37 Types of Palm Trees That Grow Well in Florida

Looking for a palm tree to add to your florida landscape or garden space? There are many different types of palm trees that grow well in the sunshine state. In this article, we take a look at our favorite palm trees of all shapes and sizes that will compliment any Florida landscape!

A Florida thatch palm tree growing in a yard with beautiful green palm fronds.

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If you live in warm and sunny Florida and want to decorate your home landscape, planting one or more palm tree varieties can be a great option. While there are plenty of other trees you can grow in Florida’s diverse climates, palms are a mainstay.

But with so many different types of palm trees to choose from, selecting the right trees for healthy growth and the desired appearance can be a bit of a challenge!

There are dozens of types of palm trees that can thrive in Florida, which can vary greatly in both size and appearance. Some, such as dwarf palmettos, rarely grow taller than 3-feet, while the most giant palm trees can easily reach 100 feet.

You also need to consider factors such as appearance, requirements for light and water, and which habitable zone you live in (Florida has four designated hardiness zones between 8-11).

So, how do you get started? How about reading through a massive list of palm trees that thrive in Florida? We’ve compiled a giant list of our favorite palms that will excel in Florida, and we’ve included important information such as the plant’s size and sun exposure needs. Ready to learn more? Let’s dig in!

African Oil Palm

Several Elaeis guineensis trees growing in a forest. Each tree has a long trunk topped with feather-like dark green blades along long sheaths that hang heavily from the crown of the tree. The forest floor is covered in light green ivy.
This fast grower is a great option if you are looking to add shade to your garden.
Scientific Name: Elaeis guineensis
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Western Africa
  • Plant Size: 50-65 ft (15-20 m)
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 10b-11

The African oil palm tree is non-native to Florida but has become popular in Florida due to its rapid growth, attractive vase-shaped trunk, and a large crown of 2-foot-long leaves. The African oil is an excellent choice for home landscapes because it grows quickly and offers a pleasing crown of 20-40 leaves, providing plenty of shade.

African Oil palms are one of the most oil-producing plants on the planet, growing bunches of orangish-red oily fruits that weigh between 11-66 lbs. For this reason, the African oil palm has been and continues to be culturally significant to many African tribes.

Areca Palm

Upward view of the tops of Dypsis lutescens trees. Each tree has a very long and thin central trunk with horizontal ridges. The tops of the trees have long feather-like sheaths with long Bendy green blades or leaves. Blue sky in the background.
This is one of the most common palm trees in the United States.
Scientific Name: Dypsis lutescens
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Eastern Madagascar, Africa
  • Plant Size: 20-35 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 10-11

The Areca palm tree is one of the most common palm trees and is widespread throughout the U.S. and Europe as an indoor plant. When grown indoors with less light, they reach about 7 feet in height. The Areca palm also does well in the warm outdoor climates of central and southern Florida. This palm is easy to care for and is heat resistant.

The Areca palm can be grown in clusters, similar to bamboo. This clustering, and the tree’s 2-feet-long leaflets that grow in an exciting v-shape, make them a great choice for a tropical-style privacy hedge.

Bangalow Palm

Close up of Archontophoenix cunninghamiana trees. These trees are tall with long and thin central trunks and long green sheaths with flexible blades. Some of these sheaths are brown and withered. About a foot below the sheaths, red berries grow in cascading vines with some of the vines browned with lack of berries.
This Australian native has beautiful, cascading clusters of red fruit.
Scientific Name: Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Australia
  • Plant Size: 60 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 10a

The Bangalow palm is native to Australia and a popular tree for landscapes. Its drooping red fruit clusters and lavender blooms create an interesting visual appeal.

This tree does well in containers or the ground, growing in a range of soils and requiring average water needs and full sun. Some areas around the world have begun to investigate the possibility of the Bangalow palm being an invasive species. Still, there is currently no legal issue with its growth in Florida.

Bismarck Palm

Bismarckia nobilis growing along a roadside. This plant has palmate or fan like leaves in a silvery green color that are spiky or pointy at the ends. In the background, there is a tall palm tree and electrical wiring.
There are both male and female versions of this tree.
Scientific Name: Bismarckia nobilis
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Madagascar
  • Plant Size: 20-40 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 9a-11

The Bismarck palm tree is highly sought after throughout Florida with its striking silvery-blue foliage and an unusually short, fat trunk. The Bismarck is also drought tolerant with average water requirements.

The leaves on a Bismarck palm are classified as “costapalmate,” meaning that they produce a wedge-shaped hastula where the petiole meets the blade. The leaves can grow to be about 10-ft wide and grow in clustered segments of around 20 leaves each. Bismarcks are dioecious, meaning that there are distinct male and female versions of the tree.

Buccaneer Palm

Upward view of a Pseudophoenix sargentii tree. This tall tree has long and thick sheaths with fan-like blades that hang down slightly. Bright sky is peeking in through background.
This low-maintenance variety is drought and saltwater tolerant.
Scientific Name: Pseudophoenix sargentii
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: North and South America
  • Plant Size: 10-25 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 10a-11

Native to Florida, the Buccaneer palm is an excellent choice if you are interested in a low-maintenance palm tree. It does well in full sun to lightly shaded areas and is classified as drought tolerant. It’s also saltwater tolerant, and its seeds have been known to germinate after up to two years in storage.

You can find Buccaneer palms in various colors, including silver-gray, blue, and green. The leaf fronds grow in long, graceful fans, and the trunk is smooth with a swollen lower section. It’s exceptionally slow-growing and can be grown indoors for the first several years if you wish to do so.

Photo credit: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Image use allowed with attribution)

Cabbage Palm

Single Sabal palmetto as the focus, growing in a park along the shore. This tree has fan like green leaves that provide shade on the ground. It is a shorter tree, maybe about 8 to 10 feet tall. The ground is concrete, and goes along the shore of a beach. In between the beach and the concrete park, there are other palm plants as well as electric wiring and park benches.
This slow-grower is Florida’s official state tree.
Scientific Name: Sabal palmetto
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: The Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas
  • Plant Size: 30-80 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 8a-10b

The Sabal, or Cabbage palm, is a very tall palm tree native to Florida. In fact, the Sabal was named Florida’s official state tree in 1953. This tree is flood-tolerant and actually prefers poorly drained soil for optimal growth.

Seeds germinate quickly for the Sabal palm, but the seedlings are slow-growing, often taking as long as 15-30 years to develop a visible trunk (in nature). The large leaves of the Sabal palm are dull in finish and either green or greenish-yellow in color.

Canary Island Date Palm

Phoenix canariensis growing in a dappled sunlit park. The trunk of this tree is short and stout. The feather-like sheaths are lush and dark green, with shorter green blades growing from it. The rest of the park is in the background.
This is one of the most widely spread palms on earth.
Scientific Name: Phoenix canariensis
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Canary Islands
  • Plant Size: 40-60+ ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 8a-11

The Canary Island Date palm is a dioecious species of palm named for its native habitat. It has a thick 2-3 ft trunk and a round crown of dark green leaves with a feather-like appearance. This palm is incredibly resistant to cold, down to 14°F, which has led to it being one of the most widely spread palms on earth. Some specimens are grown as far north as London, England.

The Canary Island Date does well in full sun and well-drained soil, but it will handle drought or flood conditions with relatively good results. The seedlings usually begin to develop leaves after one year and a trunk after five years.

Chinese Fan Palm

Close up and upward view of a Livistona Chinensis. The top of the tree has a rough trunk with several long and thin green sheaths sprouting from the top each with a rounded fan-like leaf that end in split blades. Bright sunny sky peaks through the top of the tree.
Be sure to only cut away dead leaves, otherwise, your tree may develop a potassium deficiency.
Scientific Name: Livistona Chinensis
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Asia
  • Plant Size: 30-40 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 8a-11

This Asian palm is a slow-growing tree that will eventually reach up to 40 feet in height with costapalmate (fan-shaped) leaves that grow as long as 6 feet in length. The drooping green leaves have earned it the nickname the “fountain palm.” They are tolerant of an extensive range of soil compositions and need to be fertilized with a slow-release fertilizer in spring and summer.

Chinese Fan palms are slightly resistant to saltwater and do well for sustained periods in drought conditions. One important maintenance task to remember, is only cutting away entirely dead leaves. Cutting older, non-dead leaves away can lead to potassium deficiency.

Christmas Palm

Row of Adonidia merrillii trees growing along electrical wiring. Each tree has a tall trunk with horizontal ridges. The bright green crown shaft supports 12 to 14 feather shaped fronds. Each one curves outward and hangs down and has long thin bladed leaves. The focus of the image is a close-up of a tree trunk with unripe green berries and ripe green berries growing from pal yellow branches. Partly cloudy sky in the background.
This self-cleaner grows up to 20 feet tall.
Scientific Name: Adonidia merrillii
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: the Philippines
  • Plant Size: 15-20 ft.
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 10a-11

The Christmas palm tree, also known as the Manila palm, is a popular choice for Florida landscaping because it thrives in small spaces. This tree will grow very quickly, up to 6 feet, before slowing down until it reaches its tallest height of about 20 feet.

The green leaves of the Christmas palm are typically 4-5 feet in length and feather-like in appearance. You can plant this tree in clusters of 2-4 plants, which will grow out of each other with curving trunks. Maintenance for Christmas palms is easy as the tree tolerates most soils very well and is self-cleaning.

Coconut Palm

Several Cocos nucifera trees growing on a farm. Each tree is incredibly tall and thin with horizontal ridges on the bark. The tops of the trees are adorned with long feather like sheaths that have bladed leaves from the central stem. The image is a somewhat upward view showing a dull blue sky in the background.
A mature tree can produce 50-200 coconuts per year.
Scientific Name: Cocos nucifera
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: South Pacific
  • Plant Size: 90 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 10a-11

Perhaps the prototypical palm tree, the Coconut palm, is used throughout Florida for decorative landscaping and as a commercial crop in coconut oil and fruit production. After six years, the tree begins to fruit and reaches full production after 15 years with between 50-200 coconuts per year.

Coconut palms grow in a range of soils and are moderately tolerant of drought, flooding, and saltwater. There are many cultivars of coconut palms, so if you are interested in growing coconut palm trees, find one that will reach the size and level of fruit production you desire.

Dwarf Palmetto

Sabal minor leaves against bright sunny blue sky. The leaves are palmate or fan shaped with thin blades splittingThe leaves are palmate or fan shaped with thin blades splitting toward the end.
This variety produces small white flowers and fragrant fruit.
Scientific Name: Sabal minor
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: U.S. Coastal Southeast
  • Plant Size: 2-7 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 7b-11

The Dwarf Palmetto is a small, extra-hardy palm that grows well in moist or dry soils as well as in light shade or sunny locations. Its leaves usually grow several feet wide and are greenish-blue in color.

The blooms of the Dwarf Palmetto are white, and it produces a fragrant fruit that is small, black, and round. The fruit contains a single seed and can be eaten.

European Fan Palm

Upward view of several Chamaerops humilis trees with bright blue sky peeking through the leaves. Each tree has a thick brown trunk that is made up of leaf bases from when older leaves have fallen off. Several leaves sprout from the top of the tree, each with a long light green sheath and palmate or fan-like leaves that split off into thin blades.
This is a great option for cooler Florida climates.
Scientific Name: Chamaerops humilis
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Western Mediterranean region
  • Plant Size: 5-10 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 8a-11

This small, clustering palm can give a garden a unique look thanks to its grouping growth and green, spine-like leaves. Also known as the Moroccan Fan or Mediterranean Fan palm, this is the northernmost natural-growing palm globally and does well in even the coolest Florida climates.

It has palmate leaves that add a taste of the tropics to any landscaping. Because it grows compactly, it can work well in a small garden. It is known as the only palm native to Europe, which is why it does well in cooler weather.

Fishtail Palm

Caryota mitis leaves agains a bright blue sky. The leaves grow a top of a tall tree and are light green and shaped like the tailfin of a fish. The leaves grow a long long sheets attached to the top of the trunk.
The smaller size and low light requirements make this a great option for container growing.
Scientific Name: Caryota mitis
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Southeast Asia
  • Plant Size: 10-12 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Partial to Full Shade
  • Plant Zone: 9b-11

This small to medium-sized palm is a fun choice for outdoor or container growing. It requires less light than most palms on this list and does best in moist, well-drained soil. The tree earns its name due to its light-green leaves that are shaped like a fish tailfin.

This tree is exceptionally hardy and easy to grow. However, a critical note for the Fishtail palm is that the small, red fruit it produces is poisonous when ingested. Additionally, contact on the skin may cause a painful burn.

Florida Royal Palm

Roystonea regia growing in rows on either side of a road. Each tree has a tall, branchless trunk that is gray with horizontal ridges. The tops of the trees have several sheaths with long blade-like leaves growing from them. The day is sunny with a bright blue sky with a few clouds in the background.
If you are considering this palm for your residence, be sure to plant it away from your home.
Scientific Name: Roystonea regia
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Florida, Cuba
  • Plant Size: 50-70 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 10a-11

This large tree grows quickly to a height of 70 feet with a 25-foot wide crown and a 2-foot wide trunk. It is often used in commercial spaces, as it can be too large for residential landscapes.

These trees are self-cleaning, dropping about one leaf per month, but you should be careful if planting this tree near your home. The green, fan-shaped leaves can grow up to 15 feet long and weigh as much as 50 pounds, which poses a hazard to people and property when the leaves fall.

Florida Silver Palm

Close up of Coccothrinax argentata leaves against a blue sky. The leaves are long and blade-like and a fan shape in a silvery dark green color growing on top a thin branchless trunk.
The leaves of this palm grow on long, drooping stalks.
Scientific Name: Coccothrinax argentata
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: U.S. Southeast coast and the Florida Keys
  • Plant Size: 6-10 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 10b-11

This tree is native to Florida and does best in the warmer 10 and 11 zones. It can grow up to 20 feet but usually only reaches 6-10 feet. The leaves of the silver palm grow on long, drooping stalks and are a dark bluish-green with a silver color underneath.

The Florida silver palm does very well in a wide range of soils, but you will need to plant it in a well-drained area. It is drought, salt, and shade-tolerant, making it a versatile tree that you can place practically anywhere in your landscape.

Florida Thatch Palm

Thrinax radiata leaves soaking in sun. The leaves are green and a fan shape with thin blade-like tips that droop down toward the ends. They grow from the tops of slender, branchless trunks. Lush green trees in the blurred background.
This is a great option if you live close to the ocean, as it is salt tolerant.
Scientific Name: Thrinax radiata
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean
  • Plant Size: 20 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 10a-11

The Florida Thatch offers an attractive appearance with its slender trunk and dense canopy of radiating, fan-shaped leaves. It does best in full sun but can still grow well in partial shade.

It is salt and drought-tolerant and requires well-drained soil for solid growth. These trees received their name because they produce thatch that has been used to thatch roofs for many years. They are mostly used today as ornamental trees.

Foxtail Palm

Zoomed in image of the top of a Wodyetia bifurcata. Several sturdy sheaths grow from the top with thin green blade like leaves. A large cluster of round red berries grows from the trunk. Another cluster of unripe green berries grows on the other side of the trunk.
This tree was named after the fronds’ fox tail-like appearance.
Scientific Name: Wodyetia bifurcata
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Queensland, Australia
  • Plant Size: 30-50 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 10-11

The Foxtail Palm derives its scientific name from Wodyeti, the recorded name of the Australian aboriginal man who brought the tree’s existence to the attention of botanists in the late 1970s. The tree’s common name refers to its dark green leaves that have a bushy, fox-tail-like appearance.

This fast-growing tree is a popular choice for outdoor landscaping but can be grown indoors if given adequate light and water. The tree is drought tolerant and prefers well-drained soil but should be watered regularly. The Foxtail palm’s seeds are poisonous if ingested.

Key Thatch Palm

Close up of Leucothrinax morrisii foliage. They are long and fan-shaped with blade-like leaves. The plant takes in sunshine. There is a house with woodn siding in the background.
This is a great option for your yard, or in a sunny spot indoors.
Scientific Name: Leucothrinax morrisii
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean
  • Plant Size: 3-36 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 9b-11

The Key Thatch is a solitary palm that grows with a brown or gray trunk and pale-green or yellow-green leaves. This palm tree will grow year-round outside. However, many people grow it in a container for a beautiful indoor garden.

This tree does its best growing in full sun and well-drained soil. It does well in alkaline soils that should be kept consistently moist. This palm tree grows pretty slowly, but after allowing seeds to ripen, you can store them for future planting.

Photo Credit: KATHERINE WAGNER-REISS,King Palm

Several tall Archontophoenix alexandrae trees growing in a line. Each tree has a grayish brown branchless trunk and is topped with several long hanging sheaths with green thin blade-like leaves. The sky in the background is very bright. Shorter green foliage grows close to the base of the tree line.
With proper care, you can expect 1-3 feet of growth a year.
Scientific Name: Archontophoenix alexandrae
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Queensland, Australia
  • Plant Size: 40 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Light Shade
  • Plant Zone: 9b-11

Also called the Alexander Palm, and often confused with the Alexandra Palm, this tree is a tall, solitary palm that you can plant in full sun or partial shade. It produces white flowers year-round with red, pea-sized fruits.

King Palms prefer more water than most and can do well in poorly drained areas. When grown in full sun and provided with adequate water, this tree will grow about 1-3 feet per year.

Lady Palm

Rhapis excelsa plants growing in front of a dark wall of a house. Each of the three plants has a small sturdy central dark brown stem and is topped with several fan-shaped leaves that separate into finger-like blades. Several brown and gray rocks cover the surface of the garden.
This small tree is drought-resistant once established.
Scientific Name: Rhapis excelsa
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Asia
  • Plant Size: 8-10 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 9a-10b

The Lady palm has other names, such as the Bamboo palm and Lady Finger palm. It is a small tree that rarely grows taller than 10 feet high and has glossy, dark-green leaves that grow in segments of 4 to 10 leaves.

Lady palms spread underground, eventually forming thickets or clusters that can be valuable in a residential landscape as a natural privacy screen between neighboring properties. Lady palms adapt well to many soils, as long as proper moisture is maintained. They are drought-resistant once their roots have been established.

Latania Palm

Latania lontaroides plant growing in a yard with other large trees growing in the background. The plant has large fan-shaped waxy leaves that grow from the top of a single trunk.
Although endangered, seeds are still available from sellers online.
Scientific Name: Latania lontaroides
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Madagascar and the Mascarene Archipelago
  • Plant Size: 40 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 10a-11

The Latania palm or Red Latan palm is a slow-growing tree that will eventually reach about 40-feet in height. It has fan-shaped leaves that are reddish when the tree is young before finally turning green. There are also Blue and Yellow Latania palms.

The Latania palm does well in full sun and prefers moist, well-drained soil. Unfortunately, the Latania palm is endangered, with only a few trees still growing in nature. Seeds are available from sellers and palm tree enthusiasts online, but they can be hard to come by as importing or exporting endangered plants into the United States is illegal.

Mexican Fan Palm

Row of seven Washingtonia robusta trees growing against a cloudy evening sky. Each of the trees is incredibly tall with branchless gray trunks. Starting about midway, there is a trail of the leftover portion of stems where the dead leaves have fallen off. Each tree is topped with long thick stems that end in fan-shaped green leaves that rustle in the wind. Several shorter trees grow closer to the ground behind the roof trees.
This giant becomes self-cleaning once it reaches 30 feet.
Scientific Name: Washingtonia robusta
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: California, Florida, Hawaii, Northwest Mexico
  • Plant Size: 40-100 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 9a-11

The monolithic Mexican Fan palm is a giant palm that can reach heights of up to 100 feet. Because of their size, Mexican Fan palms are more often planted in commercial areas.

This striking palm tree has fan-shaped leaves about 4-5 feet wide and 6 feet long. After reaching roughly 30 feet, this palm will drop leaves and become self-cleaning, but before that, you must carefully remove dead leaves to keep the tree healthy.

Montgomery Palm

Veitchia arecina close up. This upward view of the plant shows a central grayish trunk with several thick stems coming from the top with leaves growing along it sort of like a feather. Several yellow ripening berries ad a few ripe red berries are at the bottom of the picture. The sun shines through the leaves in a bright blue sky.
This fast grower can tolerate temperatures as low as 30°F.
Scientific Name: Veitchia arecina
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: The South Pacific islands
  • Plant Size: 10-15 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 10a-11

This medium tall, solitary palm tree typically grows to be about 10 to 15 feet tall, but some specimens have grown to be 80 feet or more. The Montgomery palm has a thin, gray trunk and green leaves that can be up to 9-feet long.

The Montgomery palm is a common sight in Florida, thanks partly to its fast growth and ability to tolerate temperatures as low as 30°F. This palm tree prefers sunny locations with moist, well-drained soil. It is not uncommon for this tree to hybridize with other palm species in the same landscape.

Photo Credit: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. (Image use allowed with attribution)

Needle Palm

Several Rhapidophyllum hystrix leaves up close. These green, glossy fan-shaped leaves split into several blades that hang down.
This is considered one of the hardiest of all palm trees.
Scientific Name: Rhapidophyllum hystrix
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Southeastern United States
  • Plant Size: 4-6 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Full Shade
  • Plant Zone: 6b-11

A shrub-like, almost trunkless palm that is perhaps the hardiest of all palm trees, the Needle palm can be grown in a massive range of zones and practically any amount of light. It has large, glossy green leaves that are stiff and pointy, which has earned the plant its common name.

The Needle palm requires some pruning, but you should take extra care with its sharp, spine-like leaves. This palm tree should be watered regularly. However, you should be careful not to overwater it, especially near the base.

Parlor Palm

Chamaedorea elegans growing in a square black container against a textured white wall. The plant has several bright green stones with several blade like leaves growing from the top of each stem.
This variety makes a great houseplant.
Scientific Name: Chamaedorea elegans
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Mexico, Guatemala
  • Plant Size: 4-6 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Partial to Full Shade
  • Plant Zone: 10a-11

As its name suggests, the Parlor palm is a small palm tree that is often container-grown indoors. It requires minimal pruning and can be grown in small clusters of varying sizes for an appealing multi-level effect.

Parlor palms may reach taller heights of up to 8 feet when grown outside. This palm tree can handle drying out or over-watering but does its best in consistently moist soil. A good mantra for caring for a Parlor palm tree is: Shaded, Sheltered, and Moist.

Paurotis Palm

Several Acoelorrhaphe wrightii trees growing in a forest. Each tree is super tall with branchless brownish gray trunks. Several dead and brown fan-shaped leaves climb the trunk toward the top. Each of the trees has multiple fan-shaped green leaves at the tip. The day is sunny and bright.
This palm needs consistent maintenance for the best appearance.
Scientific Name: Acoelorrhaphe wrightii
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Florida
  • Plant Size: 15-30 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Plant Zone: 8b-11

A native of wet, swampy areas like the Florida Everglades, the Paurotis palm has light green leaves and clusters of fruits that move from green to orange to black as they ripen and fall off the tree.

Despite its wet natural habitat, this palm tree is drought tolerant and can grow in a variety of soils, from acidic to alkaline. You should trim away the Paurotis palm’s dead leaves and fruits consistently to maintain the tree’s pleasing appearance.

Proctor’s Silver Palm

Top Half of a single Coccothrinax proctorii tree swaying in a breeze against a blue sky with a few fluffy clouds. The tree appears to be very tall with a thin branchless trunk that is topped with multiple fan-shaped dark green leaves growing from thick green stems.
This slow grower does well in both coastal and inland environments.
Scientific Name: Coccothrinax proctorii
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Cayman Islands
  • Plant Size: 10-20 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 9b-11

Originally from the Cayman Islands, the Proctor’s Silver or Cayman thatch palm tree has been brought to Florida and continues to grow in popularity. This medium-sized tree is a phenomenal choice for landscapes, thanks to its leaves’ silvery-white bottoms and symmetrical divisions.

It is a slow but easy grower that will only take up a little space in your garden and does quite well in coastal or inland environments. You can also grow one indoors and can even tend to it in the same way that you would a small bonsai tree.

Photo Credit: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Image use allowed with attribution)

Pygmy Date Palm

Single Phoenix roebelenii tree growing on the coast. This tree is very short with a textured brown trunk only about 2 feet off the grassy ground with several long green feather like leaves sprouting from the top. The sea, large boat in the water, and some land are in the back ground. The sky is blue with soft white fluffy clouds.
This tree will thrive in most soil types.
Scientific Name: Phoenix roebelenii
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Southern & Southeast Asia
  • Plant Size: 12 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 9a-11

You can spot the Pygmy Date palm tree throughout Florida’s residential yards and commercial spaces. It is a single-trunk palm but people often plant them in clumps of 3-5 trees. Some people cultivate them to curve the trunks away from the central space for an interesting visual appearance.

This palm tree is adaptable to most soil types, but Pygmy Date palms in Florida are often found to have a potassium deficiency. Applying a palm tree-specific fertilizer can address this issue to keep the tree healthy.

Queen Palm

Top part of a Syagrus romanzoffiana from underneath and to the side. Multiple sturdy stems grow from the top of this tree and are lined on both sides with thin blade like green leaves. There are a few dead brown leaves toward the base of the leaf line. The sky is clear and blue. Two other trees grow in the right and left bottom corners of the image.
This hardy tree is drought and frost-resistant.
Scientific Name: Syagrus romanzoffiana
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: South America
  • Plant Size: 30-50 ft (10-15 m)
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 9b-11

Used as an ornamental tree in yards throughout Florida, the Queen palm is a medium-sized tree with an open crown and drooping, fluffy fronds of dark green leaves. The fruit of the Queen palm is bright orange and attracts many different kinds of birds and mammals.

You should plant the Queen palm in full sun or light shade. It is easy to grow because it is a hardy tree that is drought and frost-resistant. It prefers acidic soils and should be fertilized twice per year with a manganese-rich fertilizer.

Red Sealing Wax Palm

Multiple Cyrtostachys renda trees growing in a forest. Each tree has green and bright red very thin trunks and red stems that have feather-like green leaves growing from them toward the top.
Although not commonly found in Florida, this palm will grow well in USDA zone 11.
Scientific Name: Cyrtostachys renda
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Southeast Asia
  • Plant Size: 30-40 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 11

The Red Sealing Wax palm tree, or Lipstick palm tree, is named for its distinctive, deep-red crownshaft. It is common in many areas in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Borneo, and Sumatra. However, is not seen very often in Florida.

Despite its rarity in Florida, this tree does well in USDA Zone 11, thriving in full sun and consistently moist soil. Consider taking the time to hunt down this palm tree if you want to capture the unique tropical feel of Southeast Asia.

Ribbon Fan Palm

Several Livistona decipiens leaves growing against a bright blue sky. These fan shaped leaves split off into several blades and grow from a single sturdy stem.
This Australian native needs full sun and well-draining soil.
Scientific Name: Livistona decipiens
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Australia
  • Plant Size: 30-40 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 9a-11

With leaves that split into many different segments and droop down with an interesting ribbon-like appearance, this palm tree can add a more delicate, lilting appearance to a landscape than other palms. This tree is best grown outdoors in full sun and well-drained soil.

Royal Palm

Top half of several Roystonea oleracea growing in a line. Each tree is incredibly tall with a gray, branchless, smooth trunk. The crown of each tree is bright green with several sturdy feather-like fronds sprouting from it. The leaves are plentiful and hang down with weight. The sky in the background is bright with a few soft clouds.
This royal tree grows up to 100 feet tall.
Scientific Name: Roystonea oleracea
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: South America & the Caribbean
  • Plant Size: 100 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 10b-11

The imposing Royal palm tree, sometimes called the Imperial palm or Venezuelan Royal palm, is a towering solitary tree that grows throughout the tropics and subtropics. It thrives on the high rainfalls of the rainforests.

Compared to the previously mentioned Florida Royal Palm, this royal palm tree is taller, with a fatter trunk and about twice the rate of growth.

Saw Palmetto

Serenoa repens from above. The plant has several round fan shaped bright green leaves that split toward the tips are growing from two round containers on a gray brick walkway.
This low-maintenance palm makes a great addition to your garden and will provide food for birds and other wildlife.
Scientific Name: Serenoa repens
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Southeast U.S.
  • Plant Size: 5-10 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Full Shade
  • Plant Zone: 6a-11

Another hardy palm, the Saw palmetto, can be grown in an extensive range of temperatures, light levels, and soils. In ideal conditions, this palm will grow in a creeping ground cover with multiple trunks and fan-shaped leaves.

The flowers of the Saw palmetto are used to create commercial-grade honey. The small, round fruits of the plant are a valuable food source for many birds and other animals. Saw palmettos are slow-growing but can survive on rainfall alone and don’t require any special pruning or maintenance.

Scrub Palmetto

Sabal etonia growing in a lush piece of land. The plant has several thin shaped leaves, each with long and narrow blade like ends. The land around it is mulched with several other plants and gray trunks in the background. The bottom left corner has a low growing plant with purple flowers
Do not overwater, but be sure to keep the soil moist.
Scientific Name: Sabal etonia
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Florida
  • Plant Size: 3-4 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 9-11

Another great palmetto for use as a ground cover plant, this tree spreads beneath the ground with an S-shaped stem. The Scrub palmetto usually has between 5-8 leaves with Y-shaped tips and small, white flowers that bloom in spring.

This plant is drought-tolerant and grows well when planted as an accent under large trees that offer a mix of sun and shade. The Scrub palmetto adapts to acidic or alkaline soils, but the soil should be kept moist. Scrub Palmettos do not do well in flood-like conditions.

Solitaire Palm

Several tall Ptychosperma elegans growing in the wild. Each tree is very tall with a thin sturdy trunk that is gray but about 3/4 of the way up it turns bright green. The tip of each tree has a darker green crown with several feather like fronds that grow up and out. Some of the trees have very large wide tropical leaves climbing up them. A bright blue sky in the background.
This species can be grown both outdoors and indoors in containers.
Scientific Name: Ptychosperma elegans
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Central to Northern Australia
  • Plant Size: 40 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 9b-11

The Solitaire palm is believed to be one of the oldest living palm species in the world. It was initially described by the Scottish botanist Robert Brown in 1810.

The Solitaire palm is a small to a medium-sized palm tree that does well in full or partial sun. This tree can be grown outdoors in the appropriate zones or indoors in a container. It is a self-cleaning palm, meaning that dead fronds will drop off the crown without you needing to tend to the tree.

Sylvester Palm

Phoenix sylvestris trees growing along the bank of a small pond. Each of the four trees has a central trunk that is brownish gray and hefty that the little wider at the very bottom. They are topped with silvery green leaves that are feather like and grow upward and hang down with weight. Several shorter trees growing on the other side  of the pond. There is a flock of birds floating in the pond. The evening sky starts off of grayish blue and turns into yellow closer to the horizon.
This Indian native is also known as the Toddy Palm.
Scientific Name: Phoenix sylvestris
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: India, Pakistan, Southeast Asia
  • Plant Size: 50 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Plant Zone: 8b-11

Native to India, this slow-growing palm tree is commercially cultivated for its wild dates that are used in the production of sugar, jelly, and an alcoholic drink called a “toddy.” The tree is also known as the Toddy Palm or Wild Date Palm, thanks to its fruit.

The Sylvester palm tree is also a favorite tree for landscape decoration because of its blue-green leaves, yellow flowers, and textured trunk. These palm trees require a lot of sunlight but can tolerate some shade.

Yellow Latan Palm

Top of a Latania verschaffeltii close up. The trunk is gray and there are several unripe green berries growing toward the right of the top of the trunk. Several yellow green long feather like leaves sprout from the top and hang down from weight. Another tree grows in the background to the left with a thin brown trunk and several branches with green leaves growing on them. The day is sunny and bright.
This slow grower reaches up to 40 feet.
Scientific Name: Latania verschaffeltii
  • Plant Type: Perennial
  • Geographic Origin: Madagascar and the Mascarene Archipelago
  • Plant Size: 15-40 ft
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun
  • Plant Zone: 10a-11

We already discussed the Latania palm or Red Latan palm tree, which is closely related to the Yellow Latan palm. Like its sister species, the Yellow Latan is a dioecious-type tree that grows on Madagascar and throughout the Mascarene Archipelago.

This species of Latania is not as common in Florida, but it does grow well throughout USDA zones 10 and 11. It is a slow grower that reaches up to 40 feet in height and has beautiful yellow-green leaves.

Final Thoughts

There are dozens of types of palm trees perfect for Florida yards and gardens. There are plenty of fantastic options for Florida’s diverse climate, including many in different sizes, shapes, and colors. You can even grow separate indoor and outdoor gardens with palm trees for each.

Some palms are grown as decorations, others can provide shade or water retention for your yard. These low-maintenance trees are a perfect addition to any tropical feeling landscape.

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