PLEASE HELP ME SAVE SOME PALM TREES! I need the following information on the palms I have attached. The HOA board wants to cut them down from a common area in my condo complex. I am trying to talk them out of it. Can you answer the following about the palms in the attached photos: 1) What species is this? 2) What is its expected lifespan?3) These are in very shallow soil, maybe 2 ft deep at most. Would adding 6 or more inches of soil all around the bed going up the trunk hurt them? 4) is the pothos climbing them harmful? 5) there are 4 or 5 babies of this species. Are they grown from runners? Do they weaken the two mature plants? 6) suggested fertilizer?
I am very grateful to anyone who can inform me on this matter!

That’s a tough call. You will not be able to save them indefinitely. I guess the HOA considers them a liability and they are probably right. It might be better to remove them before they die and fall on someone. It’s pretty amazing that they have done so well for a very long time.

1) They look like a Veitchia Palm.

2) No specific lifespan - they will keep growing until they hit the roof then bend downward. Not a great look.

3) A couple inches won’t hurt but it also won’t do much to stabilize them.

4) Not harmful at that size but if they envelop the growing point, they could kill the palm due to lack of light.

5) Seeds not runners.

6) Palm Gain is generally recommended.

What if you offer to take them (if it’s possible for you to even keep them)?

1. Ptychosperma elegans I think. Pretty certain on it the ID of the smaller specimen. The larger ones I’m not sure but if the smaller was from dropped seed then I’d be confident on the ID of those too. 
 

2. Really hard to say. Potentially 100+ years unless there’s a specific cause of death which limits that. 
 

3. 6 inches - yeah probably would hurt I think. It’s not ideal to cover woody trunk with soil. Too much covered and it can kill the palm. Ideally soil level shouldn’t go above where adventitious roots come out of the bottom of the trunk. 
 

4. Unlikely to be harmful. 
 

5. Would be from seeds if they haven’t been planted. They don’t weaken the main stems at all. 
 

6. Best fertiliser really depends on so many variables - climate, existing soil type etc. P elegans aren’t particularly fussy from my understanding. I always steer towards organic fertilisers personally for palms planted in the ground. Feed the soil feed the palm kind of thinking…

Do you think they could be braced with a thin wire near the top to stabilize them? Since it’s an atrium, they have no wind or anything like that to stress the wire. Several years ago one did abruptly die and fall. This is one of the concerns. Thanks for your input-much appreciated!