How to Trim Queen Palm Trees

The queen palm tree (Syagrus romanzoffiana) is a feather palm that grows from 25 to 50 feet in height. It does best in acidic, well-draining soils in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9b through 11 and is moderately drought- and salt-tolerant. Queen palms have a spread of up to 25 feet, with the fronds growing at the top of a single trunk. Palm trees drop dead fronds naturally, but you can hurry the process with pruning if you want the tree to be more visually appealing.

  1. 1.

    Check the base of the leaf stem before removing the frond. If the base of the leaf stem is green, it is not dead and should not be removed.

  2. 2.

    Prune in September through early November for the best results. Do not prune too many fronds at one time; this stresses the tree.

  3. 3.

    Cut dead fronds with a saw a couple of inches from the trunk. Do not cut into the trunk. Remove only the leaves that droop at less than a 90-degree angle from the tree trunk.