Bangalow Palm Grow Notes (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana)

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Written by National Tropical Plant Nursery | 06 March 2011

The Bangalow Palm is a very graceful palm, native to Australia. It grows to 25m tall and has a beautiful, smooth trunk. The trunk has spaced rings and grows to 30cm in diameter. The Bangalow Palm is a self cleaning palm, meaning fronds fall off automatically when finished - no need for you to cut them off and no messy look with dead fronds hanging off the palm tree. Leaves grow up to 2m long and are bright green with pale stalks.

The Bangalow Palm is best grown in a a sheltered position, protected from strong winds, at least while young. Once established they are a tough, easy to care for palm tree which requires no maintenance at all.

This palm grows best in full sun to part shade, and looks best when watered regularly. It can handle soggy soils but well draining soil is best. It is incredibly fast growing and can grow up to 1m a year, giving you a beautiful palm in only a few years.

Apply slow release fertiliser regularly (check the manufacturer's packet for instructions on when and how much) for best growth results - they are heavy feeders so keep up with the fertiliser! We recommend using Osmocote and can supply you with the mix we use in the nursery. We also recommend you mulch heavily around your palm, whilst keeping it away from the trunk to avoid rot. Apply organic matter or organic fertiliser as well, in addition to the slow release, to increase insect and bacterial activity to enhance your soil + keep the roots cool in summer and warm in winter. It will also direct the water to the roots, rather than run-off. The Bangalow Palm is also sometimes called Piccabean Palm.

Some additional general garden plants grow notes:

ON ARRIVAL:

Soaking:

When you receive your palms, unwrap them carefully, and give their roots a good soak in seaweed solution or water for a couple of hours or overnight, in a bright position but not in full sun. You can pour left-over seaweed solution on the plant after you have potted it up.

Pot size:

Choose the right pot size for your plants. Bangalow palm seedlings are suited to 5" pots, and the larger plants would be well suited to 10-12" pots. Don’t choose a huge pot in the hope the plant will grow faster, as it won’t! Most small plants will grow well in 100mm or 125mm pots, medium plants will often be suited to 125mm to 140mm pots, and large plants will need bigger pots to suit.

Potting mix:

Use a well draining potting mix which is of good quality. You can mix your own, or purchase a pre-mix from garden centres. Palm trees need a fertile mix with added organic matter, blood & Bone, Dynamic lifter or similar.

Fertilising:

All plants appreciate good, nutrient-rich soil, and will grow well with a regular application of the right fertiliser. It is best to find a fertiliser specifically designed for the type of plant you are growing. We generally use a slow release fertiliser (such as Osmocote) for most plants, and also add lots of organic matter to the soil. Plants thrive with regular application of blood & bone, Dynamic Lifter or other organic fertiliser, which adds to your soil. You should also add slow release regularly to really kick them on. Some foliage plants will love a regular feed with liquid fertiliser, as it is both absorbed through the foliage, and the soil. You could use liquid fertiliser on palm trees as well, until the canopy gets too large to reach. Beware however that we do not recommend using both slow release AND liquid fertiliser at the same time. Those fertiliser may not work well together and hurt the plant rather than help it! Organic fertiliser are fine to use with slow release, both have a different purpose and work well together.

Watering:

Make sure you water in your plants really, really well! You need to get air bubbles out of the soil, as roots die when they come into contact with air bubbles. This might cause them to die back, prohibits them from thriving and might even cause death. It is one of the most important things to do when re-potting plants! Once watered in, water your plants regularly. The rate would depend on the pot size. Most leafy plants will give you an indication of when they need watering, but it’s best to not let it get that far. You can stick your finger in the soil to check, the soil should feel moist to your second knuckle. If it feels dry, water. It is best to water when the plant needs it, and water well, rather than watering small amounts. This will stop the roots from developing properly. Make sure you don’t overwater to avoid root rot and cloggy soil. . Most plants need less water during winter. Pots will need more watering than plants in the ground.

Position:

It’s best to keep your plants in a protected position away from heat, sun, draughts etc. until you see some new growth, such as a new shoot or leaf. Once they have accustomed to their new climate and environment, you can start adjusting them to their final position in the garden, or pot. Slowly adjust them to full sun, and keep them protected from frost and wind for as long as possible. The bigger Bangalow Palms are ready to go into the ground, but we still recommend growing it in a pot for a while to achieve best growth. Growing plants up in pots until they’re nice and strong will ensure a good start in the garden. If you are planting them out, ‘tree guard’ are a good thing, and so are structures around the plant with shade cloth. Make sure you mulch well when you plant them in the garden – mulch conditions your soil, protects roots and saves water!

National Tropical Plants is a tropical plant nursery, but also a specialst palm nursery. We have many different types of palm trees online. To browse them all, visit our palm tree category