I hope I spelled that right. This is the pigmy date palm, nasty thorns on the leaves. These are also either male plants or female. This one is female, it has seeds.
Phoenix robelinii
Gosh, mine has no thorns on the leaves, you think it is just too immature?
Oh no Kell, they are born with thorns, lol! Maybe they have a thornless kind??
That is the one I just emailed you a pic of. It has no thorns. I have it in my living room. It is so easy. And so pretty, delicate and lacy.
The tag on it.
I think I see thorns! Look at the fronds, where they come out from the trunk. Those pointy things are thorns and they hurt really bad if you aren't careful when trimming the fronds(or if you brush against them accidentally)
Oh I see now. On mine they are soft still. They are long. Well, I guess it was too good to be true.
Cropped close up.
for your info
http://www.rarepalmseeds.com/shop/PhoRoe.shtml
just thought the bit about TOLERANT might be useful, not sure about tolerant to spades though!
What a great write up, Janet. I think I may run back and get the bigger one. LOL
That's probably a good idea kell, it might be more spade tolerant......
I will keep it in a pot so it won't go nuts like Susie's. i am getting a green corner now...withmy tree ferns and then this. LOL All under my huge banana.
Gee I wouldn't mind a palm tree going nuts! Isn't that what they're supposed to do?
Perhaps you could convert your 'too big' rose arbor into a jungle hut! A bit of bendy wattle, woven in and out, would do great!
The thorns on my Phoenix roebelenii got me just yesterday - but it's worth it! My small one screens a private corner of my courtyard and adds a gentle tropical touch.
Will it stay "bush-looking" if I don't trim it or will the bottom fronds die?
i think you will find all palms lose the bottom fronds as they grow upwards, that forms the stem.
They will stay "bushy" for a long time though.
I'd like it to stay bushy for awhile. I'll have to plant it when it starts looking like a tree, lol! Then I'll get a another baby and start again.... unless I've moved on to a bigger and better idea.
Thanks!