Grow queen palm in full sun and moist soil that drains, and feed it with a palm fertilizer. Queen palm is Syagrus. It is also sold as Cocos plumosa. It is not majesty palm.
Give it full sun, moist soil that drains, and a palm fertilizer
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun most of the day | Do not keep it in deep shade, where the crown thins |
| Soil | Moist ground that still drains; acid to neutral sand, loam, or clay | Do not plant it in a low wet well, or on strongly alkaline fill as the only home |
| Water | Soak the root zone in heat, then wait until the top few inches have dried some | Do not keep the trunk sitting in standing water |
| Feed | A palm fertilizer with potassium, magnesium, and micronutrients in the warm months | Do not use high-nitrogen lawn food as the only feed under the canopy |
| Cold | Cover a young plant if a night near 25 degrees is coming | Do not leave a first-year pot out through a hard freeze |
Queen palm is Syagrus romanzoffiana, a solitary feather palm with a smooth gray trunk and a plumy crown. It grows fast once the roots are in, and a mature tree is about 50 feet tall with a 20 to 25 foot spread. [1] Give it full sun and moist ground that still drains. A wet low spot is a poor home. Strongly alkaline fill is a poor home too, because new leaves then yellow or frizzle from manganese and iron shortages. [2] In the warm months, spread a palm fertilizer that includes potassium, magnesium, and micronutrients under the whole canopy, not against the trunk. High-nitrogen lawn food nearby forces growth the tree cannot feed, and the oldest leaflets then show small yellow-orange spots and dead tips. [3] If you have a hole to dig, the plant-out is on Planting Queen Palm. Brown-only cuts stay on How to Prune Queen Palm. A new plant from seed is How to Propagate Queen Palm.
Does queen palm need full sun?
Yes. Grow it in full sun most of the day. Deep shade leaves a thin crown.
How often should I water queen palm?
Soak the root zone in heat, then wait until the top few inches have dried some. Do not keep the trunk sitting in standing water.
Grow a young plant in a pot with a hole, in full sun
A young queen palm can sit in a nursery pot on a bright patio until you plant it. It is still a landscape tree, so it will outgrow a dim room. Use a pot with a hole and a mix that drains. [4]
- Choose a pot with a hole, only a size or two wider than the nursery can, so the mix can dry between waterings.
- Fill it with a sandy mix that drains. Do not use a cachepot with no hole as the only pot.
- Set the root ball so the trunk sits at the same depth it sat in the nursery can.
- Water once to settle the mix, wait about half an hour, then empty the saucer.
- Keep the pot in full sun. Soak it, then wait until the top of the mix has dried some.
- If a night near 25 degrees is coming and the plant is still in the pot, move it to a bright garage or cover it. A mature tree stays in the ground.
- Move it into the ground before the trunk fills the pot. A 50-foot queen palm is not a houseplant.
Can I grow queen palm indoors?
A young plant can sit in a pot with a hole, in full sun, until you plant it. A dim living room is the wrong home. The indoor palm sold as majesty is Ravenea, not this tree.
Not a majesty palm — and not a pindo palm
Majesty palm is Ravenea, the indoor feather palm with a thicker, slower crown; see How to Grow Majesty Palm. If the tag says queen palm and the plant is in a living-room pot, read the Latin. Pindo palm is Butia, a shorter feather palm with stiffer blue-green leaflets and teeth on the leaf stalks; see How to Grow Pindo Palm. Coconut is Cocos. The old nursery name Cocos plumosa is this queen palm, not a coconut; see How to Grow Coconut. Royal palm is Roystonea, with a green crownshaft and a thicker trunk; see How to Grow Royal Palm. Sago palm is a cycad, not a palm, and it is toxic if eaten; see How to Grow Sago Palm. Foxtail palm bunches its leaflets; see How to Grow Foxtail Palm. Alexandra palm is Archontophoenix, with a crownshaft; see How to Grow Alexandra Palm.
Is queen palm the same as majesty palm?
No. Queen palm is Syagrus, a fast outdoor feather palm. Majesty palm is Ravenea, the indoor palm sold in living-room pots.
Keep the tree in sun and moist soil that drains. If a freeze is coming and the plant is still in a pot, move it in before the cold night.
FAQ
Is Cocos plumosa the same as queen palm?
Yes. Cocos plumosa, Cocos palm, and Arecastrum are old shop names for Syagrus romanzoffiana. They are not a coconut, and they are not extra kinds to collect.
When does queen palm flower?
Mature trees send out large cream flower clusters from the crown in spring and summer, then bright orange fruit. The fruit is not a kitchen crop.
Will seedlings come up under the tree?
Yes. Ripe fruit drops in heavy clusters and sprouts where it lands. Pull the seedlings if you do not want more trees, and keep them out of wild ground.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] UF/IFAS Extension -
https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST609 - [2] UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions -
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/palms-and-cycads/queen-palm/ - [3] UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions -
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/palms-and-cycads/palm-nutrition/ - [4] University of Arizona Campus Arboretum -
https://apps.cals.arizona.edu/arboretum/taxon.aspx?id=21
This note is part of Syagrus Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors