]

Cool! Weird!
It'll be great to watch this, Laaz. Pls keep updating pics.

With the size of those needles, are we sure it isn't blood, ha ha

I recall reading about a frond deformity that "resembled a ladder, where tips stayed connected up the 'rungs'."
It was due to a mineral deficiency. Which one, can't remember.
Barb

[Wes North Van]

Nice palms.
This species is suppose to be one of the hardiest in the Phoenix genus.
I tried some seeds but they didn't germinate.

I wonder with some protection from winter rains and on the coldest nights if it would survive here. My coldest temp so far this year is -3.2C.

[Barrie]

Hey Wes ... I found them easy (P. theophrastii) to germinate but much more difficult to keep alive with our cold humid winters. I started with about 40 and today I have 4 remaining that have grown on to 2 gallon sized. I think I may have sold 3 others along the way. The growth spears pull and rot down in our winters, with the small exception here.

Cheers, Barrie.

[Wes North Van]

Even with overhead protection they won't survive?

[Barrie]

Wes ... these never see a drop of rain or a flake of snow all winter. Humidity alone seems to be the culprit. Perhaps a copper fungicide regiment would help, but as I stated earlier, for some unknown reason these few exampes are fine, at least for now.

Cheers, Barrie.

[DesertZone]

Laaz,
What zone are you in? Are those zone 8 palm?

[Laaz]

Aaron I'm in zone 9a, but they are hardy to zone 8a from what I'm told.

[DesertZone]

Cool, thanks for the info