Drought-tolerant palm trees are an excellent choice for gardens in arid or water-scarce environments
To most people, Palm trees evoke images of the tropics, warm sunny beaches, or tropical islands. However, palm trees are a much more diverse plant family than most people imagine. They come from many different tropical, subtropical, or temperate climate zones. Some species are at home in a desert oasis, while others thrive along occasionally flooded streams.
While the drought tolerance of palm trees varies by species, other factors exist, such as age (established plants are more drought tolerant), humidity, sun exposure, and wind. Low humidity, full sun exposure, and windy conditions will increase the water needs of your palm trees. Newly planted palm trees need extra water for the first few months to get going.
Generally speaking, all palm trees thrive with year-round moisture, even those with a high tolerance for drought. Few palm trees can survive long in fully dry soil. Some may require water once a week, others 2-5 times a week.
Applying a thick layer of mulch (wood shavings or chips) around the base of your palm will help the soil retain its moisture and reduce evaporation. As the mulch breaks down, it will provide nutrition around the palm and improve drainage. Another benefit of mulching is weed control. Be careful: excess mulch piled against the trunk can lead to rot and fungal disease in the trunk.
There are dozens of beautiful and exotic palm trees that perform extremely well in arid climates as long as water is available for their roots. Once established, these highly drought-tolerant palm trees can survive several months of rainless periods.
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Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
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