How Do Palm Trees Grow? From Seed to Mature Palm

As you can see, there is a growth process along with different stages in a palm's life.

With this palm's roadmap to a lifetime, we'll start with what you’ll actually be looking at, as the palm goes through the growing process of life stages.

The preliminaries to how palm trees grow begins with flowers. They must first be pollinated to produce seeds.

Knowing whether a palm is Monoecious or Dioecious has some input into how pollinators can be successful with their task.

Typical palm pollinators are insects such as bees, beetles, butterflies, etc. But sometimes it's the wind. Then the flower begins transforming into a Palm Fruit containing a seed.

A bee gets palm flower nectar, causing pollination to happen.

Palm trees most often begin by growing from a healthy seed.

The palm's seed is dormant at first, or in a resting/sleeping stage. When it anchors itself into proper surroundings, it begins its growing for a successful future life.

That begins the process of germination. For growth to happen, palm seeds need the right circumstances.

Was the palm seed able to arrive in a suitable growing place? In nature, there are three typical ways it arrives in a growing place:

• Animals eat palm fruit containing the seed. When the animal voids wastes, the undigestible seed plops there.
• It can begin growing near where it landed after the fruit fell from the palm. It might roll around away from its "mom" palm - with a wind push, or any odd happening.
• Some fruit flows along in water streams until landing in a place to germinate. Think of a coconut flowing across a bay.

Seed enzymes make things happen. They trigger the embyo to begin feeding from the seed's endosperm. That food source for embryonic energy to begin growth:

• From the tube's bottom, the first seedling root grows downward. This primary root is thick, white and temporary.
• A tube pops out from the seed. Growing upward with the first new leaf shoot.

After the seed begins that start-up job is when lasting roots begin to grow.

• The white primary root is gradually replaced by the area called the Root Initiation Zone. Setting up success for how palm trees grow. 
• Streams of Adventitious Roots start growing just under the soil, from the bottom of the trunk. The location of the root initiation zone.
• Roots typically grow out laterally, outward in a wide circumferance from the trunk's root growing zone. Although some grow downward.
• Root tips are covered by a root cap, whose job it is to protect it like a helmet, as it enters new soil areas.

All newly growing palm roots grow outward at their maximum thickness. As they extend their length, but never thicken further. They don't send down a tap root, or have root hairs. 

Roots begin branching out to four levels. Each level is a bit smaller in size than the level above. But still, each grows out at its own maximum thickness. In other words as they get longer, they don't get thicker or thinner.

The upper two levels are mostly for anchoring into the soil. The third and fourth level roots primarily absorb water & nutrients. Internally they attach to nourishment bundles in the stem (trunk).

Vintage artwork by Giorgio Gallesio shows the parts of a newly growing date palm.

The seedling shoots up from the seed, growing through the soil surface. That begins the palm's establishment phase. This juvenile stage of life is normally the most unsteady. 

When the seed has sprouted, the young palm begins growing from the plant's center, the growing point. That growth point is also called the meristem, bud or heart. This really is the heart of the palm. For if it dies, so does the palm tree!

Uprooted Mexican Fan Palm seedling.

The seedling grows by adding new leaves during the first years of its life above ground. Each new frond has a base node which is where the leaf stem is attached. Those leaves are stockpiling - the newest frond over older ones. This overlapping protects the young meristem.

As it builds this core of leaves with their bases, the young palm begins expanding its stem (trunk) width. Just below the palm's meristem is a specialized meristem responsible for this trunk widening.

As new fronds are added it also gains some height, but at that point there's a maximum height it will reach until it's gained its full species girth. It's completing its establishment phase.

When all that has happened, further upward growth begins.

Beccariophoenix alfredii, the High Plateau Coconut Palm. It's not related to a true coconut palm, but this one is ready for transplanting into the ground.

This entire process usually goes at a slow rate of speed for most palms. But some are exceptions, depending on the species. For instance,

• Washingtonia robusta (those Tall Palms in Los Angeles - Mexican Fan Palm), Syagrus romanzoffiana (Queen Palm), and Carpenteria acuminata (Carpenteria Palm) all grow pretty quickly. 
• While Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Needle Palm), Hedyscepe canterburyana (Umbrella Palm), and Jubaea chilensis (Chilean Wine Palm) grow extremely slowly.

Ptychosperma macarthurii, commonly called MaCarthur Palm. A clumping palm.

The palm seed should be planted in a well-draining substrate (planting soil mixture). We've used Back to the Roots 3 in 1 Seed Starting Mix, which is quite good.

Sabal mexicana seeds just placed on the planting medium.

We used 4 Inch Tall Peat Pots, and then cut the bottom from one, placing it inside the other, so they're doubled up to accomodate deep palm roots.

Cover the seed over with soil in this way: 

A general rule of thumb is burying the seed to a depth equal to the diameter of the seed itself. But you can use these other consideration specifics.

If your Seedling Pots are in full sun, place a maximum of 1in/2cm of potting soil substrate over the seed.

• If you'll be starting the seed in shade, place a maximum of one-half inch (one centimeter) substrate over the seed.

Then keep it moist until it sprouts, but don't let the soil become soggy.

Sabal mexicana seeds covered with a short layer of planting soil in organic pots.

It all comes down to knowing your palm species. Imitate their native habitat as closely as you can.

SUNLIGHT

Most palms need a good amount of sunlight throughout the day. Many get by with some shadiness.

A few Palms Grow Natively with little sun. These are palms that grew beneath other trees. In shady places. Often in rainforests or boggy areas. These Types of Palms are often sold as Palm Trees for Indoors.

WATER

Proper Watering is top-priority. Soil should be well-draining. Waterlogged roots are a non-starter!

• Overwatering can lead to root rot.
• Underwatering can cause palm stress. Leading to other disease risks. 
• Buggy attacks can happen when palms are stressed from too little or too much!

However for newly transplanted palms, extra watering while it's becoming established is needed. It's all about timing, balance and common sense.

Just Like Goldilocks Discovered!
Not Too Little, Not Too Much - But Just Right!

FERTILIZING PLAN

Palms don't need fertilizer while germinating.

Why not? While they're seedlings, all their nutrition is fed to them via the endosperm, as we've seen. Lasting about 2-3 months after the sprout is visible above ground.

Then, depending on species & circumstances, palm trees require fertilization to help them grow & look their best. A Controlled-Release Fertilization Like This One that we use and are quite happy with. Because it's a specialized fertilizer for palms. Palm trees have more unique nutrient requirements.

See our article about Fertilizing Your Palm for more.

Fertilizer Delivery - Stocking Up for all the Palm Trees in this Palm Grove