Palm trees recall both tropical beaches and desert sands, evoking the warmer parts of the world in our imaginations. However, palm trees can grow in a much more diverse variety of climates and locations and are now a common feature in gardens around the world. If we look past our cultural preconceptions of them and see them as “just another plant” it’s easy to see why gardeners and landscapers love palms. They add vertical interests, with a wonderful contrast between the texture of the trunk and the distinct verdant foliage. Many produce fruit, often colorful in its own right, and there’s a size and shape of palm for any garden space. So, let’s dig in and learn about the wonderful world of palm trees and how they may fit into your garden!
What Are Palms, Exactly?
“Palms” or “palm trees” are a colloquial name for a number of different plants, most of which fall into the family Arecaceae. While we may tend to think of “palm trees” first, the reality is that palms can take a variety of shapes and forms; shrubs, ground-hugging stemless plants, trees, and vines are all possible growth forms for this family! While palms come in a variety of shapes and sizes, most palm species are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates.
While we use the term “tree” to describe their shape, palm trees grow a bit differently than many of the trees we’re used to. Palms are monocots, meaning that their seed contains only one cotyledon leaf—the leaf that sprouts initially when the seedling emerges from the seed. However, monocots have another trait in common: they can’t increase the width of their stems as they grow. Palm trees thus have cylindrical trunks, the same width from top to bottom, and will for as long as they live. This is one of the main traits of palm trees that make them appealing to landscapers: there’s no need to allow for trunk growth when planting a palm.
And of course all palms feature the wonderful and iconic foliage that gives them their name—palm comes from the Latin “palma”, meaning “the front of the hand”. The reason is pretty obvious, as many palms do have hand-shaped foliage, known scientifically as palmately leaves. Other palms exhibit feather-shaped or pinnately growth. Knowing some of this terminology may come in hand if you’re looking for a palm for your garden space. Speaking of which . . .
Growing Palm Trees in the Home Garden
. . . let’s talk about growing palm trees at home and in our gardens. While these are generally tropical and subtropical plants, some palm species can be adapted to cooler climates or even indoor spaces.
The most common palms we’ll encounter are what most horticulturalist refer to as “landscape palms”, meaning palm species that work well as landscaping plants. Most of these are on the larger side, ranging between 3 feet/1 meter and 20 feet/6 meters or more in height. Which one works best depends on your locale; as always we suggest consulting with a local nursery, garden club, or your local cooperative extension.
Some popular landscape palms include the following:
· Sago palm (Cycas revoluta) is a classic landscaping palm due to its impressive crown of foliage—hence its other name, “king palm”—and it’s wonderfully textured and shaggy trunk. Native to Japan, it is traditionally cultivated for the edible starch found in its pithy interior. Due to its cold-resistant nature it’s a popular palm in cooler climates. While frost damage may occur if temps drop below 14F/-10C, sago palm generally drops its leaves in winter and regrows them in screen in less frigid winter conditions. This palm does grow slowly, so long-term planning is a must if you want to get the most out of it.
· Pindo palm (Butia capitata) is native to Brazil but now commonly grown in warmer coastal environs around the world. Speaking from personal experience, it’s a common yard-and-landscape plant in the Southeastern US where the Gardzen Test Gardens are located. Salt tolerant and adaptable to poor soils, pindo palm produces a lovely and delicious yellow fruit. With a passionfruit/tropical fruit flavor, it’s often used to make preserves and thus lends the nickname “jelly palm” to the plant itself. Pindo palms can grow up to 20 feet/6 meters tall.
· Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a native to the Southeastern US and parts of the Caribbean. A more compact plant, it ranges between 3 and 10 feet/1 and 3 meters in height. Cold tolerant in zones 8-11, it can handle colder climate zones with some protection in the winter. The drupe like fruits are beloved by wildlife and are still eaten by some humans. The flowers are absolutely beloved by local pollinators in its native range, making saw palmetto a wonderful choice for Southern gardens and landscapes.
· Cat Palm (Chameadorea cataractarum) is a bit smaller—6 to 8 feet/2-3 meters when grown outdoors—and slightly less cold-hardy than some of its fellow palms. However, as a smaller palm with lovely pinnately foliage, it adds a lovely texture to a landscape especially when paired with taller palms or used as a shrub. It’s also relatively easy to grow as an indoor plant, which makes it a great choice for indoor gardeners who want to add a palm to their garden space.
There are many, many more species of palm, some of which thrive in containers, some of which are 25 feet/8 meters or more tall. There’s a palm for everyone, in other words, and if you’re interested in growing palms at home there are a few things to know that might help.
Growing Palms Indoors, Outdoors, or in Containers
While palm plants will necessarily need different things depending on species, members of the family Arecaceae tend to have a few requirements in common. In general, most palm species prefer the following:
· Loose soil with good drainage; for indoor palms a loose potting mix does well.
· Avoid over-watering; watering needs vary by species but in general listen to the plant, watch how it responds, and start by keeping the soil moist but not soggy or saturated.
· While some palms are cold-tolerant, it’s best to keep them warm. Temperatures above 50F/10C are preferred.
· Most palms will tolerate shade, but generally medium light is preferred for palm species.
· Palms aren’t generally heavy feeders, but a monthly round of fertilizer is helpful during their growing season. There are palm-specific fertilizer but any all-purpose fertilizer should work fine if applied using the manufacturer’s instructions.
Palms are beautiful and versatile plants. Even with their climate restrictions, they can grow in a variety of climates with a little help and some are adaptable as house plants or container plants. If you're looking for a striking addition to your landscaping, a new hobby plant, or a fun addition to your indoor garden we hope you’ll give palms a try!
As always: if you have any questions to ask or stories to share about palm trees (or anything else garden-related) we’d love to hear them in the comments or via email. Gardzen is all about community and we love to hear from you!
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