When grown outdoors, C. revoluta may reach a height of 10 to 12 feet, though the ones I see in Austin are closer to about five feet tall. If the containers are too big, the root systems will grow slowly. It is in a very small area and ... Q. Sago Palm Has White Scale - My Sago Palm tree has white scale on it. Frozen Sago Palms - Recently we had a bad freeze in Austin, Texas, and I have two sago palms outside that were not protected. If you provide too little light it will not show negative consequences for quite some time, but for the plants long term health, poor light levels also need to be avoided. Repotting is a good time to also check any plant for damaged, unwanted or rotting leaves or pests that may be hiding in the soil. Though these tiny roots are numerous, they do not increase in diameter and … Fill the hole back in with a mixture of half native soil and half peat moss and water in well. If you’re dealing with a large sago palm, it might be a good idea to call in a local landscaping company and let them do the hard work. Photo by Gretchen Heber. Native to the southern islands of Japan, the sago palm goes by several common names, including Japanese palm, funeral palm, king sago or just plain sago palm. Cycads like “deep pots,” so take depth over diameter when selecting a container size for a sago palm. It thrives in sunny to shady sites when planted in organically rich, sandy soils that drain quickly, and once established, it’s tolerant to drought. Continue watering weekly for several months after transplanting while new roots develop. Palm tree roots have a preference for sandy soil which makes them easy to uproot. The sago palm is a slow-growing cycad, and it can take up to 100 years for it to achieve its maximum height of 20-plus feet tall. Here they are also typically allowed to fall into a spreading, half-round form, rather than the more upright, palm tree-like form that results when the lower fronds are trimmed off. Form a circle around the sago palm and dig at a depth of at least 12 inches. Removing Overgrown Plants - We have a very large Sago palm with many heads and pups. When it comes to digging up a sago, consider several things before you grab your trusty shovel and start digging. If you’ve ever wondered what the landscape looked like during the time of the dinosaurs, take a look at the sago palm (Cycas revoluta, USDA zones 8 through 10), which was most certainly there, as it belongs to one of the oldest plant families, Cycadaceae. Of the 10 genera of cycads, sago palms are the most common type you’ll find growing in landscapes. Q. I Have 2 Male Sago Palms. The general rule when planting anything is to make the hole twice as wide, but no deeper than the plant’s root ball. Information about Sago Palm Trees. Although hardy, they can’t withstand the freezing cold. We can even see these roots if the tree is planted in shallow soil. You’ll want to get as much of the root system as possible, but don’t be surprised if you have to use loppers to cut some of the bottom roots to release the root system from the ground. Joyce Starr has been a professional writer and editor for over 15 years, specializing in the topics of horticulture and home improvement. It is extremely slow-growing, sometimes putting out just one set of new leaves per yearor sometimes not that often. With the ability to live for hundreds of years, the sago palm makes a rugged houseplant. Lift it up, move … The female plant, on the other hand, produces a furry, yellowish, globe-shaped structure in its center that eventually opens, revealing a tight mass of bright orange, 2-inch seeds.