When it comes to taking care of your Windmill Palm, you’ll be happy to know that pruning is rarely on the “must-do” list. For the most part, green fronds should stay right where they are unless the plant is simply getting too big for its space. However, there are a few times when you might need to reach for your shears to deal with brown or overgrown foliage.
When should you prune your Windmill Palm?
Generally speaking, you don’t *have* to prune a Fan Palm at all. If you decide to do it, you’ve got to be careful. The most common reasons for giving your palm a trim are:
- The fronds have turned yellow or brown.
- The palm is outgrowing its spot.
Trimming away dead leaves is mostly about keeping things looking tidy—it doesn’t actually help the plant grow. One golden rule to remember: Never cut off the top (the crown) of your Windmill Palm. If you do, the palm will stop growing entirely and will eventually die.
How to handle brown fronds
Don’t be too quick with the scissors! Wait until the brown leaf is completely dried out and crispy. When you’re ready, use a pair of clean garden shears to cut the frond about two to four inches (4–10 cm) away from the trunk. You never want to cut a leaf flush against the trunk, as this can damage the plant.
The right way to trim green fronds
Under normal circumstances, you should leave green fronds alone. But if your palm is taking over the room and you absolutely have to trim it, don’t take the whole leaf at once. Start by cutting only part of the green frond, leaving at least 6 inches (15 cm) of the stem attached to the plant. Over time, that remaining piece will dry out naturally. Once it’s totally dry, you can go back and trim it down to about an inch or two from the trunk.
Why leave a “stub” behind?
You might wonder why we leave those little pieces of the fronds attached. It’s because they still contain nutrients that the palm continues to draw from. If you really want to boost new leaf growth, here’s a pro tip: snip off the flowers! If you let the palm flower, it puts a ton of energy into producing seeds. By removing the blooms, you’re telling the plant to put all that energy back into growing beautiful new fronds instead.
