Palms in the south-east suburbs
Palms were a popular choice through decades of Perth gardens, and the south-east corridor has plenty of them: tall Mexican fan palms (Washingtonia) towering over older homes in Gosnells and Kelmscott, Canary Island date palms on corner blocks and driveways, and cocos (queen) palms by pools in the newer estates of Harrisdale, Piara Waters and Canning Vale.
They are tough, but they are not maintenance-free. Every year the crown pushes out new fronds and the old ones die and hang down. Many palms flower and fruit heavily, dropping seed stalks and fruit that stain paving and clog pool filters. And some species simply grow taller than anyone expected when they were planted.
Palm cleaning
If the palm is healthy and in the right spot, a clean may be all it needs. The contractor climbs or uses a platform to remove:
- the skirt of dead, brown fronds under the crown
- flower and seed stalks, before they drop
- fruit clusters on date and cocos palms
- old frond bases (boots) where you want a cleaner trunk
Good practice is to leave the healthy green fronds in place. Stripping a palm back to a small tuft at the top weakens it and does not slow its growth.
Palm removal
Palm removal is a little different from removing a broad-canopied tree. A single-trunk palm has no branches, so once the crown is off, the trunk is taken down in sections from the top. Palm wood is fibrous and wet rather than hard, which makes it heavy for its size and slow to chip.
Height and access decide the method. A palm in an open backyard might be climbed and sectioned. One next to the house, over a pool or near the street power lines may need an elevated work platform. A very tall palm in a yard with no vehicle access may call for a crane lift over the house.
Stumps and roots
Palms have a mass of fibrous roots rather than a few big woody ones, and the stump is soft compared with a hardwood. It usually grinds out cleanly and quickly. For a single-trunk palm, the stump will not reshoot once the growing point is gone.
Clumping palms, which put up several stems from one base, are the exception. Some can regrow from the base unless it is ground or dug out properly, so mention it if your palm has more than one stem.
Palms near power lines
Tall palms near the street are a common sight in the older parts of Gosnells, Maddington and Armadale. If any frond reaches within reach of the street mains, the job may need Western Power involvement or a contractor authorised to work near the network. Mention any power line near the palm when you ask for a quote. If fronds are already touching a line, keep well clear and call Western Power.
Is the palm worth keeping?
Plenty of homeowners ask this, and a contractor on site can usually give you a straight view. A healthy palm in a sensible spot can be kept tidy with a clean every year or two. A palm that has outgrown the house, sits on the boundary dropping fruit next door, or is lifting the pool coping is often better removed, and a smaller tree or palm planted instead.
Planning prices for palm cleans and removals are on the cost guide. If you also have stumps from earlier palms, the stump grinding page covers them.