Palm trees are an iconic symbol of tropical and subtropical climates. With over 2600 species, palm trees are also remarkably diverse. Different types of palm trees can vary in trunk shape, size, lifespan, leaf color, fruit production, and cold tolerance. Learning how to identify different species of palm trees can help you pick the right palms for your landscape.
Common Types of Palm Trees
Here is an overview of some of the most popular types of palm trees:
Date Palm
Date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) are perhaps the best known palm trees. Growing up to 100 feet tall, these stately palms produce sweet dates which are eaten around the world. Date palms have single gray trunks covered in leaf scars and spiraling old leaf bases. Their feathery fronds can reach 10-16 feet long. Date palms grow best in hot, dry climates.
Coconut Palm
Coconut palms (Cocos nucifera) are another common palm featuring single, tall, gray trunks and large, pinnate fronds. As the name suggests, coconut palms produce coconuts, which consist of a fibrous husk around a large seed. Coconuts are used for their water, milk, oil, and tasty fruit. Coconut palms require warm temperatures year-round and high humidity.
Queen Palm
Queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) are graceful palms with single unbranched trunks and dark green pinnate leaves. The feathery, arching fronds can grow up to 10 feet long and give queen palms a distinctive tropical look. Queen palms also produce orange fruits which attract birds. These fast-growing palms thrive in hot, humid environments.
Pindo Palm
Pindo palms (Butia capitata), also called jelly palms, are a cold-hardy palm species that slowly grows up to 20 feet tall. They have thick shaggy trunks and bold, arching leaves. Pindo palms produce edible fruit used to make wine and jelly. With their blue-green fronds and moderate size, pindo palms make great landscape accents. They tolerate brief freezes better than most palms.
Sago Palm
Sago palms (Cycas revoluta) are low maintenance palms with thick trunks and leathery, dark green leaves. They grow slowly to about 10 feet tall, with a spread of 6 feet wide. Sago palms are very tolerant of drought, salt spray, and wind. They do well as container plants in colder climates. An interesting fact about sago palms is that their trunks store starch which can be processed into edible sago!
Windmill Palm
Windmill palms (Trachycarpus fortunei) are hardy, versatile palms adapted to cool subtropical climates. Their single trunks are covered in brown fiber that helps protect them from cold. Windmill palms have fan-shaped leaves up to 4 feet wide that give this palm its common name. Easy to grow in the ground or containers, windmill palms are excellent accent plants for patios and gardens.
Bismarck Palm
Bismarck palms (Bismarckia nobilis) stand out from other palms thanks to their striking, silvery-blue foliage. Their massive fronds can reach up to 12 feet long! Bismarck palms grow rapidly in tropical and subtropical climates, achieving up to 50 feet tall. Despite their impressive size, Bismarck palms make graceful accent plants. Just give them plenty of room to stretch out.
Pygmy Date Palm
Pygmy date palms (Phoenix roebelenii) are a smaller version of the true date palm. Growing to just 10-12 feet tall, these compact palms are ideal for small yards. Pygmy date palms have a dense, full look with gracefully arching fronds of dark green, shiny leaflets. They also produce edible but seedy dates. Pygmy date palms thrive in warm, bright locations and make excellent container plants.
Identifying Key Features of Different Palm Trees
When identifying palm trees, the features to look for include:
– Trunk shape – Single, multiple, thin, thick, smooth, hairy, ringed, etc.
– Trunk height – Dwarf, short, medium, tall, or towering height at maturity.
– Frond shape – Pinnate (feathery), palmate/fan-shaped, or costapalmate (fan-shaped with divided tips).
– Leaf color – Green, blue-green, silver, or yellow-green.
– Fruit – Does it produce coconuts, dates, seeds, berries, etc?
– Native range – Understanding a palm’s native climate can provide care tips.
– Growth rate – Some palms grow rapidly while others increase in size slowly.
– Cold hardiness – How much cold or freezing weather can a palm handle?
Keep these visual cues and characteristics in mind when identifying different types of palm trees.
Fronds: Pinnate, Palmate, and Costapalmate
One of the easiest ways to distinguish different groups of palm trees is by examining their fronds (leaves). Palm fronds come in three main shapes:
Pinnate Fronds
Pinnate palm leaves look like feathers or fish fins. They have a central stem with leaflets extending from both sides. Date palms, coconut palms, queen palms, and bismarck palms have pinnate fronds.
Palmate Fronds
Palmate fronds are fan-shaped, like the fingers on a hand spreading from a central point. Palmate palms include Windmill palms, Mazari palms, and Mexican Fan palms.
Costapalmate Fronds
Costapalmate palm fronds combine features of both palmate and pinnate leaves. Their fronds are fan-shaped but split into segments or leaflets at the tips. The Cabbage Palm has the classic costapalmate leaf shape.
So in summary:
Pinnate = feather-like fronds
Palmate = fan-shaped, radiating fronds
Costapalmate = fan-shaped fronds divided into segments
The frond shape can go a long way in identifying unknown palm trees.
Cold Hardy Palm Trees
Many types of palm trees are tropical and intolerant of freezing temperatures. However, some palm species fare better in cooler subtropical and temperate climates. Here are some of the most cold hardy palm trees to consider:
| Palm Type | USDA Hardiness Zone Range |
|---|---|
| Pindo palm | 8b to 11 |
| Windmill palm | 8b to 11 |
| Needle palm | 7b to 10b |
| Hardy Chinese Windmill palm | 6b to 10b |
| European fan palm | 8a to 10b |
| Sago palm | 8b to 11 |
These palm species can withstand brief exposure to temperatures into the mid to low 20s Fahrenheit. They may require some protection from winter winds and freezing rain in the colder parts of their growing range. With the right siting and care, you can grow these rugged palms in cooler climates.
Tropical Palm Trees
In tropical and subtropical zones, a wider variety of palm trees can thrive. Here are some examples of iconic tropical palms:
– Coconut palm
– Date palm
– Pygmy date palm
– Queen palm
– Bismarck palm
– Royal palm
– Banana palm
-Traveler’s palm
– Majesty palm
– Spindle palm
– Triangle palm
These palm trees demand warm climates with minimal frost and freezing. They cannot tolerate icy conditions. Plant tropical palm species in zone 10 or higher for reliable performance. Give them plenty of sunlight and rich, moist soil for the best growth.
Weeping Palm Trees
Weeping palm trees have gracefully cascading fronds that lend a tropical vibe to gardens. Some examples include:
– Weeping coconut palm – This variety of coconut palm has arching fronds that sweep the ground elegantly.
– Weeping bottle palm – Bottle palms are eye-catching with their bulging, bottle-shaped trunks. The weeping form has long, overhanging leaves.
– Chinese Fountain palm – These multi-trunked palms can develop a lovely weeping habit. Their drooping fans of foliage can reach 10 feet long.
– Weeping date palm – A selected variety of the true date palm grown for its softly weeping fronds.
Plant weeping palms where their trailing foliage can be appreciated. Prune off any fronds that touch the ground to prevent damage. Weeping palms add a romantic, jungle-like feel to landscapes in frost-free climates.
Shrubby Palm Trees
Many types of palms are naturally small growing or compact in habit. These shrubby palm trees work well in containers or smaller garden spaces. Some examples include:
– Dwarf palmetto – Petite, clumping palm with fan-shaped fronds, cold hardy. Grows 3-6 feet tall.
– Pygmy date palm – Compact type of date palm, 10-12 feet tall at maturity. Great for planters.
– Dwarf fishtail palm – Tropical palm with dense clumps of blue-green, fishtail-shaped leaves. Just 6-10 feet tall.
– Adonidia – Multi-trunked dwarf palms with delicate, arching leaves. Max height is 10 feet.
– Spindle palm – Slender tropical palm for tight spots, 15 feet tall when mature.
– Parlor palm – The quintessential houseplant palm, with glossy green fronds on slender stems. Under 6 feet indoor.
Select the right small-sized palm tree for patios, borders, containers, and more. They’re easy to match to smaller gardens.
Most Common Florida Palm Trees
The sunshine state is home to many iconic species of palm trees. Here are some of the most common palms grown in Florida landscapes:
– Coconut palm
– Sabal palm
– Queen palm
– Royal palm
– Date palm
– Pindo palm
– Pygmy date palm
– Sago palm
– Chinese Fan palm
– Fishtail palm
– Thatch palm
– Spindle palm
– Traveler’s palm
Florida palm trees bring a sense of the tropics with feathery fronds, palm shade, and exotic fruits. Cold tolerant palms are used more in North Florida, while the Keys and southwestern regions showcase tropical species.
Rare and Unusual Palm Trees
Beyond the most common species, there are many rare and unusual types of palm trees. Here are a few examples:
– Lipstick palm – Strange, swollen trunk and bright red fruit to 20 feet tall. Native to Mexico and Guatemala.
– Manac palm – Extremely rare palm species endemic just to Manac, Haiti. Has a bulbous trunk and long, sweeping pinnate leaves.
– Tahina palm – Rare endemic to Madagascar with unusual fuzzy fruits and leaves with curved, irregular lobes.
– Pinanga – Genus of elegant tropical palms native to Asia and the Pacific Islands. Many species are threatened or endangered in the wild.
– Flamethrower palm – Striking red and yellow striped trunk and foliage make this very rare palm a living sculpture.
Part of the allure of palms is searching for never-before-seen species and adding new texture to plant collections. Look to botanic gardens or specialty nurseries to find the most unique, eye-catching palm trees.
Conclusion
From towering coconut palms, to queenly royal palms, to cold-defying needle palms, there is great diversity within the palm tree family. Learning how to identify different species by their trunks, fronds, size, and other characteristics makes it easier to select the right types of palm trees for your climate and landscape design. With their tropical look and enduring popularity, palm trees continue to enhance gardens with their elegant forms and graceful greenery.
