Ribbon palm is exactly what your yard is missing. The care guide of a ribbon palm isn’t something you need to worry about.
Growing habits of so-called fan palms are very simple and easy-going once you provide them with the most basic conditions. Bright sunny exposures, and well-draining soils, and you got yourself a perfect plant.
If you found this palm interesting so far, you’ll fall in love with it even more. Below we bring you the botanical characteristics of a ribbon palm and its easy care guide.
About Ribbon Palm Trees
Ribbon palm trees are native Californian palm trees. They are well known for their easy care guide and interesting leaf shape.
If your garden lacks an interesting tree, ribbon fan palm is your ideal tree for it. They grow well even on the forest edges.
- Native habitat: east coast/southern California/coastal swamps/
- Family: Arecaceae
- Subfamily: Coryphoideae
- Botanic name: Livistona decipiens
- Common names: fountain palm/ graceful delicate ribbon palm/
- Type of a tree: solitary palm/ perennial plant/ cold hardy beauty
- Use: landscape applications/ decor palm trees
- Toxicity: non-toxic
- Wildlife: birds/ insects/butterflies
- Leaf shape: fan-shaped leaves/ arrow-straight trunk/dark green/
- Flower color: yellow flowers – cold tolerant
- Where to plant it: partial shade and full sun/ sandy soil/ or any drought-tolerant soils
How Fast Does A Ribbon Fan Palm Grow?
Ribbon fan palms are medium-growing rate palms. When they grow in full shade, especially then, they turn into slow growers. Part shade doesn’t bother their growth. Palm matures at age 10.
These delicate ribbons palms grow the best in the full sun position and they turn into a bit of a fast grower. Its delicate leaves will grow around 2-3 feet per year. In the beginning, they won’t appear feather-shaped.
Some people think that fertilizers can make them grow faster, but that only depends on the type of palm.
Medium-growing rate plant stays the medium-growing rate palm no matter what fertilizer you use. However, it will still be a great large palm tree in your yard.
Care Guide For A Ribbon Palm
We got to the thing you’ve been looking for the most. We present you the simple care guide for a ribbon fan palm.
Soon enough, with a reasonable care guide, you’ll hear ribbons dangling in your garden. And not just that, they’ll be prevailing winds and its fan-shaped fronds will be the star number one in your garden.
Below, you’ll find all the information you need about the care guide for this marvelous garden palm. Are you ready to learn more about it?
Light Needs
As we have already said, the ribbon palm tree is best suited to full sun. If you want to plant it in the garden, plant it in a place where it gets between 6 and 8 hours of sun.
With so many hours of sun, it will take on an excellent green color because the leaves will be fed with chlorophyll. 3-4 hours of the sun also show good results, but not as good as 6 and 8 hours of sun.
Partial shade is tolerant, as is bright indirect light. With such growing conditions, you will secure yourself the perfect palm tree that you have been waiting for for a very long time.
If you want to start growing a so-called culture ribbon fan palm indoors, the conditions remain the same. Place it on a south or east window. Never where there is no light. The rooms where you grow these palms should also be well-ventilated.
Water Needs
The water needs of this plant are not huge. Ribbon palm is drought tolerant, probably because it originates from California. In California, temperatures are constantly high and it rarely rains.
Precisely because of this, the plant has developed resistance to drought. Every 10-14 days of water is quite enough for the plant to grow optimally.
Rainwater, distilled water, or tap water, it doesn’t matter as long as you water according to the desired schedule.
After a period of drought, and if you forget to water it, do not water the palm with more water than usual. A normal amount of water is sufficient for the plant to continue growing normally.
Soil Type
Ribbon palms do best in sandy soil. If you want to increase the acidity, which is not necessarily bad, use peat moss soil. There is no 50:50 ratio. They have the best conditions for growth in sandy soil. Sand retains moisture for a long time and this makes it the most favorable soil for palm trees.
Fertilizer
Ribbon palm fertilizer is best when using a fertilizer recommended for palm trees. If you can’t get that type of fertilizer, 2-3-1 fertilizer or 10-10-15 fertilizer can be used.
They don’t like liquid fertilizers very much, so avoid them. Similar fertilizing needs have a coontie palm in case you want to get another amazing palm for your yard.
Temperature
It is quite clear that this plant grows best where the temperatures are high. But it is interesting that the plant can tolerate very low temperatures.
If you are hesitant about shopping where the temperature is 55 or 60 F. Don’t worry. The palm tree will grow in such conditions, as long as there are no sudden changes in weather and snow.
They do not tolerate frost well, but they can tolerate strong wind. In these conditions mostly all the types of palm trees in Florida grow.
Humidity
Air humidity is not so important for this palm tree. The humidity range can be between 40 and 70 percent.
The air humidity in California is very high, and we can conclude that it grows excellently in such conditions. But it turned out that even where the air humidity is 40%, it grows unhindered.
Propagation
Ribbon palm is easily propagated by cuttings in spring or by seeds in summer. They are taken in early autumn. Keep the seeds in a dry and dark place if you want to ensure the sowing will succeed.
Pruning
Pruning of this palm tree can be done in late summer or early autumn. Usually, the tips of some leaves will dry out from the sun, so to refresh the plant, cut those tips.
The plant will recover and be ready for growth by the next active growth and flowering season.
Wrapping Up
Ribbon palm might be your new favorite garden palm. If you loved the care guide for the ribbon palm then you’ll definitely enjoy the triangle palm, royal palm tree, and cat palm.
But if you’re really looking for those outstanding types don’t forget to check out the pineapple palm tree, areca palm, and foxtail palm.
As we said in the beginning, taking care of this palm is a piece of cake right? We hope you’ll enjoy your new favorite garden palm tree.
That would be all for today, thanks for reading us, and see you soon!