#small palm

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens)

Palm trees, including small palms less than 20 feet tall, can be found all over Florida. Their tropical look and versatile nature make them a great addition to any South Florida landscape. Most people wouldn’t consider a 20 feet tall palm tree a “small palm” but when there are others that can grow to heights of 80 feet, this likely puts things in perspective.

Small palms can be used in combination to provide a look that compliments your home using their various sizes, colors, textures and shapes. There are even some larger palms that are slow growers which many people utilize as a “small palm”. Just make sure to do your research when it comes to the ultimate size of a tree or plant before planting in your South Florida landscape. You wouldn’t want to have to remove a tree in 5 years because it outgrew the area it was planted in.

WAYS TO USE IN YOUR LANDSCAPE

Solo - plant your small palm by itself to make a statement. This is ideal for small yards, small houses and mobile homes.

A shade tree – a small palm can be planted in front of windows in your home in order to reduce the sun’s intensity.

Privacy – plant them along your property line, fence, and around the patio screen in order to gain some additional privacy.

Near the entry of your home as a focal plant

Inside your screened-in patio (certain types)

As a landscape bed anchor or accent…depending on the size of the bed

Anchor at the corner of your home

Understory planting between much larger palms in order to take away from their unsightly trunks

In the center of a circular driveway

In large pots used on the patio or around the pool

I’d recommend planting palms in conjunction with shrubs and plants in order to beautify your landscape and provide a complete and cohesive look. These plants can be planted around the trunks of the palms in order to take away from the sometimes unsightly look from the trunks.

Some palms grow their fronds close to the ground or full to the ground and are best used as a backdrop for other smaller plants that give off color and/or flowers.

Below is a list of some of my favorite and most widely used small palm trees in South Florida landscapes. Feel free to click on any of the trees to learn more about whether this is something that would work well in your yard.

Areca Palm

Arikury Palm

Bamboo Palm

Bottle Palm

Buccaneer Palm

Cat Palm

Christmas Palm (Adonidia)

European Fan/Mediterranean Fan Palm

Florida Thatch Palm

Lady Palm

Pindo Palm

Robellini/Pygmy Date Palm

Spindle Palm