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Divide Alexander Palms

18 years ago

I just bought 2 Alexander Palms which have 5-7 trunks on the one tree. Some are larger but most are small starts coming fromthe roots. I really don't have the room to let them all mature into one large clump of trees. I would really like to have a 2-3 trunk palm. Is there a safe way to divide or remove the small starts from the palms? Do I just trim them off or split the root where they start?

Thanks, Juanita

Fort Myers, Fl

Comments (5)

  • 18 years ago

    I would not separate them now if I was you because the temps will drop soon and they might die. When you separate them I would take the palms out of the pot and place them in water to wash off the dirt. Then separate the roots and re pot. I would use a root stimulator to help them to not go into shock.
    What palm do you have Archontophoenix alexandrae or Ptychosperma elegans ?

  • 18 years ago

    They are Archontophoenix alexandrae. We had some landscaping done this spring and had two larger triple palms put in which we thought were Alexander Palms but they don't grow new shoots at the roots. The landscaper called them Christmas Palms. Can these be the same kind of Palms?

  • 18 years ago

    Alexander palms (archontophoenix alexandrae ) do not have suckers but alexander ( Ptychosperma elegans ) does look like christmas palms but I believe it does not produce suckers either.archontophoenix alexandrae will have maybe one or two trunks that grow fast and the remaining ones grow much slower and that might be what is happening.

  • 18 years ago

    Ok. Now that explains why there are so many on one tree. I bought these at Home Depot and the tags on them have a picture and said they were Alexander palms (archontophoenix alexandrae) not the (Ptychosperma elegans)variety. I think I will take them back because I have room for tree but not a multiplier. How do I know if my other larger trees are a Christmas Palm or an Alexander? What are the differences? I tried to google it but I found nothing on christams palms. Do they have another name?
    Also thanks for all your help!

  • 18 years ago

    These two palms each grow one palm from one seed they do not have any new palms growing from there roots.You could have another palm all together that is growing there. Can you show a picture ? About the names Alexander was a common name given to a archotophoenix alexandrae and some time or another people started to call Ptychosperma elegans the same common name. The other common name that is more familiar for Ptychosperma elegans is Solitaire Palm . Christmas palm is a common name for Adonidia merrillii which was once thought to be a veitchia. Adonidia merrillii looks very similar to Ptychosperma elegans when young.
    Archontophoenix alexandrae are sometimes planted with multiple seeds in the pot and some trunks will grow fast and others very slow so it gives the appearance the are(multipliers)but they are not. But if you can post a pic we can clear that up too if you like.Here is a picture of one of mine.Its the big palm on the left.


    And this is a Ptychosperma palm (not elegans) but similar in appearance and it does sucker or multiply..{{gwi:1139630}}

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