These Florida Palm Tree Species can make your garden look a bit tropical! Check out our list of the Best Palm Trees in Florida!
There are over 2,500 species of palm trees that exist in a range of height, shape, size, and leaf color! Before you move ahead and pick one to grow, you have to keep in mind the Sunshine State’s subtropical and tropical climate! We have compiled a list of types of palm trees in Florida and the Best Palm Trees in Florida that are perfectly suited for the common occurrence of the weather in the state!
Check out our article on the best dwarf ornamental trees here
Best Palm Trees in Florida
1. Lady Palm
Botanical Name: Rhapis excelsa
Lady Palm produces a cluster of green fronds on thin trunks. This cold-tolerant variety grows up to 10-12 feet tall and stands out of the many types of palm trees in Florida. Keep it in the shade, as the direct sun may cause leaf burn.
2. Parlor Palms
Botanical Name: Chamaedorea elegans
Parlor palm has delicate fronds with a dainty texture. It can reach a height of 8-10 feet and produces a cluster of flowers, but it’s rare in indoor palms.
Here is the list of the best palm varieties you can grow
3. Coconut Palm Tree
Botanical Name: Cocos nucifera
One of the highly popular palms, it grows the refreshing coconut that we all love! It thrives in full sun and well-draining soil. It grows up to 40-60 feet tall.
4. African Oil Palm
Botanical Name: Elaeis guineensis
This palm variety is perfect for the South Florida landscape. It can attain a height of 50-60 feet. African Oil Palm grows at a medium pace and provides shade quickly, making it one of the tallest Palm Trees in Florida.
5. Chinese Fan Palm
Botanical Name: Livistona chinensis
Looking for the best types of palm trees in Florida? Chinese fan palm is the perfect one. It features fountain-like green-blue leaves that droop from the crown. It can grow up to 30-50 feet tall, but you can also keep it as a potted houseplant.
Here’s everything you need to know about different types of coconuts
6. Pygmy Date Palm
Botanical Name: Phoenix roebelenii
This miniature palm variety offers a bushy crown. It grows up to a height of 7-10 feet. The palm prefers well-draining soil and does well in partial sunlight.
7. European Fan Palm
Botanical Name: Chamaerops humilis
European fan palm is a unique one out of the different types of palm trees in Florida and has silver-green leaves with spines that look like a fan. It can do well in full sunlight and shade and grows up to 10-20 feet tall.
8. Buccaneer Palm
Botanical Name: Pseudophoenix sargentii
This palm variety is ideal for warmer regions of South Florida, where it can reach up to 10-25 feet high. This drought-tolerant and low-maintenance palm thrives in full sun.
9. Montgomery Palm
Botanical Name: Veitchia arecina
This tropical palm is popular in Southwest Florida. It features stiff, feathered, and emerald green fronds. Montgomery Palm grows up to 25-35 feet tall.
10. Alexander Palm
Botanical Name: Archontophoenix alexandrae
Alexander is a single-trunk palm that can grow up to a height of 20-30 feet. This self-cleaning palm is another of the different types of palm trees in Florida and does well in full to partially sunny locations.
11. Canary Island Date Palm
Botanical Name: Phoenix canariensis
Native to the warm Canary Island, this date palm attains a height of up to 30-60 feet. Its trunk resembles the pineapple skin. Canary Island Date Palm thrives in full sun.
12. Fishtail Palm
Botanical Name: Caryota mitis
This palm has blue-green leaves with rough edges that look like a fishtail. It acquires a height of 10-30 feet. This low-maintenance palm is drought-tolerant and thrives well in full sun to shaded locations.
13. Foxtail Palm
Botanical Name: Wodyetia bifurcata
Foxtail has fluffy dark to light green leaves that resemble the fox’s tail. It has an attractive thin trunk and grows up to 25-35 feet in height, and prefers full sunlight.
14. Latania Palm
Botanical Name: Latania lontaroides
This sun-loving palm has silver-green foliage that resembles Bismarck’s palm. The fan-shaped fronds can spread 10-15 feet across, and the tree can reach up to 20-30 feet tall.
15. Paurotis Palm
Botanical Name: Acoelorrhaphe wrightii
Paurotis has a slim trunk and bright green, fan-shaped leaves. This easy-care species is cold-hardy throughout South Florida. It grows 20-30 feet tall in full sun to partial shade.
16. Piccabeen Palm
Botanical Name: Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
Piccabeen has long sweeping fronds, making it wind-tolerant. It can grow up to 20-60 feet tall and prefers full sun to partial shade, making it one of the best Palm Trees in Florida.
17. Ribbon Fan Palm
Botanical Name: Livistona decipiens
This cold and salt-tolerant palm has an upright trunk with long fan-shaped leaves. The ribbon palm can reach up to 20-30 feet in height. It does well in full to partial sun and well-drained soil.
18. Royal Palm
Botanical Name: Roystonea regia
Also popular as Florida Royal Palm, it is a fast-growing, single-trunk palm variety that can grow up to 50-90 feet tall. The tree features feather-like fronds and thrives well in full sun.
19. Silver Bismarck Palm
Botanical Name: Bismarckia nobilis
This single-trunk silver-blue palm tree can fairly withstand dry and hot conditions. It can grow up to 25-40 feet tall and prefers wet but well-draining soil with full sunlight, making it one of the best Palm Trees in Florida.
20. Sylvester Palm
Botanical Name: Phoenix sylvestris
This low-maintenance hardy palm has attractive diamond-like cuts on its trunk and produces edible sweet fruits. It attains a height of 20-50 feet and does well in sunny and shaded locations.
For the list of best flowers to grow in Florida, click here
21. Scrub Palmetto
Botanical Name: Serenoa repens
The Scrub Palmetto is a slow-growing palm that typically grows to a height of 10-15 feet. With fan-shaped leaves and small, black fruit that is attractive to wildlife, it definitely tops our Best Palm Trees in Florida list.
22. Florida Thatch Palm
Botanical Name: Thrinax radiata
The Florida Thatch Palm is a small to medium-sized palm that can grow up to 30 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its dense thatch of fibrous leaves, which is commonly used for thatching roofs and tiki huts.
23. Cabbage Palm
Botanical Name: Sabal Palmetto
The Cabbage Palm is a tall, slender palm that can grow up to 80 feet tall and is one of the native palm trees in Florida. Its unique characteristic is the distinctive “cabbage” at the top of the trunk, which is actually the palm’s growing bud.
24. Needle Palm
Botanical Name: Rhapidophyllum hystrix
The Needle Palm is a slow-growing palm that typically grows to a height of 6-8 feet. Its unique characteristic is its long, spiny needles, which make it a great choice for a natural barrier.
25. Pindo Palm
Botanical Name: Butia capitata
The Pindo Palm is a medium-sized palm and an excellent one on our Best Palm Trees in Florida list that can grow up to 20 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its large clusters of yellow-orange fruit, which are edible and used to make jelly and wine.
26. Coconut Queen Palm
Botanical Name: Syagrus romanzoffiana x Syagrus oleracea
The Coconut Queen Palm is a hybrid palm that can grow up to 25-40 feet tall and is one of the coconut palm trees in Florida. It has a slender trunk and produces large, round fruit that resembles coconuts but is smaller and sweeter.
27. Spindle Palm
Botanical Name: Hyophorbe verschaffeltii
The Spindle Palm is a medium-sized palm that can grow up to 15-25 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its thin, spindle-shaped trunk and long, arching fronds.
28. Bottle Palm
Botanical Name: Hyophorbe lagenicaulis
The Bottle Palm is one of the small palm trees in Florida that typically grows to a height of 10-12 feet. Its unique characteristic is its swollen, bottle-shaped trunk, which gives the palm its name.
29. Christmas Palm
Botanical Name: Veitchia merrillii
Still looking for the Best Palm Trees in Florida? The Christmas Palm is a small to medium-sized palm that can grow up to 20 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its bright red fruit, which resembles miniature Christmas ornaments and gives the palm its name.
30. Carpentaria Palm
Botanical Name: Carpentaria acuminata
The Carpentaria Palm is a tall, slender palm that can grow up to 50 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its large, dark green fronds that create an umbrella-like canopy.
31. Date Palm
Botanical Name: Phoenix dactylifera
The Date Palm is a tall, stately palm that can grow up to 100 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its large clusters of sweet, edible fruit that are commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine.
32. Kentia Palm
Botanical Name: Howea forsteriana
The Kentia Palm is a slow-growing palm that typically grows to a height of 30 feet. Its unique characteristic is its elegant, feathery fronds, which are often used in floral arrangements.
33. Lipstick Palm
Botanical Name: Cyrtostachys lakka
The Lipstick Palm is a medium-sized palm that can grow up to 20 feet tall. With a unique characteristic is its bright red crown shaft and leaf sheaths, which resemble a tube of lipstick, this is truly a unique one of the Best Palm Trees in Florida.
34. MacArthur Palm
Botanical Name: Ptychosperma macarthurii
The MacArthur Palm is a small to medium-sized palm that can grow up to 15 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its delicate, arching fronds that give it a graceful appearance.
35. Manila Palm
Botanical Name: Veitchia merrillii
The Manila Palm is a small to medium-sized palm that can grow up to 30 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its bright red fruit, which is similar to those of the Christmas Palm.
36. Mazari Palm
Botanical Name: Nannorrhops ritchiana
The Mazari Palm is a small, slow-growing palm that typically grows to a height of 10-15 feet. Its unique characteristic is its sharp, spiny leaves, which make it a great choice for a natural barrier.
37. Triangle Palm
Botanical Name: Dypsis decaryi
The Triangle Palm is a medium-sized palm that can grow up to 20 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its striking, triangular-shaped fronds that give it a distinctive appearance, earning it a place in our Best Palm Trees in Florida list.
38. Palmiste Rouge Palm
Botanical Name: Dypsis pembana
The Palmiste Rouge Palm is a tall, slender palm that can grow up to 50 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its bright red petioles and leaf sheaths, which add a pop of color to any landscape.
39. Ponytail Palm
Botanical Name: Beaucarnea recurvata
The Ponytail Palm is a small, slow-growing palm that typically grows to a height of 6-10 feet. Its unique characteristic is its bulbous trunk, which resembles an elephant’s foot, and its long, wispy fronds.
40. Red Latan Palm
Botanical Name: Latania verschaffeltii
The Red Latan Palm is a medium to large-sized palm that can grow up to 50 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its striking, red-tinted fronds, which create a bold visual statement in any landscape.
41. Sabal Palm
Botanical Name: Sabal minor
Want the Best Palm Trees in Florida for your home? Here is another one. The Sabal Palm, also known as the Dwarf Palmetto, is a small to medium-sized palm that typically grows to a height of 6-10 feet.
42. Senegal Date Palm
Botanical Name: Phoenix reclinata
The Senegal Date Palm is a medium-sized palm that can grow up to 25 feet tall and is another of the date palm trees in Florida. Its unique characteristic is its ornamental, spiky fronds and clusters of small, edible fruit.
43. Sylvestris Palm
Botanical Name: Phoenix sylvestris
The Sylvestris Palm, also known as the Silver Date Palm, is a medium to large-sized palm that can grow up to 50 feet tall. Its unique characteristic is its silvery-blue fronds, which give it a distinctive appearance in any landscape.
44. Scrub Palmetto
Botanical Name: Sabal etonia
With huge fan-shaped leaves growing atop the solitary thin stems, this palm tree is distinct in its features. The beautiful spiky fronds are ideal for ground cover.
45. Keys Thatch Palm
Botanical Name: Leucothrinax morrisii
Keys Thatch Palm is called Brittle Thatch Palm, as the palm leaves grow on a single, slender stem. This lovely species native to Florida can grow up to 2-3 feet or even as tall as 30-36 feet.
Have a look at the best low-light palms here
46. Golden Cane Palm
Botanical Name: Dypsis lutescens
Golden Cane Palm is another palm species that thrives well in Florida landscapes. This multi-stemmed plant has a bamboo-like appearance, with airy fronds and leaflets growing in a V-shape.
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47. Dwarf Palmetto
Botanical Name: Sabal minor
This species of dwarf palm tree is known as Dwarf palmetto and does not grow taller than 2-3 feet. It is a cold-hardy species and can thrive in temperatures as low as 0°F or -18°C.
48. Needle Palm
Botanical Name: Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Needle Palm is a mini or short bushy palm tree and not a tall and majestic one. With fronds growing in a fan shape, you can easily identify this species because of its thick trunk.
49. Cabbage Palm
Botanical Name: Sabal palmetto
The Cabbage Palm is the state tree of Florida. This tall palm tree native to Florida can grow up to 80-90 feet. With a gray and bronze-colored fibrous trunk, this tree has the usual fan-shaped leaves and a rounded crown on top of the one single trunk.
Get all the Mule palm tree care information here
50. Florida Thatch Palm
Botanical Name: Thrinax radiate
The Florida Thatch Palm has a slender, single trunk and palmate-leaved crown. This cold-sensitive species works excellently in coastal places in landscapes or containers.
51. Saw Palmetto
Botanical Name: Serenoa repens
The Saw Palmetto Florida Palm can be identified because of its distinct features like sharp spiky branches, fan-like leaves, and yellow-white blooms. This is a cold-hardy palm species that can grow everywhere in Florida.
52. Mexican Fan Palm
Botanical Name: Washingtonia robusta
Mexican Fan Palm is a fast-growing palm tree species ideal for Florida weather. With a small round crown, the plant features rich green fan-like leaves sitting atop a tall trunk.
Learn about planting Sago palm seeds here
53. Alexander Palm Tree
Botanical Name: Ptychosperma elegans
Alexander Palm is a small-medium palm tree popular in Florida as it can work well in warm and humid tropical climates. With multi-stemmed trees that are self-cleaning, this tree can grow up to 6-40 feet tall, depending on the location it grows.
54. Florida Silver Palm
Botanical Name: Coccothrinax argentata
With a smooth, thin trunk, Florida Silver Palm features dark blue-green leaves with a fascinating silver underside. It is one of the best Palm Trees in Florida.
55. Bismarck Palm Tree
Botanical Name: Bismarckia Nobilis
A silver Bismarck palm tree is native to Madagascar and was named after the first chancellor of the German empire, Otto Von Bismarck. It grows well in South Florida, where the soil is well-draining and moderately wet.
56. Pindo Palm
Botanical Name: Butia Capitata
Pindo Palm is a native of Brazil, but you can easily spot one in Florida. This is another cold-hardy palm that can grow up to 15-25 feet tall.
Check out the best cold-tolerant palm trees here
57. Arikury Palm
Botanical Name: Syagrus schizophylla
Arikury Palm tree is an ideal small accent palm species that can be perfect for gardeners with limited spaces in Florida. With a drooping and arching habit, the long fronds can grow up to 4-6 feet long.
58. Proctor’s Silver Palm
Botanical Name: Coccothrinax proctorii
Proctor’s Silver Palm is also known as the Cayman Thatch Palm. The silvery-gray drooping, fan-shaped leaves grow on top of the slim stem in a triangular or open crown.
59. Christmas Palm
Botanical Name: Adonidia merrillii
The Christmas Palm is another Florida Palm Tree Species suitable for small and compact gardens in Florida. It is a fast-growing species with arching green leaves, a slender gray trunk, and tiny cream blooms growing in clusters.
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60. Caribbean Royal Palm
Botanical Name: Roystonea oleracea
Caribbean Royal Palm is considered an imposing, stately palm tree because of its huge, upright, cylindrical trunk. With huge feather-like palmate leaves that are 10-16 feet long, this tree can create a majestic crown.
61. Blue Latan Palm
Botanical Name: Latania loddigesii
The stunning Blue Latan Palm tree is another Florida Palm Trees Species and one of the Best Palm Trees in Florida. With a dense crown, the tree also features a slender gray trunk and huge, stiff, silver-blue-colored, fan-shaped leaves.
62. Bottle Palm Tree
Botanical Name: Hyophorbe Lagenicaulis
The Bottle Palm Tree is another flowering plant native to Mauritius and is now naturalized in Hawaii and Florida. It is highly valued because it is grown as an ornamental tree to show off the short, thick, bottle-like trunk that looks thicker at the base.
what palms can i grow in palmcoast,fl. really like bottle palms,queen palms,date palms.
Grow weed . You can always sell it off if you get in a pinch.
You should be fine with a Sylvester, and Queen, but I would suggest a mule palm instead of the queen palm. also, consider a washingtonia robusta and the Chinese fan palm. it’s always ideal though to go down to the your local nursery, what they are selling there should work in your area. Good luck😃
We live on Amelia Island, about 90 minutes North of Palm Coast. “On the island” ( not off the Island), every Palm does well except Coconut and Royal Palms. I have two large Bottle Palms, growing for over 15 years. The Dwarf Sugar Palm is really great as a screen.
All said: I love the Native Sabal Palm. But the Sylvester is a beauty as well.
Greg, don’t try to grow a Bottle Palm in Palm Coast. I probably would freeze within one or two years. But there are plenty of other palm cultivars that will be fine in Palm Coast. Just do a little research on each one you would like to grow.
I fell in love with another woman…what a bummer.
I wish to buy the seed for some of the palms . I leave in Ghana , is it feasible