Queen Palm Tree Growth Rate: Does It Grow Quick?

How fast do queen palms grow

Botanically known as the Syagrus Romanzoffiana, Queen Palm is a single-trunk plant. Prevalent in sub-tropical and tropical climates, you can spot Queen Palm in South Florida and California.

However, the plant is native to northern Argentina, southern Brazil, Uraguay, and Paraguay. You can commonly spot them in small mountain ranges and lowland regions.

It is a tall plant with a mature height of up to 60 feet, and its drooping leaves work as an excellent shade for the ground below.

Depending on the site conditions, the queen palm growth per year may vary. But typically, the queen palm tree growth rate is approximately a few feet. However, given its tropical appearance, it offers a visual appeal and color in any setting. It thrives in hardiness zones 9 through 11 and for a palm tree variety, Queen Palm is pretty cold-hardy.

Queen Palm Varieties

Before we discuss how fast do queen palms grow, we will first enlist the prevalent queen palm varieties.

1. Arikury Palm

It is a small accent palm, suited well for compact and tight spaces. Most people like placing the Arikury Palm at the entrance, as it adds a beautiful tropical vibe to the ambience.

Arikury Palm grows up to 12-feet in height. Despite being a short sized palm, it has long leaves, typically between 4 to 6 feet.

However, since they grow vertically, they do not extend externally more than 3-feet. Its trunk adds to its uniqueness. It is one of the best picks for a small yard or space.

2. Licury Palm

It is a relatively taller Queen palm variety and grows to about 35-feet height. The plant has silvery green and olive-green spiral leaves.

3. Overtop Palm

At 60-height, it is one of the tallest varieties of Queen Palm. Native to the West Indies, Lesser Antilles, Queen Palm has a massive gray trunk.

With a coconut-like resemblance, it is more cold-hardy than a coconut. Scientifically known as Syagrus Amara, Overtop Palm is also famous as Moca Palm.

Queen Palm Growth Rate

So, how fast do queen palms grow? Queen Palms are a fast-growing species, and they are pretty fluffy in their appearance. Proper fertilization helps achieve an excellent queen palm tree growth.

An average Queen Palm is about 30-40 feet, but it can grow up to 60 feet. Most queen plants have trunks of 2-feet diameter.

In addition to the splendid queen palm growth per year, they also have a good spread. Usually, most Queen Palms are about five to ten feet wide.

How quickly do queen palms grow upon establishment? After establishment, the queen palm tree growth rate annually is somewhat between 2-6 feet.

How To Make Queen Palms Grow Faster: Major Factors

How To Make Queen Palms Grow Faster

If you want your queen palm to grow well, you need to give them the proper care and maintenance. Below, we will address a few tips to help you achieve the optimum growth rate.

Sunlight

The growth of queen palm depends on the degree of sunlight the plant receives. Ideally, the queen palm prefers full sun to partial shade.

They thrive in full sun, but a mix of full sun and partial shade can be beneficial for the plant to grow well. It will also prevent the leaves from burning in the harsh sun.

Water

A Queen Palm is a drought-tolerant plant. However, how fast do queen palms grow also depends on the amount of water you feed the plant. Their watering requirements are moderate.

But, from fall to summer, during the growing season, you can increase the frequency. In winters, you can reduce the frequency to half. But, in the initial one week, a freshly planted palm must be watered every day, followed by alternate days in the second week.

Watering three times a week in the third week will suffice. Also, during the first growing season, you must water three times in seven days. In winters, twice a week would work. After the tree has been established, the watering requirements drop significantly.

If you see leaves turning yellow, it means you are possibly overwatering. To overcome this, always check the soil before re-watering. You need to water it only when the top layer feels dry.

On the contrary, if the leaves appear brown, you are underwatering the palm. In addition to increasing the watering frequency, you must also use a potting mix with good drainage.

Temperature

Queen Palms are cold-hardy upon maturity. They can withstand temperatures below 25°F. In some cases, even a drop to 18°F is manageable for the palm. However, you may see complete defoliation when the temperature drops to 20°F, and minor leaf damage will start below 25°F.

Ideally, you can grow the queen palms in USDA 9b-11. It lies between the temperature range of 25 to 30°F to over 40°F. Anything beyond that would need some cold protection. You can use a sheet or a horticulture blanket to avoid temporary or permanent damage.

Soil

To grow queen palms, you have multiple soil options, but slightly acidic to neutral soil works best for queen palm growth per year. You can also include rich organic matter to elevate the growth rate.

Further, the soil should be well-draining. For this, you need to add some soil mix to the palm. Peat moss can be a good pick.

Humidity

Queen Palms love moderate to high humidity. It may be challenging to achieve this all 12 months. Hence, if the air is dry and humidity drops, you can install a humidifier to strike a balance.

Fertilizer

Nutrient deficiency has a severe implication on the plant’s health. You can assess it by observing the leaves. So, the feed indeed decides how fast do queen palms grow.

You can use a commercial-grade fertilizer meant exclusively for the palms to meet any deficiencies. For instance, a good, slow-release fertilizer should be your pick. It will have the correct dose of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, iron, and other micronutrients. You can feed once or twice every year.

Pruning

If you see any yellow or brown leaves on your Queen Palm, you can chop them off. It adds to the aesthetic appeal of the plant. At the same time, it makes way for fresh green foliage.

Tips To Improve On How Quickly Do Queen Palms Grow

If your queen palm tree growth rate is not up to the mark, it is possibly because of an improper care routine. So, be careful with care and maintenance, and your queen palm growth per year will improve. Here are some tips to get started:

Do not overwater or underwater the plant.
Use the fertilizer meant exclusively for palms in the growing season. Follow the instructions on the packaging label to ensure that you feed the correct quantity.
Be careful and gentle while repotting.
Water deeply and slowly after fertilization to ensure that the fertilization is soaked in.
Prune all the loose, dead, damaged, and discolored fronds.

You might also like to read about the growth rate of Banana Tree, Pine Tree, Snake Plant, Fiddle Fig.

FAQs About How Fast Do Queen Palms Grow

Ques 1. How many years do queen palms live?

Ans. In addition to an excellent queen palm tree growth rate, they also have a long life. Usually, a queen palm can live around 70 to 100 years in a tropical setting.

Ques 2. Does trimming palm trees make them grow faster?

Ans. Unfortunately, like most other trees, palms do not rejuvenate. Hence, if you prune the plants, it does not magically make them healthier, and neither would it influence their growth rate.

Conversely, if you do not trim them well, it can ruin their health and even stunt their growth. Be very careful while pruning. If mistakenly, you end up chopping off any green fronds, particularly the ones growing sideways, you will lose your healthy leaves.

It can make the palm feel overwhelmed and disturb the growth rate of the whole palm.

Ques 3. How expensive are queen palms?

Ans. Queen Palms are expensive, and the cost will depend on the nursery you reach out to. You can expect to pay somewhere around $180 per trunk.

Ques 4. How many inches does a queen palm grow a year?

Ans. How quickly do queen palms grow in a year? The queen palm tree growth rate is quite good, and they can get to about 24 inches in one growing season. As the queen palms have an average height of 25-50 feet, they will grow to their full height in 13-15 years.

Ques 5. Do Queen Palms need a lot of water?

Ans. If you are tired with the question how to make queen palms grow faster, remember that taking care of the queen palm’s water requirements is quintessential to boosting their growth.

While young, the queen Palms must be watered once every 7 to 14 days. While watering ensures that you leave the soil well moist. But, for established Queen Palms, the water requirements are different.

In the growing season, six to eight inches of water every 15-21 days works well for them. During the winters, plants need to be watered with the same quantity, but the timeline should be every 28-42 days.

Ques 6. How big does a queen palm get (height & spread wise)?

Ans. Queen Palms have a rapidly growing rate. Most queen palms get to 50-feet tall and have a spread of 20-25 feet.

Ques 7. Do queen palms have deep roots? Are they invasive?

Ans. The roots in queen palms are non-invasive. They grow up to about 24-inches deep. Regardless of how big the tree is, the trees grow sideways and not vertically downwards.

Hence, if you grow a queen palm in your garden or yard, you need to water it in a wider diameter to ensure that the horizontal roots are well-replenished.

Ques 8. How do you uproot a Queen Palm?

Ans. Here are some tips to uproot a Queen Palm:

Consider hiring a professional if you wish to uproot a Queen Palm to a safe height. Of course, it will cost you some money, but it can simplify the job immensely. You must never try uprooting a Queen Palm if you do not have the necessary equipment or expertise in handling large trees.
Next, you need to assess the tools for sharpness. You require an ax, saw, chainsaw, and loopers. Further, check all the safety gear.
Next, get rid of all the clutter in the surrounding area that may be damaged when the tree comes down.
Now, wear the safety gear and annex the harness. You will need boots, a fitted hat, and glasses.
You can start chopping the branches from the top into two-foot sections.
Water the soil properly. You need wet soil to remove the plant debris and tree roots easily.
Further, eliminate as much stump as you can. Use an ax to cut off the trunk. You can go down to the root as much as is possible for you.
Now, start digging around the root. Some roots feel stubborn. If so, you need to go further down the root ball. Begin at least two feet from the base, and go deeper till you reach the end.
Finally, you can take out the roots. Use loopers or trimmers if the roots feel stubborn.
You can now cover the hole with the soil to dig another tree.

Ques 9. Do queen palms ever stop growing?

Ans. No, the queen palms do not stop growing till they finally die one day. However, there are ways to stunt the growth of the plant. You can also continually prune the plant to curtail its growth.

Ques 10. Where can I find Queen Palms for sale?

Ans. Several online platforms have Queen Palms seeds on sale like Amazon. To buy a queen palm plant consider Lowes or other nearby nurseries and online stores.

Ques 11. Why are my queen palms not growing?

Ans. Queen palm growth per year is pretty good. They are rapid-growing plants. So, if your queen palms are not growing well, you are probably not following the care instructions.

One of the prime reasons for stunted growth is underwatering. Be thorough with the plant’s watering needs and water accordingly. In addition, insufficient sunlight and feed also inhibit growth.

At times, insects, too, can hamper the palm’s growth. Often queen palms are afflicted with mealybugs, scales, or aphids. Older queen palms are also susceptible to insect damage.

Moreover, a 10-year or older Queen Palm is often subject to termites. All of this can intervene with the plant’s natural growth. To overcome the pest attack, you can use neem oil or an insecticide soap.

Related Growth Guide: Areca Palm, Pygmy Palm, Ponytail Palm, European Fan Palm, Mexican Fan Palm

Conclusion

Hopefully, with our guide above, you have clarity on how fast do queen palms grow. However, if your palms are not growing as stated, you can follow our care guide to the T, and the results will be excellent.