Help Identifying Archontophoenix Species Before Purchase (Purpurea / Myolensis / Maxima / Tuckeri)

April 13

Hello everyone,

My name is Christian and I’m from Spain.

I currently grow Archontophoenix alexandrae and Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, and my goal is to complete my collection by owning all six Archontophoenix species.

A nursery here in Spain is offering me the remaining four species:

Archontophoenix purpurea

Archontophoenix myolensis

Archontophoenix maxima

Archontophoenix tuckeri

Before purchasing them, I would really appreciate the help of the forum’s experts in confirming whether each plant appears to be correctly identified.

My main concern is that, as many of you know, young Archontophoenix species can look quite similar, and I would like to make sure I am buying the correct species before investing in them.

Thank you very much in advance for your help and expertise — it is greatly appreciated.

Best regards,

Christian

April 13

The first is definitely correct, A purpurea. The remaining ones I’m not sure anyone is going to be able to definitively confirm for you; I don’t think there’s really any differentiating features between A myolensis, maxima and tuckeri (and alexandrae) at that size.

April 14

10 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

The first is definitely correct, A purpurea. The remaining ones I’m not sure anyone is going to be able to definitively confirm for you; I don’t think there’s really any differentiating features between A myolensis, maxima and tuckeri (and alexandrae) at that size.

Thank you Tim, the one i was more worried was A. Purpurea, so now i'm more calm and secure to buy

April 14

yeah #1 is purpurea, the others I cant tell. I have adult (1)maxima, (2)myolensis, and (3)alexandre and (1) purpurea)_and the differences are subtle in the first 3 species as adults, and just about indistinguishable as juveniles. In shade, the myolensis can get a glaucous tint to he crownshaft. My shaded one gets this, the one in sun does not. The maxima looks like my alexandre as an adult, the myolensis grow slower than the other two. Purpurea can be purple in the crownshaft but that color is very pale in direct sun as in your first pic.

April 14

Hi @mcfly01 good to hear from another Spain based member. Cant help with confirming the species, but I use Miguel @ babypalms for most of my small palm purchases, and he is usually very good with identification. If they are wrongly labelled then I would expect it to be a genuine error rather than him trying to sell you a palm that is not what you expect it to be

April 14

4 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

yeah #1 is purpurea, the others I cant tell. I have adult (1)maxima, (2)myolensis, and (3)alexandre and (1) purpurea)_and the differences are subtle in the first 3 species as adults, and just about indistinguishable as juveniles. In shade, the myolensis can get a glaucous tint to he crownshaft. My shaded one gets this, the one in sun does not. The maxima looks like my alexandre as an adult, the myolensis grow slower than the other two. Purpurea can be purple in the crownshaft but that color is very pale in direct sun as in your first pic.

Oh, great! Thank you so much for sharing your explanations about the different species, and further confirmation that the first one is indeed an A. purpurea. I ended up buying them all, so I'll have all six species.

When I receive them, I'll ask for your advice on the size of each one and the (limited) space I have in my garden to decide which one to plant in the ground or in a pot. I'll explain it in another post soon 😊 It will be interesting and fun!

April 14

1 hour ago, RichardHemsley said:

Hi @mcfly01 good to hear from another Spain based member. Cant help with confirming the species, but I use Miguel @ babypalms for most of my small palm purchases, and he is usually very good with identification. If they are wrongly labelled then I would expect it to be a genuine error rather than him trying to sell you a palm that is not what you expect it to be

Wow, great! I'm so glad to hear that, because yes... those are palm trees I just bought from Miguel.

Actually, it's the only nursery in Spain that had the four Archontophoenix species I was missing.

I'm eager to receive them soon, and I'll let you know how they go and ask for advice on how to plant and arrange them in my small garden. It'll be a fun challenge!

By the way, do you live in Spain too? Perhaps we could exchange WhatsApp numbers, and I could learn from you and the other members of this great forum. Best regards

April 15

16 hours ago, mcfly01 said:

Oh, great! Thank you so much for sharing your explanations about the different species, and further confirmation that the first one is indeed an A. purpurea. I ended up buying them all, so I'll have all six species.

When I receive them, I'll ask for your advice on the size of each one and the (limited) space I have in my garden to decide which one to plant in the ground or in a pot. I'll explain it in another post soon 😊 It will be interesting and fun!

I have found archies to be very good for making multiples and I use a more dense planting than my other crownshafts. They love water so planting in multiples can make it easier to keep them moist. We have a dry spring here and they will get pale if I dont add consistent irrigation for them to look good. Other than that they are easy to keep happy in my yard. My archi8es are currently kind of tall(25-30') cant get em in a pic unobstructed so pictures are. I looked back to 2011 a year after I planted my alexandre triple and then a pic from 2019 where they grew in a bit.

Here is the pic a little over a year after planting from 3 gallons, they were quite fast. Note the whitish undersi8des of the leaves in morning sun, hard to see the whitish undersides today as little sun hits them at 30' tall with everything grown in..

second pic 2019 shows how they grew in in 8 years(in 2019) since planting.

today they are much larger of course, trunks are over 20' clear and bases are swollen to 17-18" thick.

April 15

17 hours ago, mcfly01 said:

Wow, great! I'm so glad to hear that, because yes... those are palm trees I just bought from Miguel.

Actually, it's the only nursery in Spain that had the four Archontophoenix species I was missing.

I'm eager to receive them soon, and I'll let you know how they go and ask for advice on how to plant and arrange them in my small garden. It'll be a fun challenge!

By the way, do you live in Spain too? Perhaps we could exchange WhatsApp numbers, and I could learn from you and the other members of this great forum. Best regards

Yes, I live in Mallorca

April 15

7 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

I have found archies to be very good for making multiples and I use a more dense planting than my other crownshafts. They love water so planting in multiples can make it easier to keep them moist. We have a dry spring here and they will get pale if I dont add consistent irrigation for them to look good. Other than that they are easy to keep happy in my yard. My archi8es are currently kind of tall(25-30') cant get em in a pic unobstructed so pictures are. I looked back to 2011 a year after I planted my alexandre triple and then a pic from 2019 where they grew in a bit.

Here is the pic a little over a year after planting from 3 gallons, they were quite fast. Note the whitish undersi8des of the leaves in morning sun, hard to see the whitish undersides today as little sun hits them at 30' tall with everything grown in..

second pic 2019 shows how they grew in in 8 years(in 2019) since planting.

today they are much larger of course, trunks are over 20' clear and bases are swollen to 17-18" thick.

Wow, I'm amazed and speechless! It's fascinating and beautiful to see your three Alexandras growing so healthy and fast together!

In my area, it's also somewhat dry despite being only 500 meters from the beach, but the winds are sometimes dry and quite strong.

Perhaps the advantage of having them together is that it creates a small microclimate that helps them.

Could you also share a picture of your adult Purpurea and whether it requires any special care? Does it grow as quickly as a Maxima or Alexandra?

For a moment, I thought your Alexandras were Maximas because of the minimal leaf curl. I have a friend who also has an Alexandra with quite straight leaves.

I'll tell you more about it in another post, because I think you can advise me on how to create a small microclimate for my palm trees. I'll send you photos of my tiny 4m x 4m garden, but... the space I have available for planting is only 4m x 60cm!

April 16

My purpurea is stunted, 7 years in the ground in deep shade but it is in clay so it stays moist. Sunlight is the enemy of th epurple crownshaft here in florida. All the taller ones I have seen are blanched if planted in sun. Here it is to the right of a satakentia.

Your climate seems to match southern california and some parts of austrailia perhaps. I would recommend you get growing advice from members that have experience growing in the mediterranean climate. I have grown int he desert where archies die rapidly due to desiccation and in Florida where the roots dry out fast in sandy soil but the air is more humid so not as bad as a desert or mediterranean. Use the search function or just PM @DoomsDave who has grown some beautiful archies. I have seen quite a few archies from SoCal(or NorCal) or Australia look better than mine for sure.

Multis are far more water efficient, easier to keep happy than single archies in my yard. I have planted all my archies with other palms nearby so moisture control of the soil is easier. All the shade in the pic also slows water evaporation by sun heating the ground.

April 16

6 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

My purpurea is stunted, 7 years in the ground in deep shade but it is in clay so it stays moist. Sunlight is the enemy of th epurple crownshaft here in florida. All the taller ones I have seen are blanched if planted in sun. Here it is to the right of a satakentia.

Your climate seems to match southern california and some parts of austrailia perhaps. I would recommend you get growing advice from members that have experience growing in the mediterranean climate. I have grown int he desert where archies die rapidly due to desiccation and in Florida where the roots dry out fast in sandy soil but the air is more humid so not as bad as a desert or mediterranean. Use the search function or just PM @DoomsDave who has grown some beautiful archies. I have seen quite a few archies from SoCal(or NorCal) or Australia look better than mine for sure.

Multis are far more water efficient, easier to keep happy than single archies in my yard. I have planted all my archies with other palms nearby so moisture control of the soil is easier. All the shade in the pic also slows water evaporation by sun heating the ground.

It's curious to see how much the Alexandra palms have grown in 8 years, while the Purpurea palm is much smaller in 7 years, even though they're the same species!

I didn't know that the Purpurea palm loses some of its color in the crown when exposed to sunlight.

Yes, I need to look into the climate here more closely. In winter, I notice they stop growing; we even get down to almost 0 degrees Celsius on some days... and in the middle of summer, being near the sea with the humidity, I notice they grow quickly, even on hot, humid nights.

What fertilizer do you use on your Archontophoenix palms? I've heard about Osmocote.

Now I use this

April 17

17 hours ago, mcfly01 said:

It's curious to see how much the Alexandra palms have grown in 8 years, while the Purpurea palm is much smaller in 7 years, even though they're the same species!

I didn't know that the Purpurea palm loses some of its color in the crown when exposed to sunlight.

Yes, I need to look into the climate here more closely. In winter, I notice they stop growing; we even get down to almost 0 degrees Celsius on some days... and in the middle of summer, being near the sea with the humidity, I notice they grow quickly, even on hot, humid nights.

What fertilizer do you use on your Archontophoenix palms? I've heard about Osmocote.

Now I use this

I dont use liquid fertilizer too easy to burn and washes away so nutrient content over time is inconsistent. One scenario where I use a 5-1-1 fish emulstion is a newly planted palm as the roots can burn easily. My main fertilization is florikan 8-2-12 formulated for our florida sandy soils. It is osmotic in mechanism like osmocote but has different pore sizes for different nutrients(patent) to more evenly distribute nutrients over time. Highly soluble nutrients like K will get smaller pore sizes to slow the release. The pores are also formulated(using EVA polymers) to close up in cold weather so low soil temps lead to slower release. I use 1 bag for every 2 1/2 bags of (non osmotic) coated slow release fertilizer that I used to put down 15 years ago. The use of less fertilizer means its cheaper in actual use, and doesnt put down lots of extra fertilizer in the water table which will just be rinsed away int he sandy soil. In Florida, with our low cation exchange sandy soils the florikan fertilizer release is ideally suited in our typically wet environment. Rain doesnt accelerate release of nutrients with osmotic control like a non osmotic slow release fertilizer. Osmotic release is not going to give the big advantage in clay soils with low rain environments as clay soil hold onto nutrients as they are loaded with cation exchange capacity. In florida I used 40% the fertilizer and got better results while minimizing runoff fertilizer waste. I put it down 2-3 times a year with a 180 day release formulation. I typically overlap applications in time a little to ensure a balanced release through time and prevent K deficiency which is the most common issue here. Different environments and different soils mean the best fertilizer depends on your conditions. But I do not recommend non organic liquid fertilizer like y ours at any time. It just doesnt spread evenly and sustain levels through time.

April 17

And yes the alexandre were much faster but that is near full sun and a raised heavily amended bed. The purpurea was an experiment knowing they dont do well color wise in the sun. They look spectacular in the right environment. I did just a little amendment of the clay for the purpurea and it has to compete with larger palms and their roots.

As for color, most dyes in nature are susceptible to molecular destruction by UV light, some more than others depending on stability of the molecule that gives the color. It appears to me that the purpurea dye that gives the purple color is not one of the more stable dyes. The best color comes after a leaf falls off revealing a new crown shaft surface.

April 17

7 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

I dont use liquid fertilizer too easy to burn and washes away so nutrient content over time is inconsistent. One scenario where I use a 5-1-1 fish emulstion is a newly planted palm as the roots can burn easily. My main fertilization is florikan 8-2-12 formulated for our florida sandy soils. It is osmotic in mechanism like osmocote but has different pore sizes for different nutrients(patent) to more evenly distribute nutrients over time. Highly soluble nutrients like K will get smaller pore sizes to slow the release. The pores are also formulated(using EVA polymers) to close up in cold weather so low soil temps lead to slower release. I use 1 bag for every 2 1/2 bags of (non osmotic) coated slow release fertilizer that I used to put down 15 years ago. The use of less fertilizer means its cheaper in actual use, and doesnt put down lots of extra fertilizer in the water table which will just be rinsed away int he sandy soil. In Florida, with our low cation exchange sandy soils the florikan fertilizer release is ideally suited in our typically wet environment. Rain doesnt accelerate release of nutrients with osmotic control like a non osmotic slow release fertilizer. Osmotic release is not going to give the big advantage in clay soils with low rain environments as clay soil hold onto nutrients as they are loaded with cation exchange capacity. In florida I used 40% the fertilizer and got better results while minimizing runoff fertilizer waste. I put it down 2-3 times a year with a 180 day release formulation. I typically overlap applications in time a little to ensure a balanced release through time and prevent K deficiency which is the most common issue here. Different environments and different soils mean the best fertilizer depends on your conditions. But I do not recommend non organic liquid fertilizer like y ours at any time. It just doesnt spread evenly and sustain levels through time.

Wow, so much technical information here! I'll need a pen and paper to learn. Thank you so much.

Although the soil and climate here are different, and I need to study them or get advice from other Mediterranean people regarding Archontophoenix to ensure their health, I'm quite lost with all this information.

Mine are still planted in pots, and the fertilizer a friend recommended works quite well for his Archontophoenix. But I'll look into slow-release fertilizers and the ideal ratio here.

The palm trees have finally arrived, and they were in good condition. Tomorrow I'm going to buy slightly larger pots, and I'm not sure what kind of soil to add that would be ideal. I'll look for pots with plenty of drainage holes, although some people tell me it's good to leave them with a saucer underneath and a little water in them at all times...

In the end, I'll have to keep researching and, above all, experimenting on my own.

April 17

7 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

And yes the alexandre were much faster but that is near full sun and a raised heavily amended bed. The purpurea was an experiment knowing they dont do well color wise in the sun. They look spectacular in the right environment. I did just a little amendment of the clay for the purpurea and it has to compete with larger palms and their roots.

As for color, most dyes in nature are susceptible to molecular destruction by UV light, some more than others depending on stability of the molecule that gives the color. It appears to me that the purpurea dye that gives the purple color is not one of the more stable dyes. The best color comes after a leaf falls off revealing a new crown shaft surface.

What you said about the color of the Purpurea is interesting, as is your comment about its growth. Of course, I can't just compare its size based on how long it's been planted; there are many other factors. Although I read that it tends to be one of the more delicate varieties and grows somewhat more slowly than other Archontophoenix species... but I don't know if that's true, and many factors are involved.

They arrived today, and yes, it's definitely a Purpurea. In person, you can see the difference in the crown cap, although it's young, and I imagine that when that old leaf falls off, it will be more noticeable, especially when it's a bit more mature.

I love learning from such passionate people on this forum. I'm grateful for the patience you show in explaining things. I've had hardly any luck on another forum in my country, and nobody shares information there.

April 18

On 4/16/2026 at 11:03 PM, mcfly01 said:

It's curious to see how much the Alexandra palms have grown in 8 years, while the Purpurea palm is much smaller in 7 years, even though they're the same species!

I didn't know that the Purpurea palm loses some of its color in the crown when exposed to sunlight.

Yes, I need to look into the climate here more closely. In winter, I notice they stop growing; we even get down to almost 0 degrees Celsius on some days... and in the middle of summer, being near the sea with the humidity, I notice they grow quickly, even on hot, humid nights.

What fertilizer do you use on your Archontophoenix palms? I've heard about Osmocote.

Now I use this

Will be interesting to see if the POFLO fertiliser makes any difference for you. I used it for 3 years and not sure it had much of an impact . I have switched to a different palm specific fertiliser this year

April 18

15 hours ago, mcfly01 said:

What you said about the color of the Purpurea is interesting, as is your comment about its growth. Of course, I can't just compare its size based on how long it's been planted; there are many other factors. Although I read that it tends to be one of the more delicate varieties and grows somewhat more slowly than other Archontophoenix species... but I don't know if that's true, and many factors are involved.

They arrived today, and yes, it's definitely a Purpurea. In person, you can see the difference in the crown cap, although it's young, and I imagine that when that old leaf falls off, it will be more noticeable, especially when it's a bit more mature.

I love learning from such passionate people on this forum. I'm grateful for the patience you show in explaining things. I've had hardly any luck on another forum in my country, and nobody shares information there.

prior to 2007 I used to visit multiple palm forums. After finding palmtalk I realized the information available here is so much better I don't read those other forums any more. There were a lot more professional nurserymen back then and even botanists who pioneered hybridization of palms. I learned most of what I know from people who had the experience and the success. I also learned when I was in the arizona desert that the locals had experience that the mediterranean and tropical/subtropical growers didnt have in terms of growing different species. A perfect example is "full sun" what may be a great full sun palm in coastal california may burn to a crisp in the arizona desert in a week, regardless of how much you water. Follow the experience and you will do well. Nice looking palms!

April 18

7 hours ago, RichardHemsley said:

Will be interesting to see if the POFLO fertiliser makes any difference for you. I used it for 3 years and not sure it had much of an impact . I have switched to a different palm specific fertiliser this year

I've only given my Alexandra palm the first application so far. I'll try it out this season; a friend who has very large and healthy palms here on the Mediterranean coast recommended it. I previously used a more basic liquid, and I think this one will work well, but of course, you always want the best, and you have to learn and experiment.

My Alexandra palm grew four new leaves last season, which I think is good considering it's in a pot.

April 18

It's a genus that I have had no luck with. I had a large container grown alexandrae and a couple of smaller tuckeri, and all are no longer with us.

April 18

6 minutes ago, RichardHemsley said:

It's a genus that I have had no luck with. I had a large container grown alexandrae and a couple of smaller tuckeri, and all are no longer with us.

Oh wow! I wasn't expecting to hear that... It must be frustrating, although ultimately we try to grow palm trees in climates that aren't their ideal habitats. At least for me, that's the charm and excitement of having them, as proof that perhaps we can succeed, with the added satisfaction that comes with it.

I don't have the space to plant them in the ground... I hope mine will withstand the climate, watering, and fertilizer I'll be giving them.

How long did they last in the pots?

April 18

5 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

prior to 2007 I used to visit multiple palm forums. After finding palmtalk I realized the information available here is so much better I don't read those other forums any more. There were a lot more professional nurserymen back then and even botanists who pioneered hybridization of palms. I learned most of what I know from people who had the experience and the success. I also learned when I was in the arizona desert that the locals had experience that the mediterranean and tropical/subtropical growers didnt have in terms of growing different species. A perfect example is "full sun" what may be a great full sun palm in coastal california may burn to a crisp in the arizona desert in a week, regardless of how much you water. Follow the experience and you will do well. Nice looking palms!

I'll honestly say that in the week I've been on this forum, it's helped me more than other Spanish-speaking forums, and even more than the famous chatgpt.

I'll keep coming back, as I'm sure there's plenty of information about Archontophoenix from others, along with their experiences and advice.

Thanks again. Greetings from Spain 😉

April 22

True Pupurea is the slowest of the Archie’s. I have 3 hybrids(either with Maxima or Alexandrae) and they grow just as fast as Maxima or Alexandrae. But as called out above th one I have that’s in mostly shade is much prettier than the two in full sun which are yellowish and less attractive visually.

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