Phoenix Canariensis ‘Canary Island Date Palm’

A magnificent palm tree native to the Canary Islands with long, stiffly arching deep green leaves growing from an attractive trunk which forms slowly as old leaves fade. An undeniably impressive specimen tree for growing in a sunny position, sheltered from cold winds. Hardy to -6?C. Delivered as an established plant in a 14cm pot, approx. 60-80cm tall.

Top Tips

• Despite looking like desert palms and being drought tolerant, to get best results, water them really well in spring & summer – do not let dry out.
• In colder spots, bring in for winter, or tie fronds up together in a bundle to protect the centre of the palm.
• If you’re lucky enough to get shoots at the base of Phoenix canariensis, these can be carefully detached, along with any roots, and used for propagation. Pot each shoot in an 8cm (3 inch) pot of the standard potting mixture, place it in bright filtered light and water it sparingly-just enough to keep the mixture barely moist. After new top growth indicates that the shoot is well rooted, treat the young plant in the same way as a mature Phoenix canariensis palm.

Care Guide

• A slowly growing tree, Phoenix canariensis is easy to grow and care for.
• Thriving in a sheltered site in full sun, with some shade at midday the Phoenix Palm is best grown on the Patio in a large pot and brought under cover in the winter.
• When in growth, watering moderately and feed with a balanced fertiliser once a month at half strength. Water sparingly in winter.
• If your Phoenix Palm becomes pot bound, pot on into containers 2.5cm (1 inch) larger when new growth starts in spring, using a compost with good drainage. In years when re-potting is not carried out, top-dress by removing 5cm (2in) of old compost from the top of the pot and replacing with fresh.
• Pruning will only be needed to remove old fronds, which hang below horizontal. Do not remove those growing upright since this may slow the growth and reduce the palm vigor – remember that this palm has spines and sharp edges; use extreme caution when handling.