Bangalow palm cold hardiness
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (H.Wendl.) H.Wendl. & Drude
Outdoor verdict
Bangalow palm lives outside only in a mild winter, about 25F (USDA 9b+). A real freeze marks it. Young plants can wait in a pot. A mature one wants the ground only if the winter clears that number.
The eastern Australian bangalow or piccabeen. USDA 9b to 11, a green crownshaft, and the Archontophoenix California actually keeps.
Cold hardiness
Survives about 25°F / -4°C. Outdoor range USDA 9b–11b. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Click a state to open palms that grow there.
Highlighted USDA zones 9b–11b. Green countries can be grown outdoors.
United States
In range Too cold
World
Native Can be grown
Alaska and Hawaii are state outlines with their overall zone range. A country is painted if its mildest inhabited winter is at least one USDA step milder than this palm’s hardiness.
What it is confused with
Nurseries often mix this up with King palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae). Check the Latin on the tag.
Winter care
Drainage matters more than a blanket. Soil: Rich, moist, well-drained. Water: Moist but never waterlogged (mesic). Wrapping does not buy an extra zone. If the winter is colder than the kill number, keep it in a pot.
Scientific facts
- Often sold as king palm. True king in the tropics is usually A. alexandrae.
- Leaflet undersides are green, not silver like alexandrae.
- A bit more cold room than Alexandra king palm, still not a zone 8 tree.
Region of origin
Eastern Australia
Native countries
Historical discovery
Hermann Wendland named it for Allan Cunningham. Wendland and Drude placed it in Archontophoenix in 1875. In California it is the usual king-palm lookalike that takes a little more cold than Alexandrae.
Names
Common names
Bangalow palm, Piccabeen palm, King palm (misapplied)
Synonyms
- Ptychosperma cunninghamiana H.Wendl.
Full care guide
The bangalow palm is the eastern Australian Archontophoenix that California and mild coasts actually keep. USDA 9b to 11. Nurseries say king palm. The more tropical Alexandra king (A. alexandrae) wants warmer nights.
Growth Rate:
Fast in heat with water.
Fruit and Flowering:
Red fruit in hanging clusters. Messy on walks.
Light Requirements:
Full sun to light shade. Young plants like a little protection from blasting inland sun.
Water Requirements:
Even moisture. This is not a desert fan.
Maintenance Level:
Medium. Feed in the growing season with palm-specific fertilizer. Keep it watered in heat. Dropped fruit and old fronds are the mess.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Scale, mites in dry wind, and nutrient yellowing in sand.
Plant Care:
Sun, water, fertilizer, mild winters. If a tag says king palm in California, check whether you have cunninghamiana or alexandrae before you bet on a cold snap.
Bangalow palm Frequently Asked Questions:
Plant bangalow where California and mild coasts want a king-palm silhouette. If your nights are truly tropical, Alexandrae is the other Archontophoenix. If they freeze, pick something else.
Bangalow palm questions
Will Bangalow palm live outside?
Yes, if winter stays above about 25F (USDA 9b+). Below that number it belongs in a pot.
What do nurseries mislabel Bangalow palm as?
People tag it as King palm. That plant is Archontophoenix alexandrae. Check the Latin.
Pot or ground for Bangalow palm in a cold state?
Start it in a pot if you want. The ground is fine only where winter stays above about 25F.
Bangalow or king palm?
Bangalow is A. cunninghamiana. Tropical king is usually A. alexandrae. California plantings are often bangalow.
How do I tell it from Alexandrae?
Cunninghamiana leaflets are green beneath. Alexandrae is often silver beneath, with a more swollen base.
Is it messy?
Red fruit and old fronds, yes. Not a poolside neat-freak tree.
Related palms
The mix-up, the substitute, then nearby hardiness.
