Care of Queen Palm Trees

Overview

Queen palm, also known as Syagrus romanzoffiana, is a cold, hardy palm native to Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. You can now find them cultivated all over the extreme southern United States. Like other palm trees, queen palms need proper care practices to ensure a healthy specimen. Queen palms that aren't properly cared for can suffer diseases, stunted growth and even early death.

Step 1

Supplement your queen palm with water during periods of dry weather. Your queen palm should receive 1 inch of water per week over its entire root zone, which extends from the trunk to the edge of the canopy.

Step 2

Prune your queen palm in winter. Prune off brown or yellow fronds from the entire tree with a pruning shears or saw. Prune off other fronds as needed as long as they are horizontal to the ground or lower.

Step 3

Fertilize your queen palm with a high quality palm fertilizer four times per year. Ensure the palm fertilizer has essential micronutrients like manganese and iron sulfate. Apply 2 to 4 pounds of fertilizer during each application using a broadcast spreader. Spread it under the entire palm canopy.

Step 4

Mulch your queen palm with a high-quality mulch. Extend the mulch in a circle around the queen palm. The mulch circle should start 6 inches from the trunk and be 18 inches wide. Apply at a thickness of 2 to 6 inches.