Q: I have a ten-year old windmill palm that has gotten a bloom on it for the first time. In fact it has three separate pods. Are these seeds or what?

A: The yellow sprays are not seed – they are flowers. A mature windmill palm will bloom each year. IF your palm is female and IF there is a male palm nearby, you’ll get round blue seeds in August.

The seed can be collected and germinated by placing a few in a resealable plastic bag containing a 1:1 mixture of peat moss and perlite. Moisten the mixture slightly, seal the bag, keep it between 75 and 90 degrees F. and wait. If they’re going to germinate, they will do so within a couple of months.

Plant them in a protected spot while they are young and you’ll have a forest of windmills pretty soon!

Windmill palm flower