Mazari Palm Care – Best Secrets!

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The Mazari Palm is a rare cold-hardy evergreen that has seen something of a surge in popularity in recent years. Naturally desert-dwelling, it is native to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Due to its natural habitat in deserts, it can cope with a variety of soil types and can survive temperatures as low as 5°F (-15°C). 

It is a shrub-like plant with no trunk. Instead, a number of stems grow from the base of the plant. 

Its thick, stiff semi-palmate leaves grow to a length of around 4 feet (120cm). Each leaf contains around 20-30 leaflets and can vary in color from gray-green to blue-green. 

Delicate white flowers grow on an inflorescence at the end of their stems. Each inflorescence can be as long as 3 feet (90cm) in length. 

After blooming, the Mazari Palm produces small edible fruits which are orange in color and roughly the size of a pea.

The Mazari Palm is a diecious plant which means its male and female reproductive organs grow on different individual plants. In the plant’s natural habitat, it grows in clumps. 

If grown in the garden or in pots, you will need both male and female plants in order for them to fruit.

Mazari Palms, though, are grown for their aesthetics and hardiness. The striking leaves bring that familiar tropical feeling that comes with palms but there is something new, mysterious, and modern about this plant too.

 

 

Mazari Palm care

Mazari Palm is a hardy plant that likes a position in full sun or partial shade but copes in a variety of conditions including poor, nutrient-lacking soil. It won’t take well to heavy clay soils which retain water but will adapt to any free-draining soil. It is drought-tolerant and prefers too little water to too much. If properly cared for, it will survive in temperatures fluctuating between highs of 80°F-104°F (30°C-40°C) and lows of 5°F (-15°C). Fertilizing will make the plant stronger and encourage it to bloom and produce fruit but is not essential. The Mazari Palm is easy to look after and simple to propagate from seed or by division. Growing new plants from seed is a long process and most people choose to propagate by division to provide a plentiful supply of plants in a relatively short space of time.

 

Where to grow your Mazari Palm

Your Mazari Palm will prefer a position in full sun to partial shade but is tolerant of fluctuating temperatures.

 It is a slow-growing plant and will suit areas with poor soil so long as they are free-draining.

You can grow Mazari Palm in full sun or partial shade and can be grown in pots or in the ground. 

It will enjoy sandy soil but you should avoid placing it in areas of heavy, wet clay soil or shaded areas that do not dry out. 

Mazari Palms grown in pots or containers will not grow to the same size as those positioned directly in the ground.

 

Watering

Mazari Palm is exceedingly drought-tolerant and must be placed in soil that drains well. 

You may never need to water your Mazari Palm apart from in long dry spells. However, adding water when the soil has completely dried out will help keep your plant healthy and encourage growth.

Provided it is placed in an error that drains well, you should give your Mazari Palm a good soaking when you water it and allow the excess to drain away.

If grown in pots or containers, you should line the base with gravel or stones to aid the drainage and prevent the soil from becoming too wet.

 

Temperature

The Mazari Palm is a sun-loving plant. Given a position in full sun, it will bask in temperatures from 80°F-104°F (30°C-40°C). 

Remarkably, though, it will also tolerate temperatures down as low as 5°F   (-15°C) during winter. 

In essence, Mazari Palm will cope just fine in any temperature so whether in the garden or the home there is no reason for it not to display its striking foliage all year round. 

Hotter temperatures will help your plant grow faster – particularly if complemented with the right watering regime. 

For your Mazari Palm to be able to cope with those exceedingly low winter temperatures you will need to make sure you care for it well throughout the spring and summer months so it goes into fall and winter in the best possible health.

 

Humidity

Mazari Palm thrives in areas that are warm, humid, and have high rainfall like Southern Florida where humidity levels range between 60% and 80%. 

However, it has been less successful in the UK where humidity reaches similar levels but the climate is cooler. 

For this reason, you should consider the temperature in conjunction with the humidity when planning the location of your Mazari Palm.

 

Fertilizing

How often you fertilize your Mazari Palm will be determined by its environment. 

In warmer climes where winter temperatures only fall to around 65 °F (18 °C), fertilizing it may not be strictly necessary but will help it grow faster and bloom brighter. 

One application of slow-release 12-4-2 fertilizer in spring followed by another midway through the summer will be sufficient. 

In cooler areas where winter temperatures are expected to frequently fall below freezing, a third application in late fall will give your plants an added boost and help prepare them for overwintering.

After applying fertilizer, give the soil a thorough soaking.

Mazari Palms kept indoors will not require fertilizer but it will still aid their growth.

 

Air circulation

Mazari Palms will benefit from good airflow which replicates their natural habitat.

As they are such a hardy specimen, this can be achieved by growing them outside, placing them outside in dry weather, or simply opening a window to allow fresh air in. 

 

Propagation

Mazari Palms can be propagated from seed or by division. 

If you have a Mazari Palm that has produced fruit, you can harvest the seeds to grow new plants. If not, you can buy seeds relatively cheaply.

To harvest your own seeds you will first have to crack open the husk that holds them. You can do this task with a tool such as a hammer or a mallet. 

Once you have cracked the outer shell remove the small brown seeds.

Seeds are best sown indoors soon after harvesting. Prior to sowing, make sure to soak the seeds in water for about 24-48 hours to help in speeding up the germination process. 

Once your seeds are soaked they can be planted in 2-inch pots containing a potting mix comprising 50% compost and 50% perlite. 

Leave a small section of the plant exposed and cover it with sand. Water immediately and allow the excess moisture to drain. 

Keep the soil moist and warm by placing the pots on a windowsill or in a greenhouse and make sure they get at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. 

Mazari Palm seeds form a long taproot, to begin with, so be patient. Once your seedlings come through and are large enough to handle (which can take up to 4 months) they can be transplanted to larger 4-inch pots with a fresh potting medium. 

Continue to keep the soil moist and keep your seedlings in these slightly larger pots until the following spring when they can be moved to their permanent position. 

If planting them outside, wait until the last frost has passed.

To propagate your Mazari Palm by division, you will need to first identify roots that are feeding one or two stems. 

To do this, you will need to remove the plant from its pot or, if it is growing in the ground, dig it up taking care not to damage the roots. 

This can be done by cutting downwards in a circular pattern working inwards from the plants’ drip line (the drip line is the area of the ground that wet leaves would drip onto).

Once you have removed your plant from its position, gently shake it to remove any loose or excess soil to allow you to inspect the root ball. 

You can even read about root preparation in a particular article on this site.

You should be able to spot groups of two or more stems that are being fed by a single root. Using a sharp knife, create a cut between the stems to divide the clump. 

To avoid infecting your plant, sterilize your knife before cutting into the root. This can be done using steam or rubbing alcohol.

If you don’t want to dig your plant up, you can also remove suckers to propagate by division. Suckers are new shoots that grow up from the base of the plant and are often removed and discarded for aesthetic purposes but can be used to grow your palm collection.

Before removing the suckers, water the soil well to loosen it. Then, gently remove the top layer of soil around each sucker using a trowel. 

Once you identify the root of the sucker, cut it free from the root ball and place it in a fresh pot containing a potting mix of 50% soil and 50% perlite.

After being removed from its parent plant, your new Mazari Palm will go through a period known as ‘transplant shock’. 

This is perfectly natural and your plant will just need time to adapt to its new circumstances. Make sure to place the pot in a shaded area and keep it well-watered until it produces new growth. 

 

Common problems with Mazari Palms

Mazari Palms are susceptible to lethal yellowing, a phytoplasma disease that commonly attacks palm trees. 

Lethal yellowing is spread by planthoppers (insects that move from plant to plant) and cannot really be treated. 

While there are injections available for palms grown on a commercial scale, no such treatment is available to the average gardener so once lethal yellowing takes hold, it is time to remove the plant to prevent the disease from spreading further.

The first obvious symptom of lethal yellowing is premature fruit drop. This is usually followed by necrosis of the flowers which slowly die. 

Once a plant is infected, you must remove and destroy it. You can help prevent lethal yellowing of your Mazari Palm by caring for it properly.

Mazari Palms can also suffer from Ganoderma fungus which attaches itself to the central stem and destroys the structural integrity of the plant. This can be avoided by ensuring your plant is kept warm and dry in well-drained soil. 

If Ganoderma fungus attacks your plant, it can be treated by an application of copper sulfate.

 

Frequently asked questions about Mazari Palms

 

Why are the tips of my Mazari Palm leaves turning brown?

It is most likely a result of your plant overwatered or not having insufficient drainage. If it is planted in the ground try adding sand to the soil around it. For Mazari Palms planted in pots, it’s best to remove the plant, get rid of any damaged roots, and repot it in a fresh potting mix.

 

Why are my Mazari Palm leaves falling off?

It’s most likely that your Mazari Palm’s suffering from nutrient deficiency. Test your soil and top up the nutrients as required.

 

What is the black diamond-shaped fungus on my Mazari Palm?

If kept in poor conditions – particularly excessive moisture – Mazari Palms are susceptible to diamond scale which appears like wet black lesions. This fungal infection that attacks different parts of the plant including its stems and leaves. Thus, you should remove all infected parts of the plant straight away.

Conclusion

The Mazari Palm is still relatively rare and is perfect if you are looking for something that stands out due to both its striking architecture and individuality.

It is classically tropical in looks and easy to maintain. 

Hardy and drought-tolerant it makes a great choice for anyone who wants the aesthetics of a well-cared-for plant but spends a lot of time away or simply doesn’t have time to devote to plant care. 

It will flourish if given full care but will cope with extremes of temperature, dehydration, and lack of fertilization. 

As such, it is a good choice for those new to plant care or growing palms as it is forgiving of beginners’ mistakes and can make a full recovery from many issues caused by lack of knowledge.