Palms you’ll see in Bakersfield
- Mexican fan palm. The tall, slender skyline palm. Fast-growing, and a heavy producer of seed.
- California fan palm. Shorter, with a thicker trunk and a full skirt if left untrimmed.
- Canary Island date palm. A massive trunk under a wide crown of long feather fronds.
- Queen palm. A smooth gray trunk and arching, feathery fronds. Common in newer yards.
- Mediterranean fan palm. A low, clumping palm used in smaller gardens.
What palm trimming includes
- Dead frond removal. Brown, hanging fronds are cut close to the trunk.
- Seed pod and flower stalk removal. This stops fruit and seed dropping on cars, pools and patios, and seedlings sprouting in every planter.
- Skinning. Old frond bases are shaved off for a clean trunk. It’s optional, and it’s quoted separately on tall palms.
- Haul-away. Palm waste is bulky and fibrous, so check that disposal is in the price.
Once a year suits most palms. Fast-growing fan palms that drop a lot of seed are sometimes done twice.
Don’t let anyone over-prune
Green fronds feed the palm. A good rule: nothing green comes off above the horizontal. Picture a clock face and keep everything from nine o’clock up and over to three. Crowns stripped to a few upright fronds look tidy for a month and leave the palm weaker, thinner in the trunk and slower to recover from heat.
Spikes, saws and disease
A palm trunk doesn’t close over wounds the way an oak or an ash does, so holes from climbing spikes are permanent. For palms you’re keeping, ask whether the crew uses a lift or climbs without spikes.
Canary Island date palms can catch a fatal wilt disease carried from tree to tree on pruning saws. Ask the crew to disinfect their tools before they start on yours.
Leave tall, skirted palms to the pros. A thick skirt of dead fronds can slide down the trunk in one mass and trap a climber underneath. It has killed experienced trimmers in California. Dry skirts are also a fire risk and shelter rodents.
Palm removal
Palm trunks are heavy, wet and stringy. They can’t be chipped like ordinary wood, and they’re costly to dump, which is why removing a palm can cost more than removing a broadleaf tree of similar height. Tall palms next to buildings are lowered in sections or lifted out by crane. The root ball is a dense, shallow mat that grinds out easily.
To get an accurate quote, tell the tree service how many palms you have, roughly how tall they are, and whether a truck can park beside them.
Common questions
Will a palm grow back from the stump?
A single-trunk palm will not. It has one growing point at the top, and once that’s gone the tree is dead. Clumping palms such as the Mediterranean fan palm can send up new shoots from the base.
When is the best time to trim palms?
Many owners book it for late spring or early summer, after the flower stalks appear and before seed starts to drop. Dead fronds can come off at any time of year.
How much does palm trimming cost?
It depends mostly on height and the number of palms, and on whether you want the trunks skinned. Several palms done in one visit usually cost less each. Send a request with the count and rough heights for a firm price.