Hi everyone,
I would really appreciate some advice from anyone experienced with Canary Island date palms (Phoenix canariensis), particularly their root systems and the effect of planting vigorous shrubs close to them.
I’ve attached three photographs so you can see the exact situation.
The palm is a very large, mature Canary Island date palm. My main concern is the root system underground. As I understand it, palms do not produce the same type of large woody structural roots as ordinary broadleaf trees. Instead, Phoenix canariensis produces large numbers of fibrous/adventitious roots from the base of the palm, and these can spread a considerable distance through the surrounding soil.
The first photograph shows the Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’ that previously grew around the palm. They were planted fairly close to it and survived, although they grew quite slowly.
The second photograph shows several almost bare stems very close to the base of the palm. These are Japanese privets (Ligustrum japonicum) that were planted there previously.
They had virtually no winter protection. I live in Cape Town, South Africa, where we get significant winter frost. I honestly thought these privets had died during winter, but to my surprise they have started pushing out fresh leaves and new shoots again.
What is particularly interesting to me is just how close these surviving privets are to the palm. They are growing almost within the immediate root zone at the base of this enormous tree.
However, we will remove these existing privets. They are not part of my permanent design.
My actual plan is to plant a completely new double-row Japanese privet hedge using healthy nursery-grown plants.
The hedge will form a formal square box around the palm, and the inner row of the hedge will begin approximately 60 cm away from the palm’s stem/trunk.
The privets will be planted closely together in two rows and clipped regularly to create a dense, low, formal box hedge. They will not be allowed to grow into large unrestricted shrubs.
My biggest concern is what will happen underground.
At only around 60 cm from the trunk, I assume the new privets will definitely be planted within an area already heavily occupied by the Canary palm’s roots.
Japanese privet is also a vigorous plant with a much stronger and more extensive root system than the Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’ that was previously growing there.
I am therefore trying to understand whether these two root systems can safely coexist.
My questions are:
My main priority is protecting the Canary palm. It is a major, mature feature of the garden and I do not want to compromise its health just to create the hedge.
At the same time, the fact that both the previous Abelias and these almost-dead-looking Japanese privets managed to grow so close to the palm makes me wonder whether the two species may be able to coexist perfectly well with adequate irrigation and feeding.
I’d especially appreciate advice from anyone with experience with Phoenix canariensis root systems, mature palms, Japanese privet, root competition, or formal hedge planting around established trees and palms.
Please.
I would be so thankful;
you have no idea.
I would really appreciate some advice from anyone experienced with Canary Island date palms (Phoenix canariensis), particularly their root systems and the effect of planting vigorous shrubs close to them.
I’ve attached three photographs so you can see the exact situation.
The palm is a very large, mature Canary Island date palm. My main concern is the root system underground. As I understand it, palms do not produce the same type of large woody structural roots as ordinary broadleaf trees. Instead, Phoenix canariensis produces large numbers of fibrous/adventitious roots from the base of the palm, and these can spread a considerable distance through the surrounding soil.
The first photograph shows the Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’ that previously grew around the palm. They were planted fairly close to it and survived, although they grew quite slowly.
The second photograph shows several almost bare stems very close to the base of the palm. These are Japanese privets (Ligustrum japonicum) that were planted there previously.
They had virtually no winter protection. I live in Cape Town, South Africa, where we get significant winter frost. I honestly thought these privets had died during winter, but to my surprise they have started pushing out fresh leaves and new shoots again.
What is particularly interesting to me is just how close these surviving privets are to the palm. They are growing almost within the immediate root zone at the base of this enormous tree.
However, we will remove these existing privets. They are not part of my permanent design.
My actual plan is to plant a completely new double-row Japanese privet hedge using healthy nursery-grown plants.
The hedge will form a formal square box around the palm, and the inner row of the hedge will begin approximately 60 cm away from the palm’s stem/trunk.
The privets will be planted closely together in two rows and clipped regularly to create a dense, low, formal box hedge. They will not be allowed to grow into large unrestricted shrubs.
My biggest concern is what will happen underground.
At only around 60 cm from the trunk, I assume the new privets will definitely be planted within an area already heavily occupied by the Canary palm’s roots.
Japanese privet is also a vigorous plant with a much stronger and more extensive root system than the Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’ that was previously growing there.
I am therefore trying to understand whether these two root systems can safely coexist.
My questions are:
- Is 60 cm from the trunk of a mature Canary Island date palm too close to plant a double-row Japanese privet hedge?
- How dense would you expect the palm’s root system to be at approximately 60 cm from the trunk?
- Can nursery-grown Ligustrum japonicum establish successfully among an already mature Phoenix canariensis root system?
- Will the Japanese privet be strong enough to compete with the palm for water and nutrients?
- Could the privet roots themselves eventually compete strongly enough to negatively affect such a large, mature palm?
- Does the fact that the existing Japanese privets have survived and are now producing new growth even closer to the trunk than the proposed hedge give any useful indication that nursery-grown privets planted 60 cm away should cope?
- The Abelias also grew and closed gaps quickly. Or is this because they are Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’?
- Would you recommend installing a root barrier between the palm and the privet hedge, or would digging a trench for a barrier risk doing more damage by cutting through established palm roots?
- When preparing the planting trench for the double-row hedge, I expect to encounter palm roots. Should those roots be left intact wherever possible and the privets planted around them rather than cutting them?
My main priority is protecting the Canary palm. It is a major, mature feature of the garden and I do not want to compromise its health just to create the hedge.
At the same time, the fact that both the previous Abelias and these almost-dead-looking Japanese privets managed to grow so close to the palm makes me wonder whether the two species may be able to coexist perfectly well with adequate irrigation and feeding.
I’d especially appreciate advice from anyone with experience with Phoenix canariensis root systems, mature palms, Japanese privet, root competition, or formal hedge planting around established trees and palms.
Please.
I would be so thankful;
