queen problems and no good answers so far

[Phxguy]

Brand new to this site and hoping someone has the answers for me here.  I live in Phoenix and even though I know this is rough country on the queen palm....I love them!  We moved into our new house and had 8 (young) queens put in our backyard as the focal point of our yard.  Last year at this time they were planted and even though they were only about 6-7' tall...they were green and looked great.  Fast forward to today and they look terrible.  They are all brown and dead looking.  They do have new green growth coming up but even before the new growth is fully developed....the end start turning brown.  I realize our soil sucks out here and the PH level is always too high.  I have attempted to lower PH with muriatic acid and water, I have fertilized them with palm tree fertilizer and they just don't seem to be getting better.  They were planted with sand at the bottom for drainage.   Is it imposable to have healthy queen palms out in AZ?  There has to be a way.  Any help would be greatly appreciated

[Chris Chance]

Welcome to the site!

I used to live in Las Vegas and in my opinion queens never really look good in the dry desert. There want a lot of water and don't like the high heat in the summer. If you could post some pictures it would help identify what the problem is. Also I would recommend getting your hands on a mule palm. It's a Queen and Butia hybrid and I bet it would handle the extremes out there much better.

[DoomsDave]

Garrett!

Welcome to Palm Talk.

As Chris suggested, you might want to consider alternatives to queen palms. I love them too, but they're not the only thing. . . .

There are many here from the desert who can suggest some wonderful alternatives, in the event you need them.

 

[Phxguy]

Thank you guys for responding.  I would love to post a couple of pictures and will as soon as I figure out how to make them small enough to be accepted.  I had never heard of the mule palm before but looked it up after reading your reply Chris.  Your right...that would still give me the look I enjoy.  Not sure why I have never ran across them in any of our local nurseries.  Those will be a good option if I end up replacing any of my queens.  Got a lot of money tied up in them and want to try everything I can to keep them around.   I actually hate the desert and try to surround my house with as much "tropical" as I can but the summers out here are brutal.

[aztropic]

LOTS of water and fertilizer to keep the queens looking good.Not worth it IMO. I would bite the bullet and switch them out for mule palms.These look great year round with a lot less maintenance.Check whitfills.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[DoomsDave]

41 minutes ago, Phxguy said:

Thank you guys for responding.  I would love to post a couple of pictures and will as soon as I figure out how to make them small enough to be accepted.  I had never heard of the mule palm before but looked it up after reading your reply Chris.  Your right...that would still give me the look I enjoy.  Not sure why I have never ran across them in any of our local nurseries.  Those will be a good option if I end up replacing any of my queens.  Got a lot of money tied up in them and want to try everything I can to keep them around.   I actually hate the desert and try to surround my house with as much "tropical" as I can but the summers out here are brutal.

Nurseries are quite conservative, understandably.

There's a lot of good stuff ordinary nurseries and Home Depot et al won't have.

In addition to "mules" there's Buteas, Jubaea, their hybrids, plus Psuedophoenix sargentii, and even royals (though royals are huge water hawgs).

If you ever get to Orange County, California, shoot me a PM and I can show my garden.

A lot of cool palms will thrive in the hot desert.

 

[Chris Chance]

I actually have seen Mules on ebay fairly cheap.They grow super fast so starting from a seedling it can get some size in a few years. Another recommendation is Bismarckia since they love the heat and look super cool. I know what you mean about getting away from the desert. When I lived in Vegas it seemed like everyone's yard was desert too. If you want to turn your yard into a tropical oasis this is the right place for ideas. 

[Phxguy]

Thanks for all the great advice guys.  I am going for Hawaii in my backyard.  I will check on all these trees you guys have talked about. I am still working on being able to post some pics of my queens for u too look at.  If you hear of any amazing palm tree medicine please let me know   I will tell you that I haven't found anyone out here who sells a lot of tropical plants.  I have tried to order one or two on line but they said that they are not allowed to ship to Arizona. Some  agricultural law they claim

[Mandrew968]

I never had any queen problems that a chainsaw couldn't fix.

[Chris Chance]

Some places can't ship palms to certain states without certification. On ebay for example some will say on the page somewhere they don't allow and others do. Mules and others will give you the look you'er going for. You really have to make sure you plant some things that are hardy enough for the area or they will never look good. You can also try Cana lilies, bananas, and succulents to add color. For your picture issue you need to resize the picture. On my phone I use and app called Photo and Picture resizer and it works great.  

[aztropic]

43 minutes ago, Phxguy said:

Thanks for all the great advice guys.  I am going for Hawaii in my backyard.

If you're going for a more tropical landscape,the first thing you will have to do is block the afternoon summer sun.Plant on the east side of a house or plant some fast growing trees on the western edge of your property to block the sun.Only the toughest palms will survive all day summer sun in Phoenix,Arizona.

Maybe you can better describe the area you are looking to plant in for suggestions of what will survive.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[sonoranfans]

5 hours ago, aztropic said:

LOTS of water and fertilizer to keep the queens looking good.Not worth it IMO. I would bite the bullet and switch them out for mule palms.These look great year round with a lot less maintenance.Check whitfills.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

As a second(former) grower of palms for 10 years in arizona I second AZtropic.  I had some nice 18- 30' queens in AZ, have to plant them in bunches for wind, sun, and dry out protection.  You have to add sulfur to your soil to help turn the PH neutral cant adjust it with muriatic acid.  Muriatic acid you risk localized very low pH and if that touches roots there will be root burn..  Changing th epH of the sloil is best done gradually with sulfur pellets.  Sulfur takes longer but its a time release effect and its consistent.  Sulfur pellets degrade in the presence of microbes tha convert it into sulfuric acid in tiny amounts, but gradually.  It will take a lot of time for the soil pH to be converted down in the soil, a fast acid treatment will never do that.  Second you should add humic acid to soils or alternately heavily ammend with organic material(25%).  Next you will need to add Mg and Mn to your soil every growing season.  They were a real pain and water and fertilizer pigs, I dont recommend them in the desert.   Best idea for shade is to replace them with mules, but group them as well as doubles or triples..  A little shade goes a long way in the desert when the heat hits 110F+.  I am assuming you are using drip irrigation and 2gph drippers, 3 per plant and watering at least 3 hrs 2x a week in the heat.  In the desert it is wise to select plants that can be happy in your yard, the queen palm is one of the worst choices that will survive there.  Most of them look ratty from poor soil, not enough fertilizer and water.  But I grew nice ones doing all the things I said above.  I would never do that again myself knowing what I know now.

[Silas_Sancona]

Agree with both Sonoranfans and Aztropic.. Queens are not a choice palm worth growing here. Just way too much hassle. Often discuss better options with customers looking at purchasing Queens at work. Haven't yet seen a nice looking specimen around town, even in better cared for commercial landscapes. 

Second Aztropic's recommendation for Mules for an easier to find alternative to start. As far as purchasing from out of state, unless something has changed recently, there should be some great sellers in Florida who can ship here.. Other terrific places are a weekend trip over the hill in and around San Diego. 

If you're on the east side of town, stop by Treeland and look over the palms in their display around their pond for other ideas. Some of the more common species, like others have mentioned, may be easier to find.. while the good stuff,.. I'll let those far more experienced with growing palms/ pushing what might be possible to grow here in town discuss, are worth locating if something catches your interest. I will say that Bismarcks seem to be gaining a lot of attention lately around town.

On a quick side note, am curious why no one seems to be growing Sabal uresana locally, thoughts?  Been looking for a couple smaller ones for the yard.

Edited April 8, 2017 by Silas_Sancona

[Steve Mac]

I don't think that you will ever get any good answers to grow queens there matey.

I have found that 'pushing the envelope' was very expensive, time consuming and ultimately unsatisfying.

Working against nature is usually back-breaking and heart-breaking.

It doesn't matter how much you love those suckers, they will never look good and love you back.

But, you already knew all of this didn't you?.

We have been to Phoenix, it is a wonderful place, but you have to be real tough to live there - happily.  

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Brahea armata and Bismarckia would be at home in phoenix.

[Phxguy]

Wow!!!  This site is great and thank you all for your responses and help.  I had queens at my last house and even tho they were a pain to maintain....they did ok.  This house is in a complete different part of phoenix and I worry that the soil here is even worse.  Thank you Tom for all the great advise and schooling on rectifying soil conditions.   As you all have said....I think I should have gone with the mules.   I have a courtyard that gets limited sun and thats where I have been planting my bananas and tropical birds.  Even have a couple of Plumeria which are all doing well.  But the backyard is a different story.  Changing out all my Queens at once will be an expensive task but what I think I'll do is take one or two which look worst of all and change them out.   I am going to check some of the other nurseries mentioned  and see what they have.  You guys have thrown a lot of options my way and I appreciate it.  I am going to look into every one.  

[DoomsDave]

23 hours ago, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

Brahea armata and Bismarckia would be at home in phoenix.

oh yeah

 

[DoomsDave]

11 hours ago, Phxguy said:

Wow!!!  This site is great and thank you all for your responses and help.  I had queens at my last house and even tho they were a pain to maintain....they did ok.  This house is in a complete different part of phoenix and I worry that the soil here is even worse.  Thank you Tom for all the great advise and schooling on rectifying soil conditions.   As you all have said....I think I should have gone with the mules.   I have a courtyard that gets limited sun and thats where I have been planting my bananas and tropical birds.  Even have a couple of Plumeria which are all doing well.  But the backyard is a different story.  Changing out all my Queens at once will be an expensive task but what I think I'll do is take one or two which look worst of all and change them out.   I am going to check some of the other nurseries mentioned  and see what they have.  You guys have thrown a lot of options my way and I appreciate it.  I am going to look into every one.  

OUCH'!

Don't think for a New York Nanosecond that you can't have great palms in Phoenix

 

[Tom in Tucson]

Having grown palms in Arizona for years, I would suggest that you start with the easy ones first. Since the Sonoran Desert is one of the hottest places on earth, start with palms native to the desert. After you master their cultivation, then start "pushing the envelope" - growing queen palms (and many others) would be such examples.

Here's a list of palms for the Phoenix area starting with the easiest first, and progressing towards the hardest (but possible) towards the last (except for the 'mules'):

Washingtonia filifera

Washingtonia robusta

Washingtonia robusta x filifera

Brahea armata

Brahea clara

Brahea calcarea (nitida)

Brahea brandegeei

Brahea aculeata

Phoenix dactylifera

Phoenix canariensis

Phoenix roebelenii

Phoenix theophrasti

Chamaerops humilis var. argentea (var. cerifera)

Chamaerops humilis var. humilis

Trithrinax campestris

Trithrinax acanthocoma

Trithrinax schizophylla

Sabal uresana

Sabal rosei

Sabal mexicana

Sabal 'Riverside'

Sabal palmetto

Sabal minor

Sabal minor 'Tamaulipas'

Livistona mariae

Livistona rigida

Livistona carinensis

Livistona alfredii

Livistona lorophylla

Livistona victoriae

Livistona inermis

Bismarckia nobilis

Medemia argun

Copernicia cerifera

Copernicia prunifera

Rhapis species

Roystonea species

Jubaeopsis caffra

Arenga engleri

Pseudophoenix ekmanii

Pseudophoenix sargentii

Pseudophoenix vinifera

Acrocomia totai

Acrocomia aculeata

Acrocomia crispa

Hyphaene coriacea

Hyphaene petersiana

Ravenea xerophila

Ravenea glauca

Butia odorata (capitata)

Butia yatay

Butia eriospatha

Parajubaea sunkha

Parajubaea torallyi

Beccariophoenix alfredii

And many "mule" palms (just a few of the best):

Butia (mutt) x Syagrus romanzoffianum

Butia (mutt) x Parajubaea cocoides

Butia (mutt) x Parajubaea sunkha

Butia (mutt) x Jubaea

Jubaea x Syagrus romanzoffianum

Jubaea x Butia

Tom Birt - Casas Adobes, AZ

Hi 79°, Lo 52°

[Tom in Tucson]

Although I tried, I failed to list all of the species in descending order of difficulty. 

Another species I'm sure would be easy is:

Nannorrhops ritchiana

As well as some:

Chamaedorea species

Coccothrinax species

Hemithrinax species

and additional Copernicia and Brahea species.

I hope this helps, and I'm sorry for any confusion that may have resulted. It's always great to see another desert grower who's willing to stand the struggle of cultivation in a brutal climate. Good luck to you, and welcome to PalmTalk!

 

[DoomsDave]

7 hours ago, Tom in Tucson said:

Having grown palms in Arizona for years, I would suggest that you start with the easy ones first. Since the Sonoran Desert is one of the hottest places on earth, start with palms native to the desert. After you master their cultivation, then start "pushing the envelope" - growing queen palms (and many others) would be such examples.

Here's a list of palms for the Phoenix area starting with the easiest first, and progressing towards the hardest (but possible) towards the last (except for the 'mules'):

Washingtonia filifera

Washingtonia robusta

Washingtonia robusta x filifera

Brahea armata

Brahea clara

Brahea calcarea (nitida)

Brahea brandegeei

Brahea aculeata

Phoenix dactylifera

Phoenix canariensis

Phoenix roebelenii

Phoenix theophrasti

Chamaerops humilis var. argentea (var. cerifera)

Chamaerops humilis var. humilis

Trithrinax campestris

Trithrinax acanthocoma

Trithrinax schizophylla

Sabal uresana

Sabal rosei

Sabal mexicana

Sabal 'Riverside'

Sabal palmetto

Sabal minor

Sabal minor 'Tamaulipas'

Livistona mariae

Livistona rigida

Livistona carinensis

Livistona alfredii

Livistona lorophylla

Livistona victoriae

Livistona inermis

Bismarckia nobilis

Medemia argun

Copernicia cerifera

Copernicia prunifera

Rhapis species

Roystonea species

Jubaeopsis caffra

Arenga engleri

Pseudophoenix ekmanii

Pseudophoenix sargentii

Pseudophoenix vinifera

Acrocomia totai

Acrocomia aculeata

Acrocomia crispa

Hyphaene coriacea

Hyphaene petersiana

Ravenea xerophila

Ravenea glauca

Butia odorata (capitata)

Butia yatay

Butia eriospatha

Parajubaea sunkha

Parajubaea torallyi

Beccariophoenix alfredii

And many "mule" palms (just a few of the best):

Butia (mutt) x Syagrus romanzoffianum

Butia (mutt) x Parajubaea cocoides

Butia (mutt) x Parajubaea sunkha

Butia (mutt) x Jubaea

Jubaea x Syagrus romanzoffianum

Jubaea x Butia

Tom Birt - Casas Adobes, AZ

Hi 79°, Lo 52°

Don't Jubaeas grow in Phoenix too?

[Tom in Tucson]

19 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

Don't Jubaeas grow in Phoenix too?

I've only heard of rumors of their cultivation at the Phoenix zoo. I saw a couple years ago at a church in north Phoenix (Sunny slope). I have the impression that the heat is too excessive for any robust growth to occur. That's why it wasn't included. I grow one here, but it's "glacial" (before global warming). There is one on the UofA campus, but it's under a pine tree and it could look better. On the other hand, I do heartily recommend Jubaea x Syagrus (Queen), and other Jubaea hybrids.

Thanks for asking! 

[DoomsDave]

27 minutes ago, Tom in Tucson said:

I've only heard of rumors of their cultivation at the Phoenix zoo. I saw a couple years ago at a church in north Phoenix (Sunny slope). I have the impression that the heat is too excessive for any robust growth to occur. That's why it wasn't included. I grow one here, but it's "glacial" (before global warming). There is one on the UofA campus, but it's under a pine tree and it could look better. On the other hand, I do heartily recommend Jubaea x Syagrus (Queen), and other Jubaea hybrids.

Thanks for asking! 

Thanks for the advise.

I assumed they'd do well there given their desert habitat.

[aztropic]

I've tried a few 15 gallon size ,1 at a time,and they always seem to die in August - when we have 110 F plus everyday with monsoonal humidity.From seed,I've had them last several years,but every August,a few will die.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Phxguy]

I have been on other forums before (unrelated subjects) and never have I had such a huge outpour of help, advise and information.  Thank you so much to everyone.   I have checked with Whitfill (thank you Az Tropic)nursery for Mule Palms (since everyone seems to agree on that) and they have lots.  So this weekend I plan on becoming the proud owner of at least one to replace a queen.  The nice women at Whitfill said they are very slow growers.  Does anyone know if that is accurate ?   All my Queens are young and small so I will probably get one of there smaller ones.  Apparently there isn't much middle ground there.  They apparently go from a small $200 tree to the next size which is $1000+.  I am very much looking forward to planting one in my yard.   Thank you Tom for that list of other plants to look into.  Rest assured my wife and I will be checking out every one.   I agree with all of you......I bit off more then I can chew with these Queens but I just love the looks of them.

Your right gtsteve.....you have to be a special species (human or otherwise) to survive out here.  Winters are the best but you pay for it in the summer for sure.  As soon as my wife and I retire......we will buy a shack in Hawaii where growing tropical plants and trees is not a fight at all.

Again thank you to everyone who has responded and lent a hand with my issue.  I never had so much area to plant what I wanted and to make my little tropical oasis before.  I tend to get a little excited and go overboard without doing my proper amount of homework.  Its great to know this site is here loaded with people willing to lend a hand

[Chris Chance]

10 hours ago, Phxguy said:

I have been on other forums before (unrelated subjects) and never have I had such a huge outpour of help, advise and information.  Thank you so much to everyone.   I have checked with Whitfill (thank you Az Tropic)nursery for Mule Palms (since everyone seems to agree on that) and they have lots.  So this weekend I plan on becoming the proud owner of at least one to replace a queen.  The nice women at Whitfill said they are very slow growers.  Does anyone know if that is accurate ?   All my Queens are young and small so I will probably get one of there smaller ones.  Apparently there isn't much middle ground there.  They apparently go from a small $200 tree to the next size which is $1000+.  I am very much looking forward to planting one in my yard.   Thank you Tom for that list of other plants to look into.  Rest assured my wife and I will be checking out every one.   I agree with all of you......I bit off more then I can chew with these Queens but I just love the looks of them.

I think Mules grow fast! I planted a seedling about a year and a half ago and looks completely different. I think you will be happy to get some planted and also getting some mulch laid down will help keep soil moist. 

[Palm Tree Jim]

On 4/7/2017, 2:13:45, Mandrew968 said:

I never had any queen problems that a chainsaw couldn't fix.

So true......

[Palm Tree Jim]

Lots of great advice.....take your time and plan your plantings well.

You will not regret it!

[Sandy Loam]

Tom-in-Tucson, I see that parajubaea sunka and parajubaea torallyi (faster) received a fairly low rank on your ordered list of desert palms, but they did make it on.  A Bismarckia Nobilis or Phoenix Canariensis would make a nicer centerpiece/focal point around a pool anyway, but those parajubaeas do look very "tropical" if that is the ultimate goal.  

PHXGUY, I can't believe how expensive queen palms (syagrus romanzoffiana) are out there!  Here, they are a dime a dozen.  At your standard chain garden centres here in Florida, you'd pay $12.99 for a small queen palm, $39.99 for a small-to-medium-sized one, and the larger ones range from about $69.99 to $99.99 at those same 'big box" stores, which shall remain nameless. I have found that I don't gain a whole lot of time by purchasing the $40 size because the $12.99 size grows so quickly that it will catch up in a few years anyway. 

Personally, I LOVE the desert in southwestern Arizona and southern California, but perhaps that's because I don't live there.  If I lived there, my place would be full of all kinds of amazing cacti, senecio 'blue chalksticks', various yucca trees, colourful phormium hybrids, flapjack plants, dracaena draco, Aloe Hercules trees, euphorbia tirucalli 'firesticks' trees, year-round blooming oleander, yellow barrel cacti, bougainvillea, kniphofia, more colourful succulents, and that's just a start. Some of the plants I've just listed will not grow out here in our humidity, and some may be better suited to a coastal SoCal desert than the Phoenix desert.  Nonetheless, I would not try growing anything that won't look good year round.  Someone mentioned canna lilies and banana trees.  Those look awful here in winter once our first December cold snap hits, although they do remain lush year round in the south of this state (Miami and points south of there).  I don't know how they would look in winter in Phoenix, but I suspect that your banana leaves would begin wilting in December or January.  Mine don't spring back into green leaves until late March or early April.              

[Silas_Sancona]

2 hours ago, Sandy Loam said:

Tom-in-Tucson, I see that parajubaea sunka and parajubaea torallyi (faster) received a fairly low rank on your ordered list of desert palms, but they did make it on.  A Bismarckia Nobilis or Phoenix Canariensis would make a nicer centerpiece/focal point around a pool anyway, but those parajubaeas do look very "tropical" if that is the ultimate goal.  

PHXGUY, I can't believe how expensive queen palms (syagrus romanzoffiana) are out there!  Here, they are a dime a dozen.  At your standard chain garden centres here in Florida, you'd pay $12.99 for a small queen palm, $39.99 for a small-to-medium-sized one, and the larger ones range from about $69.99 to $99.99 at those same 'big box" stores, which shall remain nameless. I have found that I don't gain a whole lot of time by purchasing the $40 size because the $12.99 size grows so quickly that it will catch up in a few years anyway. 

Personally, I LOVE the desert in southwestern Arizona and southern California, but perhaps that's because I don't live there.  If I lived there, my place would be full of all kinds of amazing cacti, senecio 'blue chalksticks', various yucca trees, colourful phormium hybrids, flapjack plants, dracaena draco, Aloe Hercules trees, euphorbia tirucalli 'firesticks' trees, year-round blooming oleander, yellow barrel cacti, bougainvillea, kniphofia, more colourful succulents, and that's just a start. Some of the plants I've just listed will not grow out here in our humidity, and some may be better suited to a coastal SoCal desert than the Phoenix desert.  Nonetheless, I would not try growing anything that won't look good year round.  Someone mentioned canna lilies and banana trees.  Those look awful here in winter once our first December cold snap hits, although they do remain lush year round in the south of this state (Miami and points south of there).  I don't know how they would look in winter in Phoenix, but I suspect that your banana leaves would begin wilting in December or January.  Mine don't spring back into green leaves until late March or early April.              

Your list of plants is pretty spot on regarding what is possible here in Phoenix, and .. despite what the nay-sayers might think, many tropicals can succeed here as well.  

Many people forget that the Sonoran Desert is in fact a semi tropical desert.. of tropical origins.  While both Canna lilies and Bananas  look kinda rough after a typical winter, there are many fruiting Bananas here.. a neighbor's Canna never really stopped growing through the winter.. and they're in pretty much full sun, most of the year. Sweet Potato goes nuts here in summer, even if planted in full sun ( seems to be a popular commercial landscape plant around  my side of Chandler) Can still look relatively decent during a mild winter.

Add to that a somewhat surprising list of tropical fruits people can succeed with in the valley, particularly the warmer, more in- town locales, with summer shade for at least the first few years.. and the extreme diversity of plants both Arizona native., and from just south/ east of the border, and you have some really interesting choices, though you may have to search for the less than usual options. 

Arizona ..and parts of New Mexico, sit at the boundary of where northern, temperate flora reach their southern limits.. and where neo tropical plants reach their northern limit. In some parts of the state, one can still see vestiges of plants from the late Wisconsin period, along side plants from a more tropical period of time.

In a corner of the Sierra Madre, a couple hours south of roughly Wilcox, you may sight Bald Eagles nesting near Military Macaw in Pines that sit on Ridgetops above Rock Figs along some really spectacular stretches of barely touched rivers..  and the Madrean Sky Islands ( that mountains here, and in Northwestern Mexico) offer up some of the most incredible places to camp and explore in the west, maybe the entire lower U.S. Researchers continue discovering an array of new plants/ critters in these ranges.

True that many leaf type succulents struggle here in the summer, especially stuff that originates in higher elevations of the Sierra Madre/ Occidental... which is where southern California wins out. Several South African and Australian plants also prefer the more moderated climate of the coast over our summer scorchers. Regardless,  Phoenix isn't all dust, rocks, and Cacti.. ( a fair amount of the dust storms here can be traced to human causes) and our Monsoons.. part of what defines our subtropical climate, are stunning, especially in the good years. While decent here, Tucson, and areas further south are prime places to really enjoy the season in the summer. If only an arm of the Gulf of CA  had extended further north and east of where it sits now, we'd have pretty much everything to offer. Even so, one can experience Tropical fishing in the summer at Rocky Point, Mexico, to Tundra ( atop Humphrey in Flagstaff/ possibly the top of Mt. Graham) in less than 14 hours.. 

 

 

 

 

[Tom in Tucson]

7 hours ago, Sandy Loam said:

Tom-in-Tucson, I see that parajubaea sunka and parajubaea torallyi (faster) received a fairly low rank on your ordered list of desert palms, but they did make it on.  A Bismarckia Nobilis or Phoenix Canariensis would make a nicer centerpiece/focal point around a pool anyway, but those parajubaeas do look very "tropical" if that is the ultimate goal.  

 

Butia paraguayensis and Butia mutt hybrids with Parajubaea do great, but Parajubaea species can be tricky to establish here. BTW, it just so happens I am growing CIDP and Bismarckia near my pool, but the Phoenix spines do tend to be a real "pain in the ass" to contend with. I don't recommend planting them too close to any place people or animals can get stuck by them. Another great palm for pool areas is Beccariophoenix alfredii. It is the closest look-a-like to a coconut palm you can grow in most of the Sonoran desert of Arizona.

Tom Birt - Casas Adobes, AZ

Hi 94°, Lo 51°

[DoomsDave]

I'll never forget my first trip to Arizona in March of 1985. I was headed for California, but gave a thought to staying in AZ instead.

Compared to the east the landscape is scary-varied.

In mid-March I drove from Phoenix, where it was about 90 F, to "Flag" about 120 miles away. Higher and higher you drive, and the cactus gives way to scrub, then pines, with rock formations all over. Rounded a bend and there was Flagstaff, at the base of this tall mountain with a miles-long plume of snow blowing off its top in the wind.

Almost like a drive from the Sahara to Russia, in a shorter drive than Cleveland to Pittsburgh.

[Phxguy]

Your right Sandy....tropical plants of any kind are pretty expensive out here.  They get really expensive when they burn up in the summer time.   It has been a process (an expensive one) learning by trial and error what works.  This site has already helped me a ton.  Arizona is a great place to live no doubt.  I am just not a big fan of desert plant life.  I enjoy big green  broad leaf failage and that doesn't do well out here.   I have some giant birds of paradise in my courtyard that grow great but some of the leaves hang out of the shade.  You can tell exactly where the sun hits them because it's fried come summer time.   Last year we had a jump in temp at the beginning of summer.   One day it was 90 and the next it hit 118.  It wiped out a lot of my tropical's.   it actually wiped out a lot.  Even my fycus tree got burned and all the leaves fell off.   

I do love our monsoons .....they can be spectacular!!!   Unfortunately I work on power lines for a living and I seldom get to sit back and enjoy them.  As soon as they roll in my phone starts ringing and it's usually non  stop for 3 months .    Anyone who works outside all year long knows that dry heat or not.....110-122 is HOT.    But I'll take our winters any day.

We were in Northern California about a month ago trying to help restore power there after all the rains.   I get jealous seeing all the plants that grow out there effortlessly.  It's beautiful really

 

[TropicalInTheDesert]

If you are looking for that tropical/Hawaiian look here in the desert of Arizona you just need to choose the correct palms that do well in the heat, cold and especially in the alkaline/salty soil. Queen palms ARE NOT IT! Queens look good the first few years after planting then they decline from there due to the roots moving out into the salt zone in the soil. Most irrigation especially drip will cause a salt build up a few feet away from the trunk and when the roots grow out that far the tree will start to exhibit a burned appearance.  I've corrected this issue with muriatic acid/water/nutes but the wind still damages the heart frond.  I keep it in the yard as a backdrop. The trunks are still beautiful but the canopy isn't and I keep it hidden by other palms that thrive here.  Palms that do the best are Canary Island palms. They are NOT maintenance free but if you do the work they are spectacular.  California Fans, Desert Date Palms, Mediterranean Fans, Sabal palms, pigmy dates, bottle palms, blue latins and bismark all do very well but need some tending. I use citrus for the tropical green foliage as it LOVES the desert and has few pests to deal with. For color I use annuals in the winter and spring then move on to Lantana and desert marigold. Desert marigold will bloom all year year after year and needs no fertilizer and little water. Fake grass is the best way to go as you can use the water a lawn would use for your palms. I don't use drip ever due to the salts they leave behind.  A good size basin under the tree and flooding that basin well once a week in the summer and once a month in the winter works best. The muriatic acid treatments work great on jelly palms, Mediterranean fans and bismarks. One treatment helped my stunted med fan take off for the rest of the year.  You can create any look you want in this desert if you choose your trees and plants wisely. After your canopy has grown in you can plant topicals under it like small bird of paradise and hibiscus. Even plumeria or firangi pangi grow under the shade of the canopy. Banana trees do surprisingly well here but don't provide edible fruit.  I'd love to show you a photo of my yard but of course the "insert image from URL" doesn't work.  Here is a link to a photo of my front yard.  Hard to believe it's in Arizona and not Florida or Hawaii.   https://1drv.ms/u/s!AmmwtLZ-kdRUjkxg3QFH2IS15_cu