Which is the best palm tree for your garden?

Salome Wanjiru, a seedling dealer along Chiromo Road in Nairobi says determining the location where you want to plant helps the gardener select the type of palm that will flourish in that spot.

“Most palms grow very tall and these types might suit an outdoor setting rather than an indoor one where space is limited,” she says, adding that the tall varieties make a good choice for the pavements.

Worth noting is the fact that palm trees can be extremely cumbersome to transport and some types expensive to buy, such as the cycad palm that averagely retails from Sh7,000 all the way to Sh35,000.

Here are other types of palms that can be grown in a Kenyan garden:

Cycad palm

This unique palm is characterised by a stout and woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and stiff evergreen leaves. The leaves are usually pinnate with individual plants varying size, and others having trunks only a few centimetres yet others are several metres tall.

Cycads typically grow very slowly and live very for long with some going up to 1000 years. From a distance, the palm looks artificial and one needs to feel the leaves to confirm that they are truly alive. A single seedling sells for averagely for between Sh7000 to Sh35,000. You would get this palm slightly cheaper at the coast where they do very well.

Golden Cane palm

This is also known as the butterfly palm. It has yellow stems and green leaflets and can grow to a height of about 4 metres. This is a perfect choice if you are looking for an easy-to-care-for plant with great landscaping potential. Each palm can give up to four suckers, making it quite a bushy plant.

Indoor, the plant can add a tropical effect to your home. It will serve the same purpose indoors in addition to being used as a border in your back or front yard.
Its seedlings go for about Sh1,500.

Coco plumosa palm

This garden ornamental tree is native to South America and grows to medium size height of up to 49 feet (15 metres). It has pinnate leaves that are lustrous and split when the plant matures. It is suitable for an indoor setting and thrives best when placed next to the window as it requires a lot of light.

This variety grows fast and a seedling retails for Sh3,000. If you are not sure which palm veriaty is best suited for your garden or how to position your plant, get the help of a landscaper or advice from the nursery where you are buying from.

These guys are usually very helpful when you buy from them. They can even get youi someone to help look after your plants upto the point where they don’t need too much looking after.

Pinaga palm

This variety does not grow to a tree-like stature but rather develops to a low lying plentiful shrub. Like many other palm types, it maintains an arrangement of veins that begins with a large main vein that branches off into smaller ones.

However, unlike other palm varieties, the leaves are formed into broad united segments that vary in size and location of origin. A single plant gives up to two suckers and it is ideal for outdoor settings. Since the pinanga palm is quite new in the Kenyan market, a seedling retails for Sh4,000.

Triangle palm

This palm variety is originally from Madagascar where it can grow to a height 15 metres in the wild. However, it rarely achieves that height outside its native habitat.

The leaves are about 2.5 metres in length, growing upright from the trunk, arching gracefully outward about a metre from their tips. The leaf bases are arranged in such a manner that they form a triangular shape in cross section, hence its name.
Propagation by seed is a good choice as the palm germinates within one month of planting.

“It is moss suited for outdoor gardening where it can display its remarkable shape to the best advantage,” explains Ms Wairimu.

Alexandra palm

This one has a striking green crown shaft and a smooth self-cleaning light-brown trunk. It is native to the rain forest of the northern coast of Australia. This variety often requires more water than other species and needs well-drained soil.

The leaves of the Alexandra Palm are pinnated and can grow up to 7 feet (2metres) long. In colour, the leaves are green on the top surface, and silvery on the bottom surface. A seedling retails for around Sh2,500

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