Areca Privacy Hedge

[FLHombre]

I had posted before thinking our new property was in 9b. It is firmly in 10a. We want to put up a 200' dense hedge of areca palms. 200' is the initial hedge, once we are done with some construction we'll be adding roughly 150' additional or more.

Would 3' spacing be ideal? Clumping and wild growth would be great...should we stagger the hedge? When is the best time to plant or does it matter? Location is near the coast between Sarasota and St Pete. Thanks!

[EPaul]

It depends on the size you're getting and how quickly you want to create a solid screen. 2-3' would be fine and staggering would create an appearance of greater depth. Thankfully, Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens grows very quickly in Florida 10A and should create a great hedge for you. A slightly less cold-sensitive alternative, with similar results, would be using Caryota Mitis. 

Side Note: In my opinion, the Areca Palm doesn't look its best in full FL sun. In part sun, you'll get a more impressive, healthier palm. You could achieve this by planting a tree sporadically (every 20-30 ft.) along your hedge that will eventually offer it a bit of shade and frost protection.

Edited January 13, 2024 by EPaul

[John2468]

To add to this, other plants such as Arborvitae, Clusias, and different types of Ficus can also be used as privacy hedges.

  On 1/13/2024 at 6:45 PM, EPaul said:

Caryota Mitis

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It’s good until you gotta cut down dead trunks.

[FLHombre]

This will be full sun. On the property there are hundreds of full grown sabal palms and a handful of full grown queen palms but nowhere near where this privacy hedge is going.

Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens understood. Is Dypsis Lucentes an option as well?

John, I was set on installing Walters Viburnum as the hedge after much research previously when i thought the property was 9b but honestly I prefer palms.

[EPaul]

Some Dypsis were reclassified as Chrysalidocarpus. Meaning, Chrys. Lutescens and Dyps. Lutescens are the same plant.

[FLHombre]

Gotcha. Someone told me you can counteract yellowing due to full sun with certain fertilizers. Is this true in your experience?

[EPaul]

In full sun they've always developed more yellow in their coloring, with a higher susceptibility to dried leaf tips. Those with mature Sabals or Oak trees giving some part shade usually resulted in deeper green coloration with no dry tips.

[happypalms]

That’s a lot dead leaves to pick up on the weekend start to make a compost bin now if you’re planning on golden canes dypsis baronii black petiole will give you a much better affect for the work involved on weekend leaf cleaning 

[FLHombre]

Thanks for the info guys. Can these be planted anytime or is there a preferred time?

[EPaul]

@happypalms You have any photos of a full Dypsis Baronii hedge to share?

[EPaul]

  On 1/13/2024 at 9:49 PM, FLHombre said:

Thanks for the info guys. Can these be planted anytime or is there a preferred time?

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Preference is typically beginning of Spring.

[happypalms]

  On 1/13/2024 at 9:51 PM, EPaul said:

@happypalms You have any photos of a full Dypsis Baronii hedge to share?

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No sorry I only have a hundred germinated seedlings I have to wait another 6 years for that photo but I certainly wish I did have 200 plus in a hedge 

[EPaul]

  On 1/13/2024 at 9:54 PM, happypalms said:

No sorry I only have a hundred germinated seedlings I have to wait another 6 years for that photo but I certainly wish I did have 200 plus in a hedge 

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Lol - I wish you had that photo too. Not sure if that's a common species for you in Australia, but here in Florida it's very rare. In fact, I don't recall ever seeing one for sale at a Nursery. Maybe other FL growers here could chime in as to why that may be...

[John2468]

  On 1/13/2024 at 10:02 PM, EPaul said:

Maybe other FL growers here could chime in as to why that may be...

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Imo, I think that it could be due to specific growth conditions, slow growth rates, or harder to source seeds in bulk.

[PalmatierMeg]

  On 1/13/2024 at 9:40 PM, happypalms said:

That’s a lot dead leaves to pick up on the weekend start to make a compost bin now if you’re planning on golden canes dypsis baronii black petiole will give you a much better affect for the work involved on weekend leaf cleaning 

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Dypsis baronii does very poorly in FL swelter but likes Cali mediterranean climate. I did my research and realized this species hasn't a chance in H@** here. It is also slower growing.

 

[Bkue]

I’m in Oviedo fl. I did 270+ 3gal. They are all 12+ft now 4 years old. Cold weather will knock it back it some. I love them. Only issues is cleaning them and eventually taking out the sprouts. Mine are in trunks now but will continue to shout out undergrowth. Basically, lots of maintenance. Lots of water and fert as well. 

[happypalms]

  On 1/13/2024 at 10:02 PM, EPaul said:

Lol - I wish you had that photo too. Not sure if that's a common species for you in Australia, but here in Florida it's very rare. In fact, I don't recall ever seeing one for sale at a Nursery. Maybe other FL growers here could chime in as to why that may be...

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It’s not that common only collectors but available in more of specialty nurseries that have been sold to them by collector growers 

[happypalms]

  On 1/13/2024 at 11:38 PM, PalmatierMeg said:

Dypsis baronii does very poorly in FL swelter but likes Cali mediterranean climate. I did my research and realized this species hasn't a chance in H@** here. It is also slower growing.

 

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Perhaps a nice hedge of dypsis lanceolata if they grow there I always thought of Florida as a warm place 

[PalmatierMeg]

  On 1/14/2024 at 11:52 AM, happypalms said:

Perhaps a nice hedge of dypsis lanceolata if they grow there I always thought of Florida as a warm place 

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Sorry, but lanceolata is a total wimp here too. I tried growing them from seeds but all died but one runty one with 2 stems. Hurricane Ian cracked it open vertically from ground to crownshaft and it was done. Also, this species probably doesn't cluster enough for what poster wants it to do. On the other hand C lutescens grows to be a messy sunburned glob of stems that looks terrible while littering the neighborhood with dead/dying shed leaves. The best way to approach this species is not to buy 10g pots jammed with dozens of small seedlings forced to compete with one another until most are dead is to buy larger individual palms in 10g pots, space them then let them cluster naturally. Less work, less mess. Or you can buy several pots of faux clusters, separate into individual palms then grow them up.

Another species to consider is Arenga engleri. It is cold hardier than lutescens, grows moderately fast and clusters. Then there is Caryota mitis

[happypalms]

  On 1/14/2024 at 8:50 PM, PalmatierMeg said:

Sorry, but lanceolata is a total wimp here too. I tried growing them from seeds but all died but one runty one with 2 stems. Hurricane Ian cracked it open vertically from ground to crownshaft and it was done. Also, this species probably doesn't cluster enough for what poster wants it to do. On the other hand C lutescens grows to be a messy sunburned glob of stems that looks terrible while littering the neighborhood with dead/dying shed leaves. The best way to approach this species is not to buy 10g pots jammed with dozens of small seedlings forced to compete with one another until most are dead is to buy larger individual palms in 10g pots, space them then let them cluster naturally. Less work, less mess. Or you can buy several pots of faux clusters, separate into individual palms then grow them up.

Another species to consider is Arenga engleri. It is cold hardier than lutescens, grows moderately fast and clusters. Then there is Caryota mitis

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Ok lanceolata is out good choice the arenga it sounds like FLHombre has his heart set golden canes I find like you said just single stem ones otherwise you end up with a mess it’s an old nursery sales trick a dozen to a pot then in ten years or less a great big clump of a mess from all the mother plants in one pot not to mention all the leaves from 200 canes and maintenance arenga engleri is the go cold hardy fast growing tough palm another one to consider is the wallichia densifolia a great clumping palm that’s tough and relatively cold tolerant not sure how well  it grows in your climate and you need less plants as it grows rather wide meaning less maintenance there is a Thai dwarf Caryota but not sure if it’s available mitis can get rather large it depends if your trying to block out double story houses or just a privacy screen either way up to 350 palms in a row will look impressive no matter what the variety is planted I recommend a row of cycas species planted as a border to whatever palm he chooses in front of his decision to what palm he plants 

[FLHombre]

I'm open to other species of palms. The bigger the better. The more spread / clumping the better. There's no spacial restrictions to speak of where these are going. Not looking for anything especially slow growing or that REQUIRES regular care indefinitely. If it's more of a niche / specialty palm and costs 5x as much as areca or something like that I'd probably pass.

[EPaul]

  On 1/15/2024 at 12:24 AM, FLHombre said:

I'm open to other species of palms. The bigger the better. The more spread / clumping the better. There's no spacial restrictions to speak of where these are going. Not looking for anything especially slow growing or that REQUIRES regular care indefinitely. If it's more of a niche / specialty palm and costs 5x as much as areca or something like that I'd probably pass.

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For a thick, easily-grown, and affordable palm hedge, I don't believe you'll find better than Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) Lutescens or Caryota Mitis. Arenga Engleri is a beautiful option but there are downsides: won't grow nearly as tall, costs more, and slower growing. Another possible option would be Acoelorrhaphe Wrightii; although, you'll also spend more money on this even though it's native to Florida.

[FLHombre]

Understood thanks for your help

[Kim]

I'm curious how you expect the hedge to perform. The reason I ask, I often see these along property lines in Hawaii, but almost always with a cyclone fence behind. Why? Keep the pigs out. The palms alone don't keep out dogs, cats, pigs, alligators, humans, whatever you want kept out. If animal exclusion isn't an issue, then the palms will work fine -- and you will work a lot keeping them tidy.

[FLHombre]

Had to lookup cyclone fence. We call that chain link here. There's no climb horse fencing present but it's see through...

[Kim]

  On 1/15/2024 at 11:08 PM, FLHombre said:

Had to lookup cyclone fence. We call that chain link here. There's no climb horse fencing present but it's see through...

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Okay, yes; serves the same purpose, basically.