What kind of palm tree is this with long beard?

we have this palm tree right at the edge of water. There must be hundreds of dead leaves on it accumulated over many years. It blocks views and when we pulled out 20 odd leaves, it hardly changed anything to its thick beard and we can see thousands of ants including a cockroach have already made home on the trunk. What kind of palm tree is this? My worry is that even through perseverance, we pulled out all dead leaves, it is going to be an ongoing maintenance headache. Plus, I actually have no idea how to pull the leaves on the water side out without a boat. Want to think a long term strategy towards this tree so first thing first: what tree is this? If you know, please let me know. Thank you.

 

Thinking about it. Just want to be careful before raising a chainsaw since growing a tree back will take years. So want my research first. It does provide nice shade in the morning...

 

I think it is a Cotton Palm. IMO they are horrid. I don't think they ever look good

 

Cotton palm

 

Maybe they are better when they are young. They all look like this in my area

 

Petrol and a match should remove the beard !

 

I don’t see any trees like this in Gold Coast except in my back yard I wonder why anyone would want to plant a tree like this. The leaves are very thorny so have to be super careful when dealing with them. May be they are wild trees...

 

They're a Mexican Fan Tree

 

And this is why we use Scientific names for plants. The page you linked to says this:

Mexican Fan Palm, Washingtonia robusta

Washingtonia robusta is also known as Cotton Palm. Sources: Cotton Palm | Grow Me Instead, Washingtonia robusta

So yeah, it's a Cotton Palm, as I was saying.

 

They are native to Mexico but sold in Queensland nurseries! I don't know who woukd buy such a thing but there should be others around if you look.

Cotton Palm - Washingtonia robusta - Pacific Trees Qld

 

There's actually two Washingtonia species. Are we sure it is Washingtonia robusta and not Washingtonia filifera? I am not sure I could tell them apart.

 

It’s on the fence line, not in the middle of the block, so I think having the debearded tree framing water views will look great and provide 'depth' and interest to the view (as well as the shade).

I looked up an article on pruning palms and it's important not to over prune (i.e. just prune the dead leaves). Worth getting an arbourist I think, as when pruned, that tree will look great.

 

Lift up the dead front and look under the skirt?

Based on the link I provided, photo & article it would be the robusta.

 

I think they look nice when kept clean. Just get an arborist/tree lopper out to clean it. Might cost more the first time but if you maintain it it on an annual basis it will be a small job.

I had one out last week, cleaned a full sized Cocos palm for $65.

 

I am leaning towards robusta too.

 

Underneath is kind of red or orangy coloured bark. Pineapple patterned from bottom to the top. I think they were formed when dead fronts were pulled out. Not the smooth silvery type of trunk we see in other types of palms. Debris and ants like to congregate among these pineapple shaped thingy.

 

Take care on a waterway with cutting a prominent tree. They are often used as informal navigation markers and obvious to all if cut down. You may be contacted by council and asked why a tree was cut down....Approval a good idea.

 

Just to throw another name into the mix but Livistonia australis? Planted heavily by councils in south east Queensland because they are a native.

 

Wow they all look alike. I hope mine is not a cabbage palm. A mature cabbage palm can be so tall. Right now I can pull the dead fronds out by myself standing from the ground. If it does grow that tall, I have to hire someone to climb the tree to do it.