Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Madagascar Palm (Geayi)
Madagascar Palm Geayi is a spiny, bottle-shaped trunk topped with long, thin, gray-green leaves that have a pink midrib. It is the silvery, finer-leaved cousin of the common Madagascar palm. It grows slowly and, over many years, can become a tall tree. Mature plants bloom with sweet-scented white flowers with yellow throats.
Best for: a silvery accent in a large pot, a sculptural focal point, and patios with afternoon shade.
Its long, thin, gray-green leaves have a pink midrib and silvery tones. They give a finer look than the common Madagascar palm.
It is semi-tender in the Valley, so a large pot is a good home. Move it under cover on frost nights.
Once it reaches about 6 feet, it can bloom with sweet-scented white flowers with yellow throats.
Its leaves die around 30°F, and it needs afternoon shade in hot weather. It is very spiny and hard to handle.
Water regularly while it has leaves in the warm months, letting the soil drain well. Once it drops its leaves in winter, give it very little water.
It tends to lose its leaves and rest through a Valley winter. New leaves return at the top of the trunk in spring.
It is semi-tender in the Valley. Cover it on frost nights with frost cloth to the ground, not plastic, or grow it in a pot you can move.
The trunk is covered in sharp spines. Wear heavy gloves when you plant or move it.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How is geayi different from lamerei?
Geayi has thinner, silvery gray-green leaves with a pink midrib. Lamerei has broader green leaves, and both have spiny trunks.
Is a Madagascar palm a real palm?
No. It is a spiny succulent from Madagascar with leaves only at the top, which gives it a palm-like look.
How big does it get?
Over many years it can reach 13 feet or more in the ground. It grows slowly, about 4 inches a year, and stays smaller in a pot.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun to light shade. In the Valley, give it afternoon shade in summer.
How cold can it take?
Its leaves die around 30°F, and it rests through the winter. Cover it on frost nights or keep it in a pot you can move.
How often should I water it?
Water regularly while it has leaves. Give it very little water while it is leafless in winter.
Does it flower?
Yes, once it is mature, about 6 feet tall. The flowers are white with yellow throats and sweet-scented.
Is it poisonous?
Yes. All parts carry a poisonous sap. The sharp spines usually keep pets and kids away, but keep them from chewing it.
How spiny is it?
The trunk is heavily covered in spines that grow in threes, so wear heavy gloves when you handle it.
Madagascar Palm (Geayi) for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Madagascar Palm Geayi, Pachypodium geayi, is a slow-growing, spiny succulent tree with thin, silvery leaves. Below is what to expect on how it differs from lamerei, size, sun, water, frost, flowers and handling in a Valley yard.
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Pachypodium geayi in Phoenix
It grows in the Valley with afternoon shade in summer. It is semi-tender, so protect it from frost or keep it in a pot.
Pachypodium geayi vs lamerei
Geayi has thinner, silvery leaves with a pink midrib, while lamerei has broader green leaves.
How fast does Pachypodium geayi grow?
It grows slowly, about 4 inches a year, and takes many years to reach tree size.
Watering silver Madagascar palm
Water regularly while it has leaves and very little while it rests in winter.
Is Pachypodium geayi frost hardy?
No. Its leaves die around 30°F. Cover it on frost nights.
Does Pachypodium geayi flower?
Yes, once it is mature. The white flowers with yellow throats are sweet-scented.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.