Looks normal to me; they usually have several opening up at the same time.

What is the planting medium like? Maybe it's the picture, but it looks almost muddy.

P.S., Also, where are you located that you can be planting in early January?

Glad to hear it. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

I think I actually followed up on some advice you'd given a bit ago re (trans)planting Zamias in Dubai (Tropic of Cancer runs through here, but we're talking desert climate -- so average "winter" temps in the high 70s). Am visiting the folks here, and am still getting a feel for the climate/conditions, and trying to plant/situate accordingly.

Locale does sort of provide a segue re your question about the medium as well since the lack of any appropriate native soil (rubble aside) means I've been (as it were) manufacturing my own topsoil.

It's a cumbersome and borderline thankless/absurd task but, via a combo of so-called "sweet" sand (windblown, "plant-friendly" sand deposited on the tops of dunes that has comparatively better structure and is lower in salts), organic material (compost/manure/peat), and perlite I've tried to approach... not quite mud (I hope)... but some bassackwards sandy... err... loam? Ok, not quite... but the stuff I "manufactured" back in... like October... did in fact come to resemble something friable, fertile (the worm activity is somewhat encouraging), well-draining and reasonably useable. This stuff the plam's been planted in is relatively fresher and... well I half-predict the mix (which hasn't had as much time to settle and (de)compose itself is a potentially more effective than the photo, admittedly, suggests. (Still haven't gotten around to mulching around it yet)

Guess I'll have to see how this particular palm responds to the concoction (am here until early March, so I may even observe the first application of fert). I've mostly stuck to shrubs and ornamental grasses so far, but overall I've tried to focus on maintaining a balance between the organic matter and the perlite/sand (the sand still predominates) while providing for goodish drainage/retention w/o effing around too much.

Still amounts to experimentation of course... so far (a few months in) all additions seem to be doing well (beyond a candidate or two for wanton reckless bare-rooting and root-pruning that might've resented their candidacy... didn't tamper w the palm given their reputation rootsystem-wise)... and I'm banking on the fact that the total lack of literally any clay or actual silt has been counteracted by the organics etc.

Yeah, your soil is completely alien to me..., very different than anything encountered on the US East coast..., large sections of which are frozen now anyway, LOL.

Regarding this Phoenix species though, keep it mind it is native to tropical WET to monsoonal climates of SE Asia, not at all a desert species.

Good luck with your new plant!