Companion Planting and other factors with palms

[DallasPalms]

Anyone have any experience mixing palms? I have limited examples around my area...  usually the Butia trees which are not very common are standing alone, the same with Trachys. Do these require their own root space? I think some plants with many seeds overcome being crowded with their own family pretty well...are there any trees that do not go well together?

It's difficult to place butia with other trees but I'm considering. I have seen a few Washingtonias growing side by side with Sabals and they look fine... Chamaerops Sabals and Washintonia seem to be fine next to anything and crowded too... do they turn out better on their own? Or in a group?

I know that shade can bring out the best look in some Sabals but what about space? I think being near a sidewalk or driveway is helpful - maybe that makes shared space easier due to moisture retention? Maybe not good for some species?

Please share your experiences! And share your climate zone please since factors can vary with the impact of weather and average temps.

Edited December 11, 2020 by DallasPalms

[sonoranfans]

Yes, nearby palms should have the same soil moisture/drainage requirements.  A bizzy near a queen or royal will make it tougher to keep both happy.  I had roses near one of my 4 bizzies when I lived in arizona.  When it hit 21F in 2007, that was the one that died and it flat out died in a hurry.  The rest survived and regrew.  So dont put palms with a need for a deep dry cycle near the ones that want surface wetness.  I planted archies, royals, kentiopsis and satakentia together.  In a separate area with distance I planted bismarckia and borassus, two that hate a high continuous moisture.

[Chester B]

Most of my Trachys are planted in triples, some with trunks touching.  Doesn't seem to bother them one bit.  Personally I think they look better that way.

[DallasPalms]

I saw a big thicket of Trachy today and thought it would look super nice if it were planned just a little better... looked like a Trachy Bush I had to stop and make sure it was not the most enormous Trachy of all time

[Josue Diaz]

I have limited space so I plant everything in close proximity - shrubs, trees, palms, perennials, succulents. I know syagrus have really extensive root systems so that may cause an issue later on, but at this stage everything seems to be doing ok. 

[Merlyn]

I agree with Tom, as long as you plant them with compatible moisture/sun requirements other palms are fine near each other.  You don't want to plant a swamp-dwelling Licuala next to a desert palm like a Nannorrhops Richiana.  Neither will be happy and one will probably die.  But as long as you avoid the extremes they'll coexist just fine.  I posted a previous "oddball double/triple" thread below.  There are some great ideas in there, so far I have planted a couple of weird ones that I hope will turn out nice:

Triple Encephalartos Laurentianus (utter monsters)

Butia/Jubaea supposed hybrid (though it looks 99% Butia) with clusters of Gaussia Princeps (similar to Bottle/Spindle palms) around it

Bismarck with 2x Gaussia Princeps flanking it about 1 foot away

5x Livistona Chinensis seedlings spaced about 1 foot apart

Triple Chambeyronia Macrocarpa (Flamethrower) - 1 each regular, Watermelon and Hookeri

Triple Encephalartos Ituriensis

Butia double spaced 1 foot apart

Brahea Nitida double spaced 1 inch apart

Livistona Speciosa triple spaced 1 foot apart

Some of these I spaced apart because the trunks are enormous at the base.  I've seen Bismarck palms with a 3+ foot diameter trunk at ground level, so planting anything too close to them means the trunk will eventually expand out and crush anything nearby.  Likewise with Livistona Chinensis, the big box stores like selling pots with 3-10 seedlings in 1 pot.  They look neat to begin with, but after a year or two the inner ones all get crushed by competing trunks.

 

 

[96720]

I never worry about what I plant together and have never had any problems. Jeff at Flouibunda palms even has Bismarck palms growing over there and they get plenty of water people didn’t think he could grow them but he does.