Written by Jeff


Madagascar Palm SmallEvery once in a while the gardener finds a plant with which they develop a special affinity. It is difficult to say what exactly causes that attraction. There are many plants that have remarkable flowers and which are appreciated for their beauty. There are those that have unique foliage such as tuberous begonias. Some plants thrive on neglect and provide interest around the house and garden. Others have unusual growth habits such as twisted myrtle, which make them more interesting.

Then there are those plants that just strike a chord and it is hard to define what characteristic endears such a plant to the enthusiast. Less than two months ago, my wife and I purchased such plant, a Madagascar Palm. It is not really a palm, but just looks like one. It is more correctly placed with the succulents and cacti. 1

There are several things to like about this plant for the desert gardener:

  • It has formidable spines along its trunk which discourage critters while admittedly making it a challenging plant to handle.
  • It takes modest care similar to succulents.
  • It produces small, fragrant white flowers.
  • It is a fast grower reaching more than fifteen feet in some locales.
  • It can take the heat.

These are all positive characteristics, but most of all, it is interesting to look at. It is truly a palm-like plant with the leaves arranged on top in a swirling pattern and a strong, rigid trunk with its prominent spines. This is one plant that the birds, chipmunks and other native critters tend to leave alone. They chew on my Boxing Glove Cholla and a variety of succulents, but the Madagascar Palm goes untouched; perhaps a result of its poisonous sap.

In the north Phoenix area, this plant will have to be watched during the winter months since it is cold sensitive and hardy from zones 9-11. Since we are in zone 9, this puts us at the outer edge of cold hardiness.

Madagascar Palm 8-inch PotThis plant needed to be repotted immediately upon bringing it home. It was transplanted in a six-inch pot. Five weeks later it was moved to an 8-inch pot. While we look forward to watching this plant grow and become a conversation piece, we don’t relish bringing it indoors to protect it from the cold once it gets very large. Perhaps we will develop another strategy for protecting our interesting guest.

One thing I can be assured of is that it will be fun to watch the Magascar Palm grow even if it means providing “new shoes” every other month.

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

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Article References:

1 – http://www.seedsandmore-store.com/catalog.php/seedsandmore/pd11458

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