Blue Cane Palm

Blue Cane Palm (Dypsis cabadae) is a clumping palm from Madagascar with smooth blue green canes ringed like bamboo, topped by arching deep green fronds. In a typical east coast garden it reaches about 8m tall and 3.5m wide, taller in the far tropics, and because it keeps sending new canes from the base it thickens into a screen as it climbs. For frost free gardens it is one of the most refined palms you can stand beside a pool.

Why you'll love it

• Canes worth looking at. The smooth blue green stems with their pale rings are the feature: a living sculpture even before the fronds begin.
• A screen, not a single trunk. As a clumping palm it multiplies its canes, building layered cover that solitary palms cannot offer.
• Poolside manners. Non-invasive roots make it safe beside pools, paving and plumbing, where tree roots are usually the deal breaker.
• Fast in the warmth. Given heat, water and feed it is a quick grower, so the tropical effect does not take a decade.
• Pet friendly. It is not toxic to cats or dogs, one less thing to police in a family garden.

Where it works best

Poolside. The blue green canes read beautifully against water, the roots behave beside the shell and the coping, and the clump filters glare without swallowing the space.

Screening and privacy. Plant 2m apart for a tropical screen. The clumps merge into a tall, layered green wall that still moves in the breeze.

Coastal and feature planting. Salt tolerance earns it a place in beachside gardens, and a single well grown clump makes a courtyard centrepiece.

Growing Blue Cane Palm in Australia

Position and climate. This palm is strictly for tropical and subtropical gardens. It is frost tender, and even a light frost will mark it, so south of the subtropics it is not a garden plant. Give it full sun and steady warmth, and it will handle heat, humidity and coastal air without complaint.

Soil. Rich and free draining. Dig plenty of organic matter through the planting area and mulch deeply, keeping mulch clear of the canes.

Water and feed. Water regularly through the warm months, especially in the first two years. Feed with a palm fertiliser in spring and again in midsummer to keep the fronds deep green and the new canes coming.

Pruning. Almost none. Remove spent fronds at the base as they brown, and thin excess canes at ground level if you want the ringed stems on better display.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Blue Cane Palm in 300mm pots and in advanced 45L, 100L and 160L sizes, so you can grow the clump patiently or buy the finished effect. Palms travel well, though a few bruised fronds in transit are cosmetic and soon replaced. Plant in the warm months for the fastest establishment.

Palms are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare species in the palm tree collection.
• Plan the setting with plants for poolside gardens.
• Get oriented with our guide to palm tree varieties.
• Fill the understorey from the tropical plants range.

Common questions

Will it survive frost or a southern winter?

No. It is frost tender and belongs in tropical and subtropical gardens only. In Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and inland districts, choose a hardier palm instead.

Is it safe around pets?

Yes. Blue Cane Palm is pet friendly and not toxic to cats or dogs, which makes it a comfortable choice for family backyards and pool areas.

How far apart for a screen?

Plant 2m apart. Each clump widens as new canes emerge, and neighbouring clumps knit into continuous cover within a few seasons in a warm garden.

How fast does it grow?

Quick for a palm in genuine warmth: with regular water and feed, expect visible new canes and height each growing season. Growth slows noticeably at the cool southern edge of its range.