Palm tree cuttings: is it possible?

oktober 10th, 2017 · 4 Comments

ChamaeropsUnfortunately, the answer to this frequently asked question is ‘no’. Palms cannot be propagated using the techniques commonly used for other plants in the garden. Taking a cutting will therefore not result in a new palm tree. Palms can only be grown from seed. Certain species do however form several foothills such as the Chamaerops. Such a offshoot can be cut off if it has sufficient roots of its own. But without its own root system, this operation is pointless.


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The palms sold in the garden centres are often several grouped individuals planted in one pot. This is because several seeds have been germinated on a small surface. The seedlings were then potted together. The best-known examples of this are the Areca and the Kentia. So every stem is in fact a separate palm. When each stem gets enough space, each palm would grow into an adult palm with a nice trunk. But of course it never comes to that point in the living room.

For the enthusiast it is possible to separate these individual palms from each other. As soon as each palm gets sufficient space of its own, the growth will increase considerably. To illustrate the palms below. It concerns the Washingtonia robusta. The palms in the picture are equally aged (22 months). The palm on the right side has however shared a pot with a second one. As a result, it remained considerably smaller. Below you will find a step-by-step explanation of how the two palms (right) were divided.

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How to separate palm trees

Step 1

Verpotten dubbele palm1 Verpotten dubbele palm2

Carefully remove the palms from the pot.
The roots have grown together enormously. Pulling the root ball apart or cutting it would cause too much damage causing the palm to die.

Step 2

Verpotten dubbele palm3
Rinse the root ball with lukewarm running water until all potting soil has disappeared. This also causes the roots to detach from each other. Unravel the entangled roots where necessary.

Step 3

groei 2

Pot each palm separately. Try not to damage the roots. Provide plenty of water to ensure that the earth is properly coupled to the roots and the remaining air disappears.

© La Palmeraie

4 reacties »

  • Reactie door Amy — 22 april 2022 20:50 @ 20:50

    I beg to differ with your palm tree propagation with seeds. I have grown 2 palm trees (house plants) from cut offs on 2 different palm trees. They where both growing nobs off of the sides with shoots on them. I cut them, placed them in water till they grew roots, and planted them. They have grown just fine. I even have another nob that has grown off of where I cut one of them.https://ibb.co/G2XfBvc
    https://ibb.co/7pwL0q3


  • Reactie door lapalmeraie — 23 april 2022 09:54 @ 09:54

    Hi Amy

    That’s because your plant isn’t a palm but a Dracaena. Those can be multiplied by cuttings indeed.

    Kind regards
    La Palmeraie


  • Reactie door Grant Andrews — 20 juli 2023 05:56 @ 05:56

    Hello, my two outside tall palms struggled during strange weather conditions. One died and the other is struggling but is growing lots of offshoots palm leaves from the bottom of the palm trunk. What will happen to these lower offshoots palms if I left them? Can these be removed and planted elsewhere?
    I pulled a few off and they just broke off leaving a juicy section at the bottom of the trunk from where they grew.
    Thanks for the advice


  • Reactie door lapalmeraie — 20 juli 2023 09:28 @ 09:28

    Hi Grant Andrews

    I’m not sure what species you have here, making it difficult to advice you correctly. A common tall one doesn’t make offshoots, the one that does doesn’t become that tall.

    Could you share some pictures please?

    Kind regards
    La Palmeraie


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