62 Best Palm Trees in Florida | Florida Palm Trees Species

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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

Pine House Edible Gardens

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

urbantropicals

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

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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

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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

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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

pacsoa

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

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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

urbantropicals

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

wikipedia

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

treeworldwholesale

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

florida

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

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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

wikipedia

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

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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

palmco

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

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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

rarepalmseeds

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 Landscaping

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.

Check out six potent indoor palm benefits proven in studies here

47. Dwarf Palmetto

atlantapalms

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

plantdelights.com

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

usinggeorgianativeplants

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

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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

chegg

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

monaconatureencyclopedia

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

south-florida-plant

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.

Check out the best types of coconut here

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

plantedeinterior

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.

How Deep are Palm Tree Roots? Learn here

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7 COMMENTS

    • 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.

  1. 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.

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