Solitaire Palm

Solitaire Palm (Ptychosperma elegans) is the slim single trunked palm for gardens with height available and very little width. It reaches around 7m in ten to fifteen years with a crown only 2.5m across, lifting a tropical canopy over a courtyard or pool surround without the ground space a clumping palm demands.

Why you'll love it

• Tall and genuinely narrow. The shape a small garden needs when it wants a palm and cannot spare the width.
• A clean single trunk. One slender grey trunk, a neat green crownshaft, self cleaning fronds and no suckers to manage.
• Australian native. From the coastal tropics of Queensland, with bright red fruit that birds work over.
• Safe near paving and pools. Non-invasive fibrous roots and little leaf litter, so it suits a poolside or a paved courtyard.

Where it works best

Poolside planting. Its strongest use. The crown sits high, the roots stay clear of the shell and coping, and fronds shed cleanly instead of littering the water.

Small gardens and courtyards. A single plant, or three at staggered heights set 1.5m to 2m apart, gives height without shading the whole space.

Coastal gardens and containers. Salt and wind tolerant, so it holds up on an exposed beachside block. A container 600mm or wider holds one for years.

Growing Solitaire Palm in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with some shade for the first year or two. Tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens only: it is frost tender, so cool temperate, tableland and frost prone inland gardens are not suitable.

Soil. Rich and free draining, with plenty of organic matter. Work compost through the planting area and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Palms are thirsty: water deeply twice a week through the first two summers, keeping the soil moist. Feed with a specialist palm fertiliser in early spring and midsummer; yellowing older fronds usually signal a magnesium or potassium shortfall.

Pruning. Very little. Fronds are self cleaning and detach on their own. Never cut into the crown: a palm has one growing point and will not recover.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in six sizes: 300mm and 400mm pots, then 45L, 100L, 110L and 160L. A 300mm plant is a juvenile with no trunk yet; from 45L up the trunk is formed, and 100L to 160L arrive carrying real height.

Palms travel with fronds tied, so expect a creased or browned leaflet when you untie them. That is transit marking, not damage. Expect a month of stillness, then a new frond every few weeks through the warm season. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every palm carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• A guide to palm tree varieties
• Plants suited to poolside gardens
• Tall and narrow plants for tight spaces
• Browse the full palm range

Common questions

How tall will it get?

Around 7m in ten to fifteen years, with a crown about 2.5m wide. An old plant in the tropics can push closer to 10m over decades.

Will it survive frost?

No. It is frost tender at any age, and a light frost damages young plants. If your garden gets frost, choose another palm.

Is it safe to plant near a pool?

Yes, one of the better choices. The roots are fibrous and non-invasive, the crown sits well above head height, and fronds drop whole rather than shedding into the water.