King Palm - What’s Happening?

[Campbellsa]

Any idea what’s going on here? Been planted about a year, not growing well and now I see this. Appears to be growth from trunk. 

[Jonathan]

Sometimes if the spear is diseased or blocked in some way the growing point will force itself out through the side of the crownshaft or even from underground if the palm hasn't started trunking yet. It looks like yours might be doing something similar.

It might survive but not sure how it will look long term? Often the first couple of leaves to emerge from the new growth are compressed and wrinkled and weird looking, then slowly become more normal. 

[Campbellsa]

Thanks! Anything I can do to help it?

[Jim in Los Altos]

51 minutes ago, Campbellsa said:

Thanks! Anything I can do to help it?

King palms are semi- aquatic palms so the best thing you can do to help yours is to make sure all the soil surrounding yours is kept wet,  never drying out, and with a couple of inches of wood mulch on the soil surface to keep it cooler. That drip system is likely not getting enough water to the palm’s roots. Your palm(s) look very under-watered. They are impossible to over-water but very easy to under-water. I have over fifty of them in my garden and they’re never allowed to dry out. 
 

[Harry’s Palms]

I think Jim nailed it. I have only two Cuninghamiana and one Alexandriana . All three love water , particularly during the warmer months. The ground around yours looks very dry and crusty. If you mulch with a good garden top soil and layer with wood chips , the soil can absorb and retain a moist environment. Be sure to break the crust of that dry soil after you get some moisture in it , work in the top soil , and then layer the chips. These are very easy palms to grow but they require a constant source of irrigation. Harry