Landscaping With Palm Trees

First thoughts & planning are so important. It's good to see you're thinking that way! 

Think Ahead - Avoid Future Problems

DID YOU EVER THINK OF THIS?

Use Palm tree leaves for shading. Ideas for landscaping with palm fronds can also help with tropical ambience in your yard, or on your patio.

Feel cooler when lounging in outdoor seating. Or when enjoying your home in the summer.

Palm trees with Palmate Fronds are often a good choice because the leaves have larger surface areas. But Landscaping With Foxtail Palms are surely one exception!

Large palm fronds.

PRETTY PALM GROUPING

Group five of the same species for a pleasant type of palm landscaping technique. Or maybe three of one species along with four of another.

The best appealing esthetic landscape formula is to go with odd number totals.

Example of a Pleasing Grouping of Palms in the Rear of a Beach Shelter
Odd Number - Somewhat Zigzagged Placement - Multi-sized

LOOK UP!

Remember, watch overhead power lines. You must avoid them!! Think about maximum palm heights in your landscaping plan ideas. 

What Do You Think is Wrong Here?
What Do You Think is Good?
Two Palms Died - Maybe Near Flower Beds or Lawn?
Large Palms Suitable for Home Size.
Small Palms are Best Near Front Sidewalk. Why?
Few Palms Near Lanai Nicely Sized, Good for Shading. Are They Too Close?

These suggestions are most appropriate for those living in tropical and subtropical climates. Or Temperate Areas with not overly cold winters. These palms are sun-loving, blocking sun from where you choose. Their water usage isn't overwhelming, but they're not truly drought tolerant.

Once established they can get along with regular rainfall. With additional watering in dry spells. 

THINK OF THESE:

Species to consider for home shading:

• Bismarck Palm: Bismarckia nobilis
• Talipot Palm: Corypha umbraculifera
• Blue Latan Palm: Latania loddigesii
• Kona Fan Palm: Pritchardia maideniana
• Fiji Fan Palm: Pritchardia Pacifica

Pritchardia pacifica is nicknamed the Fiji Fan Palm
Cooktown Botanic Gardens in Queensland Australia Has an Example

Didn't They Absolutely Do a Fabulous Palm Tree Landscaping Job
For Their Patio?

FOR PATIO/OUTDOOR SEATING

Think about these palm suggestions for edging patios & outdoor seating coves.

Florida Silver Palm: 

Coccothrinax argentata - Your sunny day friend. Does fine if soil's not great & rain dwindles. Attractive for groupings, too.

Loulu Palm:

Pritchardia kaalae - One of two Moloka'i Hawaii Indigenous Trees. It can thrive in your yard's sunny spot. If you can get one, it grows to 12 feet tall.

Old Man Thatch Palm:

Coccothrinax crinita - Loves the sun! Your invited friends & relatives will be asking you all about this one. A fun conversation piece.

Cabada Palm:

Dypsis cabadae - Up to 25 feet up, often surrounds courtyards. Plant them somewhat close together to give shading. They're lovely to look at, too! Clusters can sprout. You may or may not want that.

Prefers a Mediterranean type of climate.

Dypsis baronii is nicknamed the Cabada Palm.

Licuala Palm:

Licuala grandis - When full grown, about 10 feet, its large fronds make good shade. Just be sure it's not in a consistently windy area. Does better on eastern property sides, where it won't get full sun & uses water effectively.

Florida Thatch Palm:

Flexibly tolerant, getting to 16 feet. Pretty white fruit sprouts out. Making for good looks!

Florida Thatch Palm's scientific name is Thrinax radiata

ARID PLACES

If you Live in the Desert, you get minimal average rainfall. Even if you get summer monsoon storms, overall yearly rainfall is low.

Choose drought tolerant palms. Because desert areas need to conserve water. So palm watering needs should be small.

HOW CHILLY?

Another consideration is cold weather.

Lower elevation southern deserts, or deserts between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer may get cold temperatures. But the key is, how cold in your region? Overall, palm trees do not like freezing temperatures.

Some can withstand it to a point. They'll shiver a bit! Maybe wish they could put on an overcoat!

But when it soon warms up, they'll be okay.

You Can Be Sure if Palm Trees Could Shiver, They Would Be!

Blue Hesper Palm:

Brahea armata - Well suited to warm low deserts, from Baja California origins. Slow grower to 30'+, if you want to be growing a larger palm. Naturally best fit for two-story homes.

Guadalupe Palm:

Brahea edulis - Another slow grower, peaks about 30 feet. It may do okay in southerly high deserts that don't get lengthy freezing temps.

What's nice is it has Palm Fruit that's edible.

Okay! Steady now...
Some Unsure Footing Going On Here for these Guadalupe Palms!
What Have They Been Up To??!

Silver Palm:

Coccothrinax alta - Gets to 25' & adapted to desert soils. Best for low, one-story homes. Slow growing, working out for sun-sheltering in your yard. Probably difficult in high deserts.

Miraguama Palm:

Coccothrinax miraguama - Lovely appearance. At max of 20' works well for one-story homes. Grows well in desert soils, fairly quickly. Not for high deserts.

Chinese Fan Palm:

An ideal try for high deserts. Not fussy for soils. Can tolerate short freezes. Gets to 25', so best for single-story houses.  

The Chinese Fan Palm's scientific name is: Livistona chinensis

Pindo Palm (Butia capitata) looks Beautiful Growing in a Madrid Park.

Pindo Palm: 

Butia capitata - Pretty hardy native at inland areas of eastern South America. Even with pinnate fronds, they're feathery & lengthy for coverage. It's a fruit producer. Good for a delish jelly! Greatest height of 15 feet.

Seashore Palm:

Allagoptera arenaria - Coming from sand dunes of Brazil. Not fussy about soil. But the better location is warmer deserts. Has long pinnate leaves. It's a clumper. Three or five could be placed anticipating a shrub "wall" around a patio or yard seating area. As it does its clumping work. Tops out at eight feet.

European Fan Palm:

Chamaerops humilis - Ideal pick for high deserts. It's known to survive snow-storms without damage. Does fine in rocky desert ground. Often clumps. Gets to about 10 feet.

European Fan Palm Grows Happily in the Jacksonville FL Zoo

Silver Palm:

Coccothrinax argentata is hardy alright. Even known to sprout up in cracks between rocks. Rarely gets to its possible 15' height. Not recommended for high deserts.

Mazari Palm:

Another suited to high deserts. Native to Afghanistan & Pakistan deserts, it tolerates freezes. Very tough! Typically gets to 10', but can go 25'. Has edible fruit & can spread. 

A Mazari Palm (Nannorrhops ritchieana)
At Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota FL

Potted palms are the ideal way to go for colder climates. When cold weather sets in, take them indoors to protect them.

Here are a couple suggestions:

Pygmy Date Palm:

Popular for potting. Can get to 10 feet, but slow growing. Likes sunny areas.

• Using 3 to 5 pots zig-zagged along the west or south of seating is useful to edge an area for shade. 
• When cold sets in, get it indoors near a southern/western sunny window.

The Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii) is Small & Attractive.
Makes a Nice Potted Palm.

Cat Palm:

Almost no trunk. As soon as it's above the soil, it splits & begins sprouting palm frond stems.

Rounded growth, it doesn't like sun that's too strong. So it's more suitable to your climate. Does well in pots, looking very nice. Gets five feet up.

• One caution is the leaves can irritate sensitive skin.

Does the Cat Palm (Chamaedorea cataractarum) Have Any Connections to Kitties? Check On Its Scientific Name!