Nothing says a balmy day like a palm tree. People love palm trees because of the warm and inviting sense that their fronds create.
Before you go out and buy your favorite palm tree variety such as the queen palm or the pygmy palm tree, let’s talk a little bit about palm trees!
Palm Tree General Information
Palm trees are evergreen. They are tropical plants in the family Palmae. With over 2500 species, you will find a size and shape that fits your desires.
Most palm trees are tree-like with single trunks and either have either fan-shaped (palmate) or feather shaped (pinnate) leaves. Their evergreen leaves, also known as fronds, give them a distinctive look.
Caring for Your Palm Tree
Environment
Most palm trees thrive in hardiness zones 8+. There are certain hardy palms that can survive in colder temperatures. This includes the windmill palms, saw palmetto, dwarf palmetto, date palm, and cretan palm. Hard palms can withstand brief periods of colder temperature. Some can even withstand snowfall.
Soil
The ideal soil for palm trees to be planted in is a loose, porous soil mix. The soil should contain things like perlite or shredded bark to give the soil great aeration.
Watering Frequency
Palms like moist soil, which means that watering a couple times per week is often required. When your palm tree is first establishing, you will want to water every day and slowly back off to watering two to three times per week.
Amount of Sun
Because there are so many different palm tree varieties such as the sago palm or king palm tree, there is no fixed amount of sun that all palm trees will do well with. Generally speaking, most palm trees thrive when they get full sun, although a few of them can tolerate shade.
Palm Varieties
There are so many different palm tree varieties. Each have their own shapes of green fronds and also grow to different heights. The shortest of palm trees, such as the dwarf palmetto may only reach 3 feet tall, while the tallest palm trees, such as the wax palms, can grow up to 200 feet tall.