Queen's? Queen Majesty? or just Majesty?

Hello Again....
I've had this palm about 3 years. In the container it is in now. It shoots out new growth quite often. I trim the dead brown looking ones off.
Here's my question...This was labeled as a "Queen's Palm" when I bought it.... However after doing a search today I found 3 similar names and I am not sure what I have now. Is it correctly labeled as a "Queen's".... or is it "Queen's Majesty"? or just "Majesty".... I also noticed these can grow quite large. Should I keep mine in the pot? and upon closer inspection... There appears to be 4 or 5 trees in my pot.
I am posting pics.
One article I read said Queen's Majesty likes alot of water.... I have been watering once or twice a week in growing season and not so much in winter.......
Just wondering if what I do have is ok to remain in my pot.... etc. Thank You!!

Bottom of my plant... is this one? or several?

It looks like Ravenea rivularis (majesty palm) to me.
It's a naturally single trunked palmtree that grows to a rather massive size once planted out.
I believe they could thrive outdoors in your climate zone.
But you'd have to split apart those 4 to 5 individuals first,
which I wonder if it's yet feasible at their present development stage.
But keeping them together, potted, as an indoor plant, won't be possible for too many years ahead.
Either way, they care for much water and nourishment so that their leaves won't turn yellowish.
Here are two links to some additional info:
http://www.rarepalmseeds.com/pix/RavRiv.shtml
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/56987/
Regards,
MT

Ohhhh Noo, I was afraid that may be the answer.... I suppose I will try my best to separate them...Especially since they won't last much longer all crammed together like that.

Will report back with outcome. Thank You so much Miguel. :)

These do no 'separate' easily in my experience, and most of my attempts to do so have resulted in multiple dead palms. I would just leave as is, and if getting too crammed, chop down the ones you don't want (super cheap and easy to replace palm... here in California you can get palms larger than this at Home Depot for next to nothing). Then you will at least have a live palm at the end. But sometimes crammed palms can look good, too, and rarely seem to mind being cramped (though your house might take exception to that in this case).

palmbob..........Thanks for your 2 cents. I was hoping you would chime in. I see that you have alot of Knowledge and experience here at DG. And Miguel seems to be trustworthy as well.

Here is my issue..... Plants here are not cheap in Victoria. I am supporting a family of 3. Myself, boyfriend with rare cancer and a 13 year old.

Just in the last few months I have thrown myself into my second passion.....gardening. My first Passion is photography. We are not wealthy... I am the only one that can work outside the home.

Sooo............. I paid 35 dollars for this "Palm" 3 years ago........ 1/3 the size it is now. Prices are cheaper in the bigger cities, but it takes 2 hours to get to any of them.

I suppose I will do as you suggest.for if they are hard to separate then I lose it quickly. My boyfriend (the one with cancer)... sees this first thing every morning when he wakes up and goes outside, and loves it alot. He is a Cali native.......(Ever heard of the band "Faster Pussy Cat".. any way.....
I am torn........

I think I will try to get it out and look at the roots....................If need be just put the whole tangled mess in an even bigger pot............. OR!!!! since I have yard space just transplant the whole tangled 4 or 5 in the yard in the same hole!!...Who Knows??

Maybe a miracle??

Some palms have touchy roots (Majesties are one of these).. .this is not a succulent that you can just dig up and inspect the roots and then just stick it back in the ground... that sort of root inspection could end in the demise of all the palms. What would you be expecting to see anyway? Roots obviously are OK as the palms look OK. They don't have just a few roots, but hundred and hundreds- no central tap root as in some trees and succulents. The roots of these will be hopelessly intertwined. Either leave it alone, or cut down the competitors. If it is that precious to you, those are really your best options. By the way, it is a pretty slow palm in your area, so leaving it as is is not going to be a problem for many years. Perhaps in 10-15 years you will start seeing some palm trunks starting to push against your house.

okie dokie then.... in the pot it stays. :)

I have no idea why, but I didn't see it was in a pot. You can easily move it up a pot size wtihout hurting it... but I don't think this is a good group to plant so close to the house. It will do pretty well in a huge pot, though, indefinitely.

Yes dear.......... it's in a 22" pot... that is why I said I would carefully look at the roots. Very first sentence of first line in thread said "container" NO WORRIES" !!!!!!( Last sentence in first post.."was it ok to leave in my pot?")........... we all overlook things.

And I realize you are a busy person here at DG and traveling and maintaining your own paradise. One reason I suggested just making room for it in my yard. I have the space and other very old palms on my property I need Id's for. (The bats live in them and I love it).


Ok then... next quest if not planted in yard.............(plenty of room...large yard).........FIND A HUGE POT THAT DOES NOT COST MORE THAN MY CAR...........)

LOL. It will all work out. Thanks so much everyone for your input. I learned quite a bit about "Majesty" and that there are 3 palms with almost identical, often mislabeled names, what their needs are, growth habits, likes and dislikes............. Huge progress for me......and my "Majesty"

Ty Guys!

This message was edited Jun 6, 2011 11:14 PM

:)

This message was edited Jun 10, 2011 3:17 AM

I wouldn't call what you did a "mistake". Why do you feel you need to something with it? It looks happy to me. It's not going to grow to it's potential in a pot, but you can keep it looking nice. What kind of planting medium you use when planting it(palm&cactus mix)? If it absolutely must be potted up you can always use a big nursery pot then stack a ring of wall block around it.

P.S. I send my best to your boyfriend. I've talked to a few people who liked what he did with Faster Pussycat and the Sin City Sinners.

David