Linda Johnson

Landscaping Tips-Why Lining up Palm Trees So Close Limits Landscaping Options



Posted: Friday, July 24, 2009

by Linda Johnson
Showcase to Ideas

The tropically faint of heart may want to defer to another article, or adversely, read with an open mind.  For they are about to experience a visual and educational awakening when it comes to proper placement of palm trees within a yard.  Here are some tips on properly spacing the planting of palm trees within your own yard.

Now, I have nothing against palm trees.  In the home we own, we just happen to be struggling with the decision a previous owner made to plant 7 towering Queen Palms in a small backyard space.  Were in not for the fact that we peer out our first floor windows at nothing but tree trunks, rather than beautiful tree foliage, I would not be writing this article. 


However, it is not just our struggle from which these tips come about, but the hundreds if not thousands of current and future palm tree purchasers and planters who will fail to understand the growth habits and space needs of some of the larger varieties.  Or, a similar hundreds if not more thousands who know the growth habits, but insist that lining up palm tress like dominoes along each side of their driveway is a good thing. 



Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding to plant palm trees in your landscape scheme, some for aesthetic reasons, and others for prevention purposes:



Never plant too close to the house:  It would seem common sense, but you cannot imagine how many homeowners I have encountered that are paying the physical price for planting a younger palm that eventually grew in to a tropical monster and is now devouring the roof edges and damaging the house.  Know the growth rate and mature size of the palm you consider purchasing.  We had to have two in the front of our house removed for that very reason, as did our next door neighbor.  Both previous owners must have had tropical fever back then. 



Try not to go overboard:  In the same way we find lovers of certain colors going to extremes in both the garden or within the home, it is not uncommon to find some palm tree lovers trying to justify why they should be able to place one anywhere they can find a space.  Wrong!  Unless you are planting a palm tree grove for resale purposes, too much of any one thing is just that, too much.   



Mix it Up:  Okay, so you still want to plant palms in your landscape scheme.  Very well, let us look at a way of complimenting those palms rather than making them the ruling greenery of the yard.  Using the famous rule of 3s, try planting 3 palms if it is in the budget; and, rather than planting in an evenly spaced cluster, position them for a visually pleasing arrangement that will enable you to compliment the surrounding plantable ground nearby with tropical and perhaps Mediterranean style foliage.  Adding color to the mix is what will bring everything to vivid life.  Visit a local knowledgeable nursery for varieties of annuals and perennials with similar and complimentary foliage and colors that will share the landscaping with those palms.



These were just a few key things to keep in mind when selecting palm trees for your landscaping that will prevent tropical sorrow down the road years from now.



Happy landscaping!

Linda Johnson is an experienced crafter and interior/exterior decorating specialist, sharing her passion by helping friends, family, and clients solve their decorating and craft needs, and is currently the publisher of http://www.showcasetoideas.com, where everyone is invited to show off their own wonderful creations, and find a wealth of craft ideas and decorating projects.  Linda's education and practical decorating experience laid the framework for putting together an evergrowing library of how-to articles, video tutorials, and supply resources, while enabling viewers to share her passion by showing off their projects as well at http://www.showcasetoideas.com.  

This Article has been viewed 788 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Anonymous from tx. 2 years 73 days ago.
Do you have any clue how close i can plant two queen palms side by side? I ask because i would like to do so but don/t know if 4 feet away from each other is enough space for them to grow without interferance with one another.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.