This well-known and much-loved palm is often used in smaller gardens and for indoor decoration. It is a solitary species with leathery leaves; a slender, gray trunk; and bright red fruits. The seeds are easy to germinate, and the plants are easy to care for and capable of growing rather quickly if given adequate water and feed. The Solitaire Palm is best suited to tropical and subtropical conditions, but will also grow in protected spots in warm temperate climates, and keeps up well indoors even in low-light situations. It grows to about ten meters tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 10 cm in diameter. It has an elegant crown of pinnate fronds that grow to about three meters long. The flower spike grows below the crownshaft, and is about 70cm long with small greenish flowers. The red fruit are oval or round and about 1 cm in diameter. Solitaire Palm is a popular garden palm. It is native to tropical rainforests in coastal areas of northern Queensland, Australia.
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Growing Instructions for the Alexander Palm
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The seeds have a hard seed coat that has to be treated, or scarified, in order for water to enter the seeds so that they can sprout. 1. Scarify the seeds by nicking or sanding the seed coat. The seeds can be sanded with sandpaper, a nail file or an emery board. 2. Soak the seed in water for several hours. 3. Prepare a mixture of half potting soil and half sand, perlite or vermiculite. Water the mixture so that it is moist but not wet. 4. Put the seeds on the soil. 5. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. 6. Water the seeds. 7. Place the pots in an area with warm temperatures in full sun or part shade. 8. When the seedlings are a few inches tall, they can be transplanted.