Palm trees in the landscape (Photo by Jane Gates)
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Whether you are into a Mediterranean or Tropical look to gardening, palm trees may be what you are looking for. Most palm trees handle a lot of heat but not all of them can tolerate the same cold. Some are low growing whereas others stretch way into the sky. Here is a quick reference list of the most commonly grown palm trees with their sizes and temperature preferences to help you select which ones might be right for your area.
Small Palms:
Pigmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelinii): can grow up to 10 feet in height slowly. Temperature range is about 25 ‘– 105’F.
Medium Palms:
Mexican Blue (Brahea armata): grows 20 feet tall with a head of about 10 wide. Prefered temperatures are from 20’ – 120’F.
Guadalupe Palm (Brahea edulis) reaches 20 feet in height with a diameter of around 15 feet. Give it from 20’- 105’F.
The European or Mediterranean Fan Palm (Chamerops humilus) reaches about 30 tall and 15 feet across. It can grow with multiple trunks. Give it temperatures between 20’ – 120’ F.
Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei): grows 15 tall with a small head of only about 5’ across. This is an attractive palm that can branch into multiple trunks, too. Temperature range is 10’ – 115’F.
Pindo Palm (Butia capitata) stretches 20’ high with a relatively wide head of 15’. This palm is found in single stem or multitrunked forms. It does well in temperatures from 15’- 120’F.
Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) is a very popular palm planted in Southern California. It will grow to 30 feet tall and is best at temperatures between 25 – 115’F.
Tall or Large Palms:
The California Fan Palm (Wahingtonia filifera) is a very tall palm topping out at 60 to 90 feet tall and dwarfing its own 15 foot wide head. It will grow at temperatures from 10 -120’F.
Chinese Fan Palm (Livistona chinensis) is another palm with a wide head growing to 40 high and 20 feet wide. It will handle temperatures in the range of 20’ – 110’F.
The Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta) is often seen towering along Los Angeles streets on its single trunk at 100 feet in height. Very east to grow it enjoys temperatures from 15’ – 120’F.
A more graceful grower, the Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis) grows slowly to 60 feet tall with a wide head of 35 feet. Not liking it really cold, give this clump forming palm a temperature range of 25’ – 110’F.
Also attractive is the Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) which also reaches 60 feet tall with a wide head of 25 feet. Like the Canary Island Date Palm, grow it in temperatures from 25’ – 110’F. This one can also form a clump of stems.
The Senegal Date Palm (Phoenix reclinata) is one of the widest of the clump forming palms. It grows to a modest 40 feet tall but fills a large space with a 30 foot width. Not very frost tolerant, it needs temperatures between 30’ – 110’F.
These are just some of the palms more commonly used in the design of a landscape.
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