Senegal Date Palm

The Senegal Date Palm (Phoenix reclinata) is the clumping palm that gives a garden the look of an African oasis. Several slender trunks curve outward from one base to about 8m tall and 6m across, each carrying a full head of arching green fronds. Roots are fine and non-invasive, so it can sit beside a pool shell or a driveway without lifting anything.

Why you'll love it

• A clump, not a pole. Several leaning trunks from one crown give width and movement at eye level, where a single trunk palm gives you a bare stem.
• Safe beside hard surfaces. Non-invasive fibrous roots mean no risk to paving, pool shells or pipework.
• Hard to kill once established. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant and salt tolerant, so hot inland gardens and exposed coastal blocks both suit it.
• Instant landscape presence. The sizes we grow are advanced specimens, so the effect is there on planting day.

Where it works best

Poolside. Fine roots pose no threat to the shell or the coping. Set the clump back about 2m from the edge so the fronds arch over paving rather than into the water.

Feature planting. One clump in open lawn or a courtyard is the classic use, and uplighting the trunks at night is the single best thing you can do for it.

Driveways, avenues and coastal gardens. Space clumps 8m to 10m apart along a drive so each keeps its shape. Salt tolerance suits front line coastal positions.

Growing Senegal Date Palm in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and arid or semi-arid gardens and takes light frost only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens are outside its range.

Soil. Free draining ground of almost any type, including sand. On heavy clay, plant on a mound 300mm above the surrounding level and improve the backfill with compost and coarse sand. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunks.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then taper to a weekly soak. After a year it is genuinely drought tolerant. Feed a palm fertiliser with magnesium and potassium in early spring and mid summer to prevent yellowing on older fronds.

Pruning and handling. Remove spent brown fronds at the base and thin unwanted suckers to control clump width. The leaflets near the base of each frond are modified into long sharp spines, so wear gloves and eye protection whenever you work on it, and site it clear of paths.

What to expect when it arrives

This palm is grown as advanced landscape stock only, in 285L, 600L, 2000L and 2500L sizes. Even the smallest is a mature multi trunk clump with real height, which makes it a project purchase rather than an impulse one. The largest sizes need machinery on site to place them.

Fronds are tied for transport and may show folding or minor tip burn, which grows out with the next flush. Have the hole dug and site access sorted before delivery day. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read our guide to growing date palms in Australia.
• See more large palms for instant impact.
• Browse the wider palm range for smaller options.
• Compare plants for poolside gardens.

Common questions

Are the roots safe near a pool or paving?

Yes. Palm roots are fine and fibrous rather than woody, so they will not lift pavers or crack a shell.

Does it have spines?

Yes. The lower leaflets on each frond are modified into long, sharp spines. That is a genuine drawback near paths, play areas and pool edges, and it is why gloves and eye protection matter when pruning.

Can I grow one in a cool southern garden?

Only in a sheltered warm position, and even then it is a risk. It tolerates light frost only, so repeated hard frosts damage the fronds and set the plant back badly.