Description

The Popular Palm that Thrives in a Variety of Climates

One of the Prettiest Cold-Hardy Palms, the Sylvester Date Palm is quite the showstopper with its silvery blue-green fronds. It’s a great choice for gardeners who like the looks of the larger date palms, (like the Canary Island variety), but just don’t have the room. Cold hardy, drought tolerant and moderately salt tolerant, the Sylvester is famous for its seeds, which are frequently used in jams and jellies. Slow growing, they stay low to the ground when young, then grow an attractive trunk in a diamond-shaped pattern.

Phoenix Sylvestris is also called sugar date palm, Indian date, silver date palm, and wild date palm. Sylvestris is a Latin word that means forest. It’s a species of a unique flowering plant in the famous palm family.  This plant is native to India and other Asian countries, like Bangladesh and Pakistan. But for several years, people in the European region are extensively growing these plants both indoors and outdoor. 

Caring for your Date Palm

The Sylvestris Phoenix is tolerant to drought, but they flourish more in water. Though they are easy to maintain, there are several things that you need to consider. 

Light

Sylvester date palm is a moderate growing palm and can reach up to 75 to 80 feet and can get 10 to 12 feet wide. These plants can survive under direct light and can thrive in partial shade. 

This way, you can bring a plant to your house and keep it in any sunny room, either near or away from the window. 

Soil

Another factor that makes it easy to grow and maintain is that it can thrive in a wide variety of soils, such as well-drained, sandy, and moist. You can put them in soil with a pH range of 5.5 to 7.5 and can tolerate pH up to 8. 

Water

New small plants need more water than full-grown plants. You need to water them weekly throughout the first growing season. During the hot season, you need to soak their soil completely. 

If you have to keep your plant outdoor, make sure to provide a little bit of water daily. 

Fertilizer

You need to fertilize your Sylvester palm tree every three months with any high-quality magnesium sulfate and palm fertilizer. Make sure to water the fertilizers properly after placing them in your pot. This helps the nutrients in the fertilizer absorb the soil. 

Common Issues

Sylvester Phoenix might struggle due to different problems, but they are more likely to endure disease and pests. 

Pests

Phoenix Sylvester is susceptible to some pests, such as mealybugs, spider mites, scale, and whitefly. If you notice any signs of these pests, use natural organic treatments to solve the problem. You can spray neem oil mixture on your plants to keep these pests at bay. 

Diseases

If the leaves of this tree are drooping and withering, then it’s the sign of the infection. Also, droop parallel and fronds collapse are common indications of the diseases. In this case, you need to prune the infected parts of your plant. You also need to ensure that your Sylvester gets proper water and light. 

Pruning

You don’t need to prune your plant if it’s completely healthy and beautiful. However, you need to cut the leaves and part of the trees that are gone yellow. You also need to prune broken or dead leaves and trunk areas. 

While pruning, makes sure to trim the fronds close to the trunk. This way, the entire infected leaves will be cut and allow the nutrients in the plant to develop new healthy leaves. 

Propagation

Propagating your small date palm is a pretty easy task. As your tree grows, it will become difficult for you to propagate. During spring, take out the loose soil and lift your plant with the roots. 

Fill the bottom of the new container with the fresh soil, and then place your pot in the center. Fill the remaining part of your pot. Make sure to plant the tree on the ground when it gets big enough to handle. 

Potting/ Repotting

Since these plants grow slowly, you don’t need to repot them often. Some Phoenix Sylvestris break out of their plant pots if they outgrow them. So, if they get big enough to be shifted to another pot, don’t wait.  

For repotting, always choose a 2 to 3 inches larger pot than the previous one. Plus, before placing your plant into the new pot, loosen up its roots slightly. And in the end, give a good amount of water to your plant so that the root system can establish in the soil.