Dwarf date palm Phoenix roebelenii in Arizona

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The dwarf date palm, Phoenix roebelenii, is my favorite palm tree. It gives a wonderfully tropical feel to your backyard and is easy to grow. Unlike its big brother, the full-sized date palm Phoenix dactylifera, it won't turn into a telephone pole in your yard. So, at eye level, as you can see in the photo (the wall is six feet tall), you see nice green fronds, not just a brown trunk. I've had these here for over fifteen years, and here are some suggestions.

• Buy as large as you can afford. Trees like this, with several feet of clear trunk, will be hundreds of dollars, so you don't have to go to that extreme, but get at least a 5 gallon or a 15 gallon container. By the way, these palm trees don't produce multiple trunks, so when you see them growing in groups, it just means that two or three plants were originally planted in the container. They look nice in groups, or alone. Since they don't produce multiple trunks, you don't ever have to worry about trimming sucker growth at the bottom.

• Plant in rich, deep potting soil with plenty of access to steady water.  Phoenix roebeleniis do not like to dry out. Keep their feet wet. Note that's why they like living with Cannas, which also like the soil to be consistently moist.

• Trim them and feed them. If the fronds get ratty, go ahead and trim them as hard as you like, they will grow back. And if you want the deep, rich, green color, give them some plant food. Sprinkle some palm tree food on the ground, get some plant food spikes, be generous!

Here in the Phoenix, Arizona area you can expect some frost damage on the tips in the coldest part of the winter. When the strong growth reappears in the spring, you can trim the damaged fronds back. These plants will die if it snows where you live, so don't plant them in the ground, keep them in pots and move them into a greenhouse for the winter.

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