Container growing palms

[Howeadypsis]

I love palms, but my garden in this new house is tiny, there's just no way I could get a T.fortunei out there, but is it possible to keep palms small by keeping them in containers? I have done this with some indoor plants, root pruning and putting back in the same pot with fresh soil. Is a similar thing possible with palms?

[Pal Meir]

Best suited to bonsai is imo Chamaerops: If you pot it in a small container and prune the roots from time to time they will stay very small, and this for maybe 100 years or more.

Ch. humilis var cerifera, 12 years old:

Ch. humilis var cerifera, 3 years old in 14cm container:

Ch. humilis, 17 & 29 years old in 18cm container:

But also others like Trachycarpus wagnerianus can be grown as bonsai.

T. wagnerianus, 12 years old in 12cm pot:

Besides these 2 species there are also palms which remain relatively small even when treated normally as e.g. most Rhapis (my favorite is R. micrantha) and many Chamaedorea species and others.

[Howeadypsis]

Well I wasn't thinking bonsai but that is cool (I have been growing bonsai on and off since the 80s)

[Pal Meir]

Okay, if you don’t mean bonsai I recommend Syagrus weddelliana (= Lytocaryum weddellianum). Here a photo of 2¼ year old plants:

And together with more weddelianas they fit well even in a small living room:

[Howeadypsis]

Maybe one of those I could get away with

[Howeadypsis]

Bit I do like the bonsai idea too!

[Kai]

Don't start pruning the roots of Lytocaryums! They die when the roots get disturbed too much. They are my favourite palms though. Excellent small species, tough, doesn't mind shade, doesn't grow very fast, very beautifull with very finely pinnate leafs...I just love 'em!

[Pal Meir]

Yes, pruning roots of potted weddellianas means their death. Even though they are small palms they aren’t suited to bonsai (in its stricter sense). (The other Lytocaryum palms as Syagrus insignis and S. hoehnei get to big and are better for a terrace or garden.)

[Howeadypsis]

Yes, pruning roots of potted weddellianas means their death. Even though they are small palms they aren’t suited to bonsai (in its stricter sense). (The other Lytocaryum palms as Syagrus insignis and S. hoehnei get to big and are better for a terrace or garden.)

Interesting info, thanks. I added you've on Flickr.