APRIL, 2000
Palm of the Month
Alexander Palm Archontophoenix alexandre
Dear Fellow Palm
Aficionado (or compulsive palm collector and fan), we are about to unfold in this
electronic periodical, for the VERY FIRST TIME: (break out the bubbly!),
Paul,"The Wise
Gardener's" choice
for the Blue Ribbon-Awarded
Palm Species of the Month!
These louded species are palms that time and
time again make their owners proud that they acquired these guys in the first
place!! They dazzled us with a certain rare attraction: shape, colour, exoticness,
or lushness; we were won over rapidly AND, convincingly, indeed! The love affair in
which we were initially engaged has never, ever waned either. (No divorce court
needed here, my friends!!)
 My selection for this very 1st Awarded Palm is an Queensland Australia Palm: The Alexander Palm, or Archontophoenix alexandrae!! It's regal, clean, tropical in "feel", colourful, and
VERY HARDY!!! Our own (AR-KON-TOE-FEE-NIX) has gotten more and more vibrant and lush, with
each passing year, (and it's over four years in residence with us now), and ever more a
unique focal point in our backyard.
 This particular backyard faces
Southwest in orientation, but the archontophoenix occupies a rather protected
"nook" which partially blocks out strong winds of either the COLD Northwest
winter variety, or those fierce winds of tropical origin (our palm has weathered quite
successfully two major hurricanes) in its life here in South Florida! The everyday beauty
that this specimen hallmarks is the expected; the surprise "bonus" is FRUITING
TIME!! Wow!! From April through October, our archontophoenix palm
produces literally HUNDREDS of cranberry-like seeds and that number is no exaggeration!!
 What
is truly AMAZING is that the seeds of our archontophoenix palm are 100% FERTILE!!!
Every single ruby-coloured cauldron of life will sprout forth with a baby
archontophoenix!! Just look at our pictures (recently back from the developer), and
see what I mean, palm lover! These are plants bursting with vigour. We must
have at least 500 plantlets, (or is that palmlets) in various stages of growth. We
intend to make our backyard, an: "ARKONTO-Forest" in these next few months by
transplanting these baby sprouts throughout our yard. We'll show you status photos
at several times throughout the year!
Friends, this palm is all
I've stated, and more!! All you need is a well-drained site (our palm occupies a
somewhat elevated planting residence as you can see), plenty of moisture, and no
temperatures under 35 degrees F.: (This is a ZONE 10A palm, but if you're adventurous, you
might find success in ZONE 9B, with a minimum winter temperature of 30 degrees F., with
PROTECTION!!) Try growing this Australian native if you happen to see one FOR
SALE. It will become one of your favourites, I am sure!!!
Paul,"The
Wise Gardener!"
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