California Fan Palm "Bonsai"?

[ganja]

If you live here in California you will see at least one of these guys growing out of an old sign post hole or a crack in the sidewalk. These palms grow anywhere there's dirt and water. Knowing that there some really tough plants i decided to pull one out of the local train tracks(thats right. it was growing in crushed rocks) and put it into a pot. Has anyone ever tried to bonsai a palm tree? I know you cant trim the top down or anything but i was wondering if anyone has kept one of these guys in a small bonsai pot for a few years.

 

[Anonymous User]

I recently saw a palm bonsai, but I can remember where, if it comes to me, I'll post it. Meanwhile, there was some discussion here on the subject at http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?t=640&highlight=palm

 

[Smoke]

If you live here in California you will see at least one of these guys growing out of an old sign post hole or a crack in the sidewalk. These palms grow anywhere there's dirt and water. Knowing that there some really tough plants i decided to pull one out of the local train tracks(thats right. it was growing in crushed rocks) and put it into a pot. Has anyone ever tried to bonsai a palm tree? I know you cant trim the top down or anything but i was wondering if anyone has kept one of these guys in a small bonsai pot for a few years.

Sago palms yes. Fan plams...errr no. These grow very fast and really big. So much so that a 25 gallon pot would probably split after 6 years.

 

[ganja]

The one i got was only big enough to fit in my pocket. I walked across it on my way down the tracks.

 

[rockm]

As you already know, you cannot really "bonsai" a palm. They cannot be kept small with the same techniques used for woody plants, like pines, maples, etc. Primarily, that's because their growth is completely different.

Pruning a most palms can kill them. Their leaf growth is directed by a growth "eye" AT THE END OF THE LEAF. That is 180 degrees different than a pine or maple, where growth is started and controlled by a leaf bud at the stem end of the leaf.

All that boils down to "prune a palm leaf and you kill the leaf." If you prune a maple stem or leaf, it stimulates more budding below the cut because there are more buds on the trunk meant as replacements.

Additionally, palms send leaves out from a central point on their trunk--they do not branch. They can generate "pups" from their trunks, but only certain species do that.

Some palms can--and have (Sagos and phoenix palms in particular) been "bonsaied" but they are not top pruned. Rather, their growth is controlled through root restriction.

http://www.pacsoa.org.au/palms/Articles/BonsaiPalms.html
http://www.fukubonsai.com/3a3f.html