Outdoor verdict
Solitaire palm lives outside only in a mild winter, about 28F (USDA 10a+). 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 solitary Queensland Ptychosperma. USDA 10a to 12, a slim tropical street palm, not the clustering Macarthur and not a king palm.
Cold hardiness
Survives about 28°F / -2°C. Outdoor range USDA 10a–12a. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Click a state to open palms that grow there.
Highlighted USDA zones 10a–12a. 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
Often confused with Alexander or king palm. Check the jagged leaflet tips and thinner crownshaft.
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
- One trunk. Macarthur is the clump.
- Often confused with Alexander or king palm. Check the jagged leaflet tips and thinner crownshaft.
- Frost-free. Fast enough for impatient tropical yards.
Region of origin
Northern and eastern Queensland
Native countries
Historical discovery
Robert Brown published Seaforthia elegans. Carl Blume moved it to Ptychosperma in 1843. Solitaire means one trunk, unlike the clustering Macarthur.
Names
Common names
Solitaire palm, Alexander palm (misapplied), Elegant palm
Synonyms
- Seaforthia elegans R.Br.
Full care guide
The solitaire palm is Ptychosperma elegans, a single-trunk Queensland palm for frost-free streets and bright courtyards. USDA 10a to 12. It is not Macarthur (the clump) and not a king palm, even when the tag is lazy.
Growth Rate:
Moderate to fast in heat.
Fruit and Flowering:
Orange to red. Birds like them. Messy on walks.
Light Requirements:
Full sun to light shade. Young plants like a little protection.
Water Requirements:
Even moisture.
Maintenance Level:
Medium. Feed in the growing season with palm-specific fertilizer. Fruit and old fronds are the mess.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Scale, mites in dry wind, nutrient yellowing in sand.
Plant Care:
Heat, water, one trunk, frost-free. If you wanted a clump, that is Macarthur. If you wanted a green crownshaft king, that is Archontophoenix.
Solitaire palm Frequently Asked Questions:
Plant solitaire palm on a frost-free tropical street when you want one slim Ptychosperma. If you wanted a clump, buy Macarthur. If you wanted California bangalow, that is a different genus.
Solitaire palm questions
Will Solitaire palm live outside?
Yes, if winter stays above about 28F (USDA 10a+). Below that number it belongs in a pot.
What do nurseries mislabel Solitaire palm as?
Common names wander. The accepted name is Ptychosperma elegans. Read the Latin on the tag before you buy.
Pot or ground for Solitaire palm in a cold state?
Start it in a pot if you want. The ground is fine only where winter stays above about 28F.
Solitaire or Macarthur?
Solitaire is usually one trunk (P. elegans). Macarthur clusters (sold as P. macarthurii, Kew: P. propinquum).
Solitaire or king palm?
King is Archontophoenix, with a longer green crownshaft. Solitaire is slimmer, with jagged leaflet tips.
Good for a small yard?
Slimmer than a queen or Canary Island date. Still a tree. Watch fruit drop.
Related palms
The mix-up, the substitute, then nearby hardiness.
