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Palm Trees for Full Sun

Many palm trees for full sun can withstand some drought. Most of our recommendations are also capable of enduring some very frigid temperatures. Do you have a place on your property that's very sunny? Then one of these could be the palm for you.

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Two adjacent palms with curved trunks on a sunny beach

Best Palm Trees for Full Sun

Fast Growing Palm Trees for Full Sun

Want to get a palm that gives you its all pretty quickly? Is this one of the Different Kinds of Palms you're considering? Give one of these an ideal sunny spot, and you'll enjoy it soon enough!

AUSTRALIAN CABBAGE PALM

Livistona australis is nice looking & grows fairly quickly. It does well with full sun. Plus can take temporary lows of 20oF/-6.6oC. Zone 9-11.

Livistona-australis art from 1878 Les Palmiers HistoireAustralian Cabbage Palm is a Stunning Palmate, Getting to 60ft/18m.

RIBBON FAN PALM

Livistona decipiens has stunning inflorescences emerging floppily upward from the crown. Showing nice yellow flowers.

Give it all it needs for quick sunny growth to 70'/21m. And you can grow it easily from seed! Zones 9-11, but 8b can be doable.

QUEEN PALM

Syagrus romanzoffiana gets sky-high (45-90 ft./13-27m) rather quickly. Not recommended for planting in Southern Florida, except when diligently attending to But Rot prevention. Otherwise Quite Hardy.

Besides sun, loves warmth & water. Best for Zones 9b-11. Warmest sunniest parts of 8b-9a can be tried.

Ripe fruits can be eaten. Some say they're delightedly sweet with plum & banana hints. but normally they're used for animal feed.

Medium Tall Sun-Loving Palms

BISMARK PALM

Bismarckia nobilis has bluish tinged fronds that love full sun.

Be cautious if temps go into the 20F/-6.6C+. Cold Damage can happen if they're chilled too long.

Zone best: 9-11. Tops off at 60ft/18m.

Bismarck Palms seen during Mission Hills Garden WalkDazzling Bismarck Palms seen when touring with the Mission Hills Garden Walk.
Photo: KM @Flickr - CC BY 4.0

DESERT FAN PALM

Washingtonia filifera loves inland hot sun. Can even go as low as 15F/-9.4C. Native to northern Mexico, Western Arizona & low deserts in So-Cal. Zone 8-11 in areas with humidity, 7 in dry climates.

We're well familiar with the (also called) California Fan Palm, where we live in Tucson Arizona. Not so tall as the W.robusta.

Grove of California fan palmsGrove of filifera palms, called tCotton Palm in the UK. Lots of petticoats!

GUADALUPE PALM

Brahea edulis has a fat trunk that takes it right through those springtime desert winds.

Full sun is okay. With caution tolerates temps as low as 18oF/-7.8C in dryer places. But ideal for Zones 9-11.

Brahea edulis, the Guadalupe PalmCan be easily grown from seed. Getting up to 35 ft./10.5m tall. Photo: Herve Rey - CC-BY-SA

SILVER SAW PALMETTO

Acoelorrhaphe wrightii is only advised if good watering available. Long been growing in Florida's Everglades.

It's one of those palm trees for full sun that's not drought-friendly. But known to tolerate temps to lows of 20oF/-6.7C, if temporary. Grows to 40'/12m, while clustering. Best Zones: 9b-11.

SINALOA HESPER PALM

With Brahea aculeata, full sun is a must.

It can temporarily do temps down to about 20oF/-6.6oC. Slow-growing for Zones 9-11. Dry parts of 8b possible with care.

Brahea aculeata in a Florida botanical gardenSinaloa Hesper growing nicely at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami
Photo: David J Stang - CC BY-SA 4.0

Sitting Tall in the Sun!

CANARY ISLAND DATE PALM

Yes, Phoenix canariensis is native to the Canary Islands.

Majestic, slow-growing, specimen. Among The Tallest Palms.

Loves the sun, but still limitedly can go to 15oF/-9.4oC. Zone 9-11, even 8b in dry climes.

The Phoenix canariensis or Canary Island Date Palm grows stately amidst other trees.We see plenty in our Sonoran Desert town. Beauties with a full round crown.

COHUNE PALM

Attalea cohune is impressively large & attractive.

Can get 100ft/30m tall. Its pinnate fronds, themselves, are 30'/9m long! With leaflets about 3'/90cm. Takes young Cohunes lots of time to form a solitary trunk. Then growth speeds up

Best for Zones 10-11. Can try 9b, with care.

Attalea cohune growing in Naples FloridaSeeing Its Youth, With Lengthy Palm Fronds

And Here's Shorter Palms

EUROPEAN FAN PALM

Chamaerops humilis spreads out bush-like.

It sits well in full sun. And quite cold-tolerant, briefly down to 10oF/-12.2C! Brrrr!! Zones 8-11.

Mediterranean Fan Palm near a wallAlso Known as: Mediterranean Fan Palm

MAZARI PALM

Nannorrhops ritcheana is small, and pretty.

A clumper with either bluish or green fronds. Loves hot deserts. Plus fleetingly tolerates a lowest temperature of 15oF. Zones 8-11, plus 7 for arid deserts.

Nannorrhops ritchieana at a Botanical GardenShowing Off its Lovely Palmate Leaves at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, Florida

PYGMY DATE PALM

Phoenix roebelenii is small-sized. Wants sun & heat. Not much for cold, but short periods at 20oF/-6.7C could be okay. No lower.

Four Phoenix roebelinii in the yard in front of a homeAKA Miniature Date Palm - Loving this arrangement! They Max Out at 15ft/14.5m.
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr - Attribution 4.0 International.

SAND PALM

Allagoptera arenaria is native to sunny seaside Brazilian regions.

But if you're inland, it'll be fine. Temps must go no lower than 28oF/-2.2C, for minimal time-frame. Zone 8b-11. Smaller size, to about 8-ft/2.4m, slowly. Fruits are edible.

Avoid planting near tall trees or buildings, if they cast shade. They don't want that!

The Sand Palm, Allagoptera_arenaria in a Botanlcal GardenCan do some shade time. Though small, can't tolerate indoor light
Not easily found to purchase! But possible. Have Patience for Up To 2 Year Wait?!
It will grow rrom seed!

Sunny Palms With Edible Fruit

DATE PALM

Phoenix dactylifera may be the most historically cultivated for fruit production. It's a true desert sun & heat lover. Still, can tolerate low temps of 18oF, for a bit. Gets pretty tall, to 90'/27m.

Picnic tables beneath Date Palm trees.Going to Sample Date Fruit With a Picnic Under the Date Palms
In Arizona's Sonoran Desert

JELLY PALM

Butia capitata, nicknamed for the Palm Fruit people turn into jellies.

It loves the desert climate. So it manages drought well. Fairly cold-tolerant, too. Handling temporary temps down to about 16oF. Zone 9-11, can do 8 for Mediterranean climates.

A shorty (35'/10.5m) that's great to consider for your Landscape Planning.

Jelly Palm with its hefty leaf bases.This very hardy pinnate is also called Pindo Palm.
Photo: Herve Rey - CC-BY-SA

Stunning Sunny Lookers

MEXICAN BLUE FAN

Brahea armata is maybe the ideal inland desert palm.

Loves (Zone 8b-11) dry full sun & heat. But can also take momentary Fahrenheit plunge to about 16oF/8.8C.

Exquisite palmate leaves look like sunbursts. Stalks with creamy flowers arch upward past the fronds & then droop.

Brahea_armata-BotanGard-PuertoDeLaCruzTeneriffe-BertholdWerner_CCby-SA3.0.jpgOnly gets to 30'/9m tall. Also called Blue Hesper Palm.
Photo: Berthold Werner via CCby-SA3.0

TRIANGLE PALM

Dypsis decaryi is uniquely shaped. You can't miss it!

Native to Madagascar, so it loves heat. Sun is good, too, but some recommend a bit of shade. Can go occasionally to about 26oF/-3.3C without injury. Zone 10 & 11, can try 9b with aridity.

Triangle Palm growing on a Maui property.Also nicknamed Neodypsis decaryi. Gets to 40'/12m upward. Growing on a Maui property of Lilikoi Gulch Haiku
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0

WOOLLY BUTIA PALM

Butia eriospatha is related to the Jelly.

But not as cold tolerant. Needs protection as temps go to low of 20oF/-6.6C. 

Named for its woolly looking tomentum-covered (hairy matte) spathe, the woody boat-shaped Palm Part sheltering new inflorescences (flower stems).

Lovely palms growing in Auckland New ZealandNo trouble with hot, full desert sun!
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek - CC BY-SA 4.0

Palm Trees for Full Sun Takeaways

Many palms, if they don't love full sun, they can take it for part of the day. These palms here are true sun lovers. Many of them Are Native To deserts. Some are tropical sun-lovers.

The most important thing for growing palm trees for full sun is to be sure it's the right palm for the right place.

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