Bending Palm Trunks

[Ken Johnson]

Its easy to make your palm trunks bend. Just plant them the direction you want the lean to be in and wait. One thing to mention though...If you do this it will cause physical problems for the palms future in terms of it being able to "stand up". After many years the weight of the head will cause the trunk to bend even more (because the palm is not "designed" to hold up the head unless it is straight) causing some interesting phenomenon like spiraling trunks on the ground.

[sur4z]

Like this..

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

That looks great. I've seen tilted phoenix palms too, the most famous one is at the LA arboretum, it was used for all sorts of movie backdrops. Tarzan in the 1950's, (back then washingtonia passed for "exotic") and then if you can remember "da plane, da plane!!!". (http://www.movielocationsplus.com/arbor.htm).

Some think the place is haunted, see http://www.hauntin.gs/Los-Angeles-County-Arboretum-and-Botanic-Gardens_Arcadia_California_United-States_1342.

[colin Peters]

Pair of cocos. Kahala, by diamond head Oahu

[colin Peters]

another shot

[coolricksfromtijuana]

Or like this one:

[turfpro01]

hmm I wonder if I could get a Washington to do a complete loop.. Ill come back in 10 years and post a pic.

[ErikSJI]

Ken do you keep replanting yours to get multiple curves? Not on subject but here is a kinky coconut I snapped a shot of on Molokai HI

[QUINNPALMS]

Kool topic!

I have a half a dozen or so palms that I planted at angles, I like the natural curve look!

[Ken Johnson]

Ken do you keep replanting yours to get multiple curves? Not on subject but here is a kinky coconut I snapped a shot of on Molokai HI

Eric, because I have a facility where I can keep the palms out of the ground there is no need to dig them up to add another curve. Just hook 'em to the tractor and flip them. Yes I have dome that often!

[KennyRE317]

Ken do you keep replanting yours to get multiple curves? Not on subject but here is a kinky coconut I snapped a shot of on Molokai HI

Eric, because I have a facility where I can keep the palms out of the ground there is no need to dig them up to add another curve. Just hook 'em to the tractor and flip them. Yes I have dome that often!

What do you mean by hook them? Also how long do you leave them in one position before you rotate it?

I have a fairly young triple Archie and i'm trying to curve the plants so they spiral, just to see if i could. They're in a pot and i currently have them pulled out, away from the center and at a pretty good angle... Do you think this is enough or do you think I will have better results if I tilted the entire bucket at a 45 degree s and just keep rotation every year rather than staking?