Arecastrum romanzoffianum Queen palmTall tree...

Arecastrum romanzoffianum Queen palm

Tall tree with large, graceful fronds

One of the most beautiful palm trees in the world, the queen palm is straight and tall--up to 50 feet--with a wide spread of handsome green fronds. Ideal in its proportions, with an arching green umbrella on a grayish shaft, it has none of the fragility of the skinny Washingtonia palms nor the stolid-burgher quality of the date palms. If one were asked to draw a perfect palm tree, one would probably come up with something very much like the queen palm.

But the queen palm is perfect in looks only. It suffers from a fungus called pink rot, or Gliocladium vermoeseni, which affects them when they are planted in the wrong places: standing in water or subject to cool temperatures, water condensation and poor air circulation.

The fungus affects the crown; the leaves fall off, and the tree eventually dies. The disease is spread by spores that are wind- or rain-borne, but it can be prevented by careful cultivation. Queen palms should not be planted in foggy areas by the coast, and they should have excellent drainage wherever they live. Keep other trees and shrubs at bay, and don’t overwater.

If you cannot guarantee happiness to the queen, the king palm is a good alternative. The king palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana), with coarser, rangier fronds, can tolerate more shade and humidity than the queen, and it is (so far) impervious to pink rot. Although not as lovely as the queen, the king palm has other advantages: It grows well indoors and the twig-like flower parts, when dried, are highly prized by basket makers.