How to Grow Madagascar Palms

The Madagascar palm (Pachypodium lamerei) is not related to true palms. This spikey succulent shrub belongs to thedogbane family (Apocynaceae). Identifiable by its spear-like dark green foliage, the Madagascar palm has a single thick grey trunk, sometimes with thorns. The plant bears large, fragrant white flowers in the spring and into the early summer. Grown as a houseplant, Madagascar palm rarely blooms.

Outdoors, Madagascar palm is planted into the landscape in the spring. It grows at an annual rate of about 4 to 12 inches, though it takes over a decade to mature and possibly bloom. In its native habitat, it often grows over 20 feet tall. When planted in the landscape, it typically tops out at 10 to 15 feet.

The plant contains toxins that are harmful to humans and pets.

Madagascar Palm Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing a Madagascar palm:

• Plant it in a location with full sun or place it in a south- or west-facing window.
• Give it a space 36 to 48 inches wide.
• Make sure the soil is well-drained.
• Water whenever the surface of the soil is dry. Reduce watering during the winter dormancy.
• Fertilize it twice in the spring and summer.
• Prune the top to limit the height if desired.
• In cooler climates, overwinter potted plants indoors.

Light

Grow your Madagascar palm in full sunlight outdoors or set it in a south or west-facing window indoors.

Soil

Madagascar palm adapts to a variety of well-drained soils with a mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH between 6.1 and 7.8. It grows in the sandy soil of dunes near the sea, in limestone, schists, etc.

For houseplants, use a special potting mix for cacti.

Water

In the landscape, Madagascar palm needs regular but moderate watering until it is established.

For houseplants, follow the same "soak and dry" rule as for succulents during the spring and summer. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings and water slowly whenever the top few inches of the soil feel dry. Cut down on the watering in the winter.

Temperature and Humidity

Native to southern Madagascar, this tropical plant is only hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11. It is not frost-hardy and prone to cold damage when temperatures drop below 40 degrees F. it does best in medium relative humidity of 40 to 50%.

Fertilizer

Feed the plant an all-purpose liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted to half-strength at the start of spring and the beginning of summer, or a low-nitrogen liquid fertilizer every four to five weeks.

Whether grown indoors or outdoors, do not fertilize in fall or winter. Restart the fertilizer when new growth starts in the spring

Pruning

Pruning is usually needed for a Madagascar palm. However, to maintain a smaller size or to encourage branching, prune the tree with care by removing the top with sharp, sterilized pruners. The plant has incredible regenerative properties. While it typically grows a single trunk, it sometimes branches out after flowering or following an injury of the main stem.

Propagating Madagascar Palm

It's easy and quick to propagate a Madagascar palm using cuttings from stems or offsets that develop at the base of the tree. In late spring, propagate Madagascar palm by taking cuttings or offsets. To propagate with cuttings or offsets, take these steps:

1. Take a stem cutting, or an offset snipped off the main trunk, by using a sterilized cutting tool.
2. Allow the stem or offset to dry for a week so the cut end develops a callus.
3. Plant the cutting or offset in a well-draining soil mix or succulent potting mix.
4. Place the potted cutting or offset in indirect light.
5. Water the cutting or offset only when the potting mix is completely dry. Do not overwater.

How to Grow Madagascar Palm From Seed

Growing a Madagascar palm using seeds is not as reliable or as quick of a method as propagating with cuttings or offsets. You might be able to collect seeds from an outdoor Madagascar palm in late summer or fall. Take these steps to harvest and germinate the seeds:

1. Let pods dry on the plant, then collect them, and break open for seeds.
2. Soak seeds for at least 24 hours in warm water.
3. Sow seeds as soon as possible in the ground about 2 feet apart or indoors in a pot filled with succulent mix. Place the pot under grow lights or on a heating mat. (If you start the palm indoors and want to transplant it outdoors, this tree handles transplanting well.)
4. Be patient, as the Madagascar palm tends to sprout quite slowly, taking anywhere from three weeks to six months.
   

Potting and Repotting a Madagascar Palm

Plant this succulent in a clay pot that wicks away moisture from the soil and make sure it has large drainage holes. Fill it with well-draining cactus potting mix.

Repotting may be necessary every three years because the plant becomes thick, tall, and top-heavy.

Always wear protective gardening gloves and clothing when handling this plant due to its sharp spines.

Overwintering

In cooler climates, Madagascar palm needs to be overwintered indoors because it is not cold-hardy. Move the potted plant indoors or to a protected area when temperatures fall below 40 degrees F.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

This species is relatively disease resistant though it is vulnerable to aphids while flowering. Keep an eye out for whiteflies and if necessary treat the plant with insecticidal soaps. If the plant shows signs of a heavy pest infestation, remove the parts that are damaged.

A few fungal diseases afflict an indoor or outdoor Madagascar palm, including leaf spot, botrytis (gray mold), leaf rust (in wet, humid conditions), powdery mildew, and southern blight (a soilborne fungus).Treat fungal issues as soon as you spot them with fungicides. Or, treat an indoor Madagascar palm plant with a homemade fungal solution of water and baking soda. Watch for a soilborne disease caused by lance nematodes, which can result in root rot of indoor or outdoor Madagascar palms.

How to Get a Madagascar Palm to Bloom

It is rare for Madagascar palms to bloom indoors. Even is you are growing it outdoors, it is a long wait of five years or more until it blooms for the first time.

Bloom Months

Bloom may start as early as April and continue until June, sometimes into July and August.

How Long Does Madagascar Palm Bloom?

The bloom lasts for a few weeks.

What Do Madagascar Palm Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The trumpet-shaped white or cream-colored flowers are large, up to 2.5 inches long and 4 inches in diameter, with a yellow center. They grow in clusters at the top of the plant. The flowers have a sweet fragrance, however, because they are located high up in the plant, it is not easily noticeable.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Other than giving the plant ideal growing conditions and taking good care of it, there is nothing you can do to encourage more blooms or coax it into blooming at all. Only mature Madagascar palms grown outdoors bloom.

Caring for Madagascar Palm After It Blooms

If you are lucky and your Madagascar palm blooms, there is no need to do anything. The flowers attract bees and butterflies and if they have been pollinated, the will turn into elongated seed pods containing many small brown seeds.

Common Problems With Madagascar Palm

Although a Madagascar palm is relatively easy-going, problems may occur, and the usual culprit is the amount of water the plant receives. Be on the lookout for signs of problems.

Squishy Trunk

Too much water causes rotting of the trunk or branches, producing a soft and squishy feel to the plant. The plant may also look droopy and withered. On rare occasions of overwatering, you may find moldy soil or small mushroom growth. If you feel any softness on any part of the plant, cut back on watering. If the mushy part is at the top of the plant, try pruning the trunk to eliminate the problem. If the bottom of the trunk is mushy, you might be able to save the palm by cutting it all the way down.

Leaves Dropping

A Madagascar palm may not have many leaves so no doubt you'll notice if they begin to drop. Outdoors, this plant naturally sheds its leaves in cooler, dryer months. Indoors, it may retain its foliage year-round. Leaf drop that is not seasonal could be caused by overwatering or underwatering or cold temperature. Adjust the watering and move a potted plant to a warmer location.

Yellow Leaves

Yellowing leaves, which may also be dropping, are usually a symptom of overwatering and resulting in root rot. If you don't feel your plant is overwatered, but it is still suffering, the plant may be growing in poor-draining soil. Amend the soil for better drainage.

Disfigured Trunk

If the skin of the trunk is scarred, shriveled, or discolored in places, it may mean that too much sunlight is burning the plant. If indoors, move the plant to an area away from direct sunlight. If outdoors, the tree may need to be moved to a less sunny area.

From: thespruce