Archontophoenix alexandrae
Arecaceae
Alexander Palm
Tall, graceful palm to 30m with a smooth, solitary trunk with noticeable leaf scars and 30cm in diameter; the crown spreads approximately 2m or slightly more.
The leaves are compound 3-4m long (made up of many pinnae); stiffly pinnate bright green feathery fronds have silvery undersides. Creamy flower stalks hold purple flowers which appear below the crown shaft. Roundish fruit turns bright red at maturity.
Uses
Popular indoor plant - outdoors in a rainforest garden in the sub-tropics and tropics.
Culture
Part shade or full sun in moist soils. Must be sheltered from full sun when young and first planted.
Will handle drought upon establishment but grow best with regular watering; mulch (kept well away from the trunk to prevent collar rot) to retain moisture. Use a low nitrogen, organic fertiliser in spring; tolerate cold conditions but not frost.
Cultivars
None listed.
Plant Health
Palm leaf beetles are a serious pest of this species also prone to spider mites; Indoor plants are prone to mealy bugs.
More info
ACS offers a Palm and Cycads course http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/palms-cycads-122.aspx . Also a course on Tropical Plant: http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/tropical-plants-317.aspx
A Tropical Plants ebook plus Growing Plams and Plamlike Plants which can purchased through using these links:
http://www.acsebooks.com/product-palms-and-palm-like-plants-pdf-ebook-6067.aspx
http://www.acsebooks.com/product-tropical-plants-ebook-6088.aspx
More from ACS
Get a great overview of plant taxonomy, and learn to identify over 100 plants as well as many plant families.
View Course
Ebook - Identification and culture of palms and palm like plants
View eBook
Course - Learn where and how to grow tropical plants
Create a Tropical Garden; Grow them as indoor plants;
identify, propagate care for and breed.
View Course