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Kampala Tree and Palm Directory

Tree Species

Common Name

Tree Description

Tree Uses

English: Alexandra palm, Alexander palm, Northern bangalow palm, King palm, King Alexander palm

Whole tree

Bark

Leaves

Flowers

+ Tree Species

Archontophoenix alexandrae

+ Tree Family

Arecaceae

+ Ecology

Native to Australia. It grows in swampy areas and along drainage lines in rainforest, gallery forest along seasonally dry creeks, vine forest, Melaleuca forest and mixed Eucalypt forest. It prefers full sun, but also tolerable to partial shade. It favours more water than most palms do and likes well draining soils. Able to be withstand indoors to some degree of tolerance.

+ Description

A tall, solitary palm with large, stiff, feather-shaped leaves, exuding a graceful and elegant appearance. It can reach a height of 30 m tall with a trunk diameter of 30 cm.

BARK: smooth, circularly marked with prominent leaf scars, light grey; trunk base usually swollen; crownshaft light green, but occasionally brownish.

LEAVES: pinnate, 2 to 3 m long, unarmed, dark green above and silvery-white beneath.

FLOWER: creamy white, arising below crownshaft.

FRUIT: round, 1 to 2 cm in diameter, bright red when ripen.

+ Uses

An ornamental palm

Can be used for riverbank binding.

+ Propagation

Seeds.

+ Management

Fast-growing palm. Responds to mulching with an occasional deep watering during dry periods, particularly for young plants.

+ Remarks

Alexandra palm is a popular landscape specimen but is difficult to transplant. It is grown for its stately habit and is planted in tropical gardens or along water courses singularly or in groups. It is suitable for coastal and low-mountain regions, establishing in 3 to 5 years. When young it can be grown in containers, but requires ample light and humidity and is not suitable for indoor culture.