What palms WILL NOT grow in the shade

[DoomsDave]

Howdy:

Ray in Tampa's thread about sun-palms in the shade begged this question.

Some palms won't grow in the shade at all. Bismarckia is one I can think of right off the top of my head.

By "grow in the shade" I mean grow well, reach full size in a reasonable time.

Bizzies in the shade just sit there. Gary Wood has a Bizzie that's been in the shade for years, and it's about 4 feet tall, no trunk. Its sibs in the full sun, planted at roughly the same time are now about thirty feet tall, and fruiting.

So, how about the rest of you?

[bgl]

I guess this comes down to whatever one's definition is of "will not grow". And "reasonable" time! Bismarckias will most definitely grow in shade. I have two that are planted in 100%, complete, shade. Much slower than the ones grown in full sun but they are most definitely growing, and they are also very healthy! But, probably also some difference between conditions here and in SoCal.

[bgl]

Pigafettas definitely won't grow in the shade. Maybe not a major issue in California, but then again, I assume this thread is worldwide?

[Kris]

I have seen this in coconuts tree,tall indian form growing in shade just sit there not growing for ages.

Even the supposed golden yellow form looks very pale yellowish-green.

Even royal palms tend to just sit there.

And most of my corypha's that iam testing in our home will be planted in shade to semi shade area,i will give you feed back on it..

Bismarkia & Phoenix,especially the cidp grow well in semi shade area.only thing i notice is that its putting out streached fronds..

More info later

love,

kris

[PalmGuyWC]

Butias will grow in part shade, but they don't like it. I had a rather large one growing in part shade and it was stretched out with petioles twice as long as a sun grown one. I hated to do it, but it was crowding out other palms, so I chopped it down. It was growing in an area where it could not have been moved without destroying other palms. Most of the cold hardy palms like full sun.

Dick

[Gileno Machado]

In My climate Butias hate shade and so do Pseudophoenix, Copernicia and Coccothrinax (this last genus will not die in shade but berely survives)...Australian Livistonas don't like heavy shade either...

[Davidl]

I don't know many that won't grow in shade but some just languish there. Phoenix palms seem to slow down in mostly shade and some others are Royals, Coccothrinax, Copernicia's to name a few.

[cfkingfish]

Copernicia is the first genus that comes to mind. The only exception is C. berteroana, it actually prefers more shade than sun. Pseudophoenix can easily get bud rot in the shade as well, Coccothrinax are alright but look much better in sun. Bottles and Spindles look much better and prefer sun as well.

[BS Man about Palms]

The Big Dypsis prestoniana and the like will grow in the shade, BUT I have seen at least a few that will have stretched petioles, that when the leaves finally open up fully , its too much weight and the petiole will bend to 90 degrees or break altogether.

[Jeff Searle]

I guess this comes down to whatever one's definition is of "will not grow". And "reasonable" time! Bismarckias will most definitely grow in shade. I have two that are planted in 100%, complete, shade. Much slower than the ones grown in full sun but they are most definitely growing, and they are also very healthy! But, probably also some difference between conditions here and in SoCal.

Bo,

Two Bismarckia's in 100% shade? Why? I'm sure it was a sunny place when first planted years ago.I would actually like to see a picture of them if you care to take it with a flash.

[bgl]

Jeff,

Excellent question! And what can I say - I like to experiment! And no, they have NEVER been in full sun. They are planted underneath a Tetraplasandra hawaiensis, which is a large canopy tree, and it was just as large, and providing just as much shade when I planted the two Bismarckias (from 7G pots in 1997). Below is a photo of one of them. The other one is pretty much identical. (And yes, photo taken with a flash!).

Bo-Göran

[DoomsDave]

Bo:

Your Bizzie's a greenie!

What about a bluey?

[bgl]

Well, I do have a bunch of those but they are all out in full sun so then we would no longer be on topic!

[Dypsisdean]

Dypsis plumoss was a real dog for me in California shade, and it's not doing all that hot for me here in Hawaiian shade either.

[Manolitus]

Who agrees with this statement: Generally speaking, palms that should be in the sun, tend to have better chances of growing in the shade or partial shade, than shade loving palms would in full sun ????

Manny

[Jeff Searle]

Jeff,

Excellent question! And what can I say - I like to experiment! And no, they have NEVER been in full sun. They are planted underneath a Tetraplasandra hawaiensis, which is a large canopy tree, and it was just as large, and providing just as much shade when I planted the two Bismarckias (from 7G pots in 1997). Below is a photo of one of them. The other one is pretty much identical. (And yes, photo taken with a flash!).

Bo-Göran

Bo,

Other than being of the green form, it looks a little streched out (which is to be expected), but really isn't a bad looking palm. Thanks.

[epicure3]

I guess this comes down to whatever one's definition is of "will not grow". And "reasonable" time! Bismarckias will most definitely grow in shade. I have two that are planted in 100%, complete, shade. Much slower than the ones grown in full sun but they are most definitely growing, and they are also very healthy! But, probably also some difference between conditions here and in SoCal.

Mine is in full shade and grows just fine. Slow, but fine.

[Kris]

By the way Med fans,Triangles,washy filiferas..simply rot in shade,i have that experience...And believe me even placing them in pure coarse grade river sand(High Drain Medium) also does not help Much in this case.

[ghar41]

Parajubaea's resent shade a great deal. Two P tvt I have in shade have not finished pushing the same leaf over the past two years! Needless to say as soon as it warms up theyre coming out.

[JasonD]

Yeah, Parajubaea cocoides mopes in shade, pushing new leaves much more slowly than in sun, rotting in the crown but pushing through it. Partial sun is okay but full is the best here in fogland. There is one specimen I've seen succeed in shade, but it's taken 26 years for it to start blooming, and it's now catching nearly half a day of sun as its crown emerges.

Strangely, Chamaerops humilis does okay in bright shade here. Does anyone know how Chamaerops humilis var. argentea fares in shade?

Washingtonia robusta mopes in shade too. Brahea edulis is very pretty and happy in shade, however.

I've seen a Jubaea grow in shade with a weirdly skinny trunk, then get exposed to full sun when the Eucalyptus/Corymbia ficifolia that had been crowding it was cut down. Still seems traumatized by the shade years, with stumpy, twisted leaves and skinny trunk. Butia, on the other hand, I've seen completely rot in shade and moist soil.

[Carlo Morici]

Hello all,

Dave,

Full-sun palms need full-sun and full-shade palms need full-shade.

Who agrees with this statement: Generally speaking, palms that should be in the sun, tend to have better chances of growing in thThee shade or partial shade, than shade loving palms would in full sun ????

Manny

Manny,

I like the question, but I disagree. I believe it much depends on where you are.

In the Canary Islands, full-sun is seldom too intense so palms usually don't burn. Much like in Hawaii, we can grow many understorey palms in full sun, especially on the Northern coast which is mostly cloudy in Summer. These palms will surely look a bit stressed and may get scorched during a heat wave in July - maybe every other year. This cannot be done in the Mediterranean or in California, where summer heat is often too much and mid-summer sunlight will be noxious.

As for full-sun palms in the shade, I think we can do this with subtropical or easy-growing species. All palms will need one or two years to adapt to the lowered light conditions. Some species will adapt finely, while others might look fine but they will eventually be killed by a fungus (often happens to D.decaryi). On the other hand decent Cocos nucifera cannot be grown in the shade in the Canaries, but I am sure they can in Tropical Somewhere.

Dean,

You mention Dypsis plumosa - I was surprised to read in PALMS that it likes shade. My experience here is that they grow much better in baking sun.

Carlo