Palms can give your patio an exotic, tropical flavor, particularly when they are grown in containers. There are several varieties suitable to container gardening, making them a near-perfect plant to grace your outdoor living areas.
Here are my choices for the best potted palms for patios in the desert Southwest:
Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelinii) — An elegant dwarf palm with lacy medium-green feather-shaped leaves. The Pygmy Date may be thought of as a clumping palm with multiple trunks, but it actually has just one trunk. Nurseries and garden centers generally sell them with two or three palms planted in a cluster, giving a fuller appearance.
When grown in a pot, the palms typically grow to a height and spread of about 3 to 5 feet. They need full sun or morning sun only.
Pygmy dates, unlike edible date palms, are native to Indonesia, not arid North Africa, and need frequent watering, especially during hot weather. Keep the soil evenly moist at all times. Because they are tropical, they also need protection from freezing. Cover them in place or move them to a warmer location during cold snaps.
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Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) — An excellent palm for full shade. It, too, tolerates morning sun, but its leaves will scorch in strong summer sunlight. Lady Palms grow in containers to about 4 to 6 feet tall with a spread of no more than 3 feet.
They have true multiple trunks with slender, dark-brown stems sprouting from the ground like bamboo shoots.
Native to higher elevations in Eastern Asia, Lady Palms tolerate freezing temperatures, down to about 26 degrees. They need good drainage, so use a potting soil with ample perlite mixed in. Keep the potting mix evenly moist.
Mediterranean Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis) — A slow-growing clumping palm with fronds that are fan-shaped with long, slender leaflets. Leaf color varies greatly among individual plants from apple-green, to blue-green to silver green.
These palms can take full desert sunlight and are among the most cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures well into the teens.
Each palm has a number of stout trunks arising from the base at different heights, giving an overall rounded form to the canopy.
Native to dry Mediterranean regions, they require good drainage and soil that's allowed to dry between waterings.
Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) — Not a true palm at all. It is classified as a cycad, but it has the look and exotic quality of a palm. Compact size and slow growth make it ideal for container culture.
In containers, Sagos typically grow to 3 feet with a 3-foot spread and a dense, rounded form. They prefer an eastern exposure, with mid-day and afternoon shade. From late fall through early spring they can be positioned in full sunlight.
Native to Japan and Indonesia, Sagos are cold-hardy to the lower teens. They require regular watering and evenly moist soil, especially in hot weather.
Gardening
Advice by John P. Begeman
» garden demos
• "Basic Drip Irrigation" will be the topic for this week's garden demonstrations:
Wednesday
• 9 a.m., UA-Pima County Cooperative Extension, 4210 N. Campbell Ave.
• 1 p.m., Wilmot Library, 530 N. Wilmot Road.
Friday
• 1 p.m., Oro Valley Public Library, 1305 W. Naranja Drive.