Foxtail palm

Sun

Full sun; young plants tolerate partial shade. Acclimatise greenhouse-grown plants gradually before exposing them to strong outdoor sun.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Established palms tolerate short dry spells but grow best with deep watering during prolonged dry weather; avoid constantly wet roots.

Soil

Well-drained sandy or loamy soil; tolerates a range of pH levels but struggles in waterlogged ground.

Height

20-30 ft (6-9 m)

Spread

10-20 ft (3-6 m)

Flowers

Creamy-white flowers in branched clusters beneath the crown, usually during the warmer months; followed by orange-red fruit.

Foliage

Evergreen. Arching, feather-like green fronds with narrow leaflets arranged around the leaf stalk, creating a bushy, bottlebrush effect.

Growth

Moderate to fast in warm conditions with adequate water and nutrition.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   8 ft (2.3 m)

3. After 2 years

   9 ft (2.7 m)

4. After 3 years

   10 ft (3 m)

5. After 5 years

   12 ft (3.7 m)

About 16 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Native to

Australia

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant in spring or early summer once the soil is warm, keeping the base of the trunk at its original soil level.
• Water the root zone deeply during establishment, allowing excess water to drain away.
• In warm growing weather, apply a slow-release palm fertiliser containing magnesium and micronutrients at the labelled rate.
• Mulch the root area, keeping mulch clear of the trunk.
• Bring container plants under bright, heated cover before cold weather; keep them frost-free and reduce watering in winter.

Pruning. Remove only fully brown fronds or damaged flower and fruit stalks, without cutting into the trunk or crownshaft. Never top the palm or remove healthy green fronds; damage to its single growing point can kill it.

Spring

Plant or repot as temperatures rise, keeping the original planting depth.

Spring

Begin palm fertiliser applications according to the product label and check new growth for yellowing or distortion.

Summer

Water deeply during dry spells and check that containers drain freely.

Late summer

Collect fallen fruit and remove fully dead fronds if they have not shed naturally.

Autumn

Move container plants into frost-free shelter before nights become cold.

Winter

Keep sheltered plants in strong light, water sparingly and inspect for scale insects and spider mites.

• Use a single palm as a focal point in a sunny lawn or broad planting bed, allowing room for the mature crown.
• Plant a loose group beside a terrace for high-level foliage without a dense screen at eye level.
• Repeat along a wide driveway or entrance for a strong vertical rhythm, away from parked cars and pedestrian routes where fronds may fall.
• Combine with broad-leaved tropical plants and low groundcovers to contrast fine and bold foliage textures.

Garden styles it suits: Modern tropical, Architectural minimal, Luxury resort, Coastal, Australian native and Florida subtropical.

Plant it with: Bird of paradise, Philodendron, Bromeliads, Lomandra, Cast-iron plant and Dwarf mondo grass.

Wildlife: Flowers attract visiting insects, and ripe fruit may attract fruit-eating birds in warm regions.

• Yellowing older fronds or weak, distorted new growth can indicate nutrient deficiencies. Use a complete palm fertiliser and seek a soil or tissue diagnosis if symptoms persist; do not remove yellow fronds prematurely.
• Root rot in wet soil causes decline despite watering. Improve drainage, reduce irrigation and avoid planting in low, waterlogged spots.
• Cold damage browns fronds and may injure the growing point. Protect young palms from frost and wait for warm-weather regrowth before judging recovery.
• Scale insects and spider mites can affect sheltered or container-grown plants. Inspect leaf undersides, wash off mites and use a palm-safe horticultural oil or insecticidal soap as labelled.

Fruit and seeds are commonly reported as poisonous and should not be eaten. Reliable information on the toxic compounds and severity of poisoning in people, cats, dogs and horses is limited; keep fallen fruit away from children and animals, and contact a poison service or veterinarian if it is swallowed.

• Royal palm (Roystonea regia)

  Also has a smooth trunk and green crownshaft, but becomes much taller and more massive, with longer fronds and a less compact, rounded crown.

• Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana)

  Has feathery fronds but lacks the foxtail palm's smooth green crownshaft; its leaflets hang more loosely.

• Christmas palm (Adonidia merrillii)

  Has a crownshaft and red fruit, but its leaflets form a flatter feather rather than radiating around the leaf stalk in a bushy foxtail.

Wodyetia honours Wodyeti, an Aboriginal man associated with bringing the palm to botanical attention, while bifurcata refers to its forked leaflet tips and foxtail describes its bushy fronds.

Propagation. Grow from fresh seed after removing all fruit flesh, wearing gloves during cleaning. Sow in a warm, freely draining medium and keep evenly moist; germination can take several months. This single-trunked palm cannot be divided or grown from stem cuttings.

Accepted botanical name

Wodyetia bifurcata

Native range

Queensland.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.