What is the difference between Queen and King Palm?
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Queen palm, scientifically known as Syagrus romanzoffiana, and king palms that have the scientific name Archontophoenix cunninghamiana are luxurious not just in their name but also in their appearance. They are perfectly known as the monarchs of the palm family due to the royal look they give to the boulevards of cities and towns. Do you know What is the difference between Queen and King Palm?
When you compare the queen palm and the king palm, the leading differences are seen in their physicality, fondness, and behavior. Otherwise, both of them offer a similar royal look and are easy to grow. Another similarity between wanting a good amount of sunlight and a little shade is that they prefer tropical and subtropical areas. They both are great at giving good shade during the peak sunlight hours.
Whether it’s on the beaches, or in the cities, their leaves and strong trunks look really beautiful and welcoming. But what’s the difference between the two? Why such names? We will tell you everything related to both these palms in this article. So let’s proceed further without breaking the curiosity.
What is a Queen Palm?
Queen’s palms belong to the family of Arecaceae and South America where they are grown in tropical palms.
Queen palms are tall and are mostly seen planted on the sides or boundaries of roads, middle of boulevards, street dividers, etc.
Queen palms need maintenance to look good and thrive well. They give garden vibes in the cities and streets.
What is a King Palm?
King palms are known for the ultimate symmetry they give and their fond appearance. King palms belong to regions of Queensland and south Wales where they are subtropical palms.
The kind palms are seen in landscapes, along the boulevard, etc. The king palms need less maintenance and also can thrive well in dry soil. They are kings indeed !!
King Vs Queen Palm Characteristics
| Features | King Palm | Queen Palm |
| Height and width | 40-50 feet tall | 50-60 feet tall |
| Trunk color | Gray | Gray |
| Trunk diameter | Up to 18 inches in diameter | Up to 24 inches in diameter |
| Leaves and fronds (size, color, and growth pattern) | Pinnate, 2-3 feet long, green on the top and silver-green underside | Pinnate, 4-6 feet long, dark green on the top and gray-green underside |
| Flower | Cream-colored | Yellow-orange |
| Fruit | Small, round, black | Small, oval-shaped, yellow-orange |
| Growth rate | Moderate to fast | Fast |
| Lifespan | 50-100 years | 70-100 years |
| Hardiness zone | 9b-11 | 9b-11 |
| Growing conditions | Well-drained soil, Moderate water requirements, Full-sun, and Warm temperature | Well-drained soil, Moderate water requirements, Full-sun, and Warm temperature |
| Uses | Landscaping, Ornamental | Landscaping, Ornamental |
| Are they messy? | Moderately | Somewhat |
How to know if it is a Queen Palm?
Both being the palms, we often get confused if it is the king palm or queen palm.
The queen’s palm can be identified by dark green colored fronds that are bouncily reaching a height of 15-16 feet long. The trunks are greyish in shade with spots all over the trunk.
The height of the queen palm in total gets to 15-16 meters tall. Queen palms are survivors and can live long with the proper care.
Though the flowers are cream with long hair-like lines. With maturity yellow fruits might appear that with time fall off.
How to know if it is a King Palm?
Kings palms are seen that are slimmer, smooth, and brownish in color which is thicker at the bottom part than the top.
The king palms look different from the queen palm in the aspect of the crown like the frond is crowned and spread to 10-15 feet. The king palms have leaflets of 6-13 inches in length.
The king palms are 40-60 feet tall. The flowers are in a purplish shade. The crown shaft is green-colored which with time can turn brown too. Kin if cared well gets to a good height that is really tall for viewers.
Are Both King & Queen Palms Messy?
Folks, as you come to know about the king palms and queen palms in detail. Now is the time to know if they both are messy or not. Yes, they both are messy because of the dropping nature of the fruits, flowers, and leaves.
King palms to drop the old fronds which will make a mess in the landscape Garden. Whereas Queen Farms will need regular trimming so that the old Fronds in the plant get removed with time.
If the queen Palms do not get pruned on time then it will create a messy look in the plant. In both the plants, the fruits and flowers tend to drop.
Pruning is important but also the maintenance of the plant is important for avoiding the messiness in the trees.
Some of the least Messy palms that can be added to your home garden are sago palm, pygmy date palm, windmill palm, etc. So adding them will not bother you.
What is the difference between Queen and King Palm? – Points of Differences
1. Trunks
The major and prominent feature for spotting the difference is the trunk of the two palms. The queen palm has a smooth grey trunk that is wider with no crownshaft whereas the king palm trunk has a trunk with widened base and green colored crownshaft at the top.
The Queen palms top is crowned with fronds and the leaves are more arched whereas the king palms have turned fronds that are dark greenish in color looking really appealing and lively.
2. Flowers
As you have already gotten a clue about the difference between the flowers of both the palms. About an inch in size, the queen palm’s flowers are yellow-colored and on maturity transform into citrus fruits. The flowers of king palms are more like waterfalls, flowy and long.
The flowers are below the crown shaft white. The king palm flowers are pink flowers in the mid-summer season growing from below the crown shaft. The flowers of king palms are self-pollinating and don’t have fragrance.
3. Fronds
Looking at fronds almost look the same but if keenly observed then you will spot the difference between the two palms i.e: king palm and queen palm. The fronds of queen palms are long whereas those of king palms are short. The fronds of the queen palm give a more bouncy and round look whereas the king palm frond has linear leaflets growing in a single stratum.
The fronds of the king palms look more lively due to the under surface being white-greyish in color and the upper surface dark green just like the queen palm.
The fronds of the king palm usually are self-cleaning and will fall with time on their own due to which the palm looks elegant, clean, and symmetric whereas the queen palm fronds need care and pruning to get the desired shape or symmetry.
4. Fruits
The king palm fruits are more like berries and are small in size, and red colored. The queen palm fruits are yellow-colored and orange fruits.
The fruits of the queen’s palm need care and pruning of the stalk to get proper-sized fruit.
5. Habitats
The king palms are subtropical and are more used to wet conditions. They need moist soil that is well-drained and belongs to Australia whereas the queen palms are used to dry conditions though they grow well in moist and well-drained soil as well. Queen’s palms are drought-resistant as they belong to woodland areas.
6. Use
Queen palms can be grown individually or in rows along the boundaries of highways whereas the king palms need to grow in groups to bring a brilliant appearance to the area.
They are planted to bring elegance to the spot like along the boulevards, etc.
Comparing King Vs Queen Palm Growing Conditions
It is important to compare both the king palms and queen palms and their growing conditions. So below are they:
Sunlight
- Sunlight requires both plants to be equal.
- That is both will grow well in the partial shade to full shade.
- Providing them with some sunlight will also help them grow more.
Soil
- What about the soil needs of these plans? Both of the plants will grow well in the slightly acidic soil that should be well drained.
- They can grow in Loamy or sandy soils too. Soil should be rich in organic matter.
Temperature
- Both of the plans will grow well in warm locations where there is a warm temperature for the growth.
- Some of the cold drafts can also be tolerated by the plants as they are not cold-hardy plants.
Watering
- Like other plants, they both will grow well in the good amount of water supplied to them.
- So you have to provide them with water regularly.
- Water them more at the time of dry climatic conditions.
- Keep in mind not to overwater, the soil as it will cause infections in the plant.
Fertiliser
- Providing them with a fertilizer ratio of 3:1:3 or 4:1:6 will help them grow best.
- Provide them with fertilizer regularly for the healthy growth of the plant at a faster pace.
Wrap-up of the context
We hope you find this article helpful and get the answers to your questions. The difference between the king palm and queen palms is not that complex and confusing as the variability lies in the physical appearance and environmental conditions.
We have uploaded all the information in detail that will help you identify the queen palm and the king palm like a pro. Happy curiosity!
Thanks for reading! Happy Gardening!
