Years ago Chris sent a scientific expedition to the Canary Islands to study the plant life there. While his team researched during the day, they partied with the locals by night, and learned that the native people of the Canary Islands believed they were the direct descendants of the inhabitants of the lost city of Atlantis.
As if to reinforce this legend, the Canary Islands have some of the most interesting and beautiful plant life in the world. The Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis) is a classic example that has taken the world by storm. It’s now an iconic tree even in Melbourne, particularly in St Kilda and around Albert Park lake, and provides a distinctive art deco statement, fun 1950s tropical flair, or a chic modern impact in the garden.
If you want instant value and appeal, advanced Canary Island Date palms are an excellent statement. Used in pairs to frame a house, line driveways or as a single feature tree, their huge feather leaves waft airily in the wind and give a sense of paradise wherever they are seen. They are sometimes called Pineapple Palms, as their large “nut” and lush symmetrical crown give them a pineapple-like appearance.
Their popularity is well founded, since it is one of the palms most tolerant of our cooler climate, and is very easy to grow. The Canary Island Date Palm will put up with practically criminal levels of neglect if simply placed in a position of full sun with well drained soil and adequate space. Once established, these are very long-lived trees, as can be seen in heritage locations around Melbourne.
How fast do Canary Island Date Palms Grow?
The growth rate of the Canary Island Palm is something of a mystery which we can hopefully shed some light on. The Canary Island Palm is generally listed as a slow growing plant, at 1ft per year. Some people will tell you these palms take 80 years to reach a majestic 18 metres tall (their potential full height). The truth is that Canary Island Date Palms are incredibly adaptable and will take advantage of the situation they are planted in. Given lots of water, they actually grow very rapidly. Not given much water, such as in an unirrigated spot in a park or on a street, and they will grow slowly.
To illustrate this further, Chris explains that these palms often grow around oasis in the desert. He described a visit to Palm Springs in California, where he observed Date Palms whose roots had easy access to the spring as compared to those positioned further back. The size and growth rate difference was impressive. Chris says that Date Palms can reach their full height within 25 years as opposed to 80 years, given plenty of water. The benefit of this is that the growth rate can be somewhat controlled by the amount of water given to your Canary Island Date Palms. Purchasing an advanced Date Palm is still a very good investment to shave a few years off the time it takes to reach a mature size.
Canary Island Date Palms for Sale at our Melbourne Nursery
Landscaping with Canary Island Date Palms
As mentioned, these are very popular palms in Melbourne. You’ll find many large homes in Brighton use Canary Island Date Palms as feature trees. The only key requirement is adequate space to accommodate the mature tree, which will grow to around 15 metres tall with a head that is up to 8 metres wide. While you wait for your palm to reach this majestic height, the bed around it can be filled with other plants until it needs the space.
