Florida’s subtropical, humid climate favors the successful culture and growth of a wide variety of palm tree species. Palm trees for landscaping are available in many shapes and sizes, from large, towering trees to short shrubs. Many palm trees in Florida have single, tall trunks and are certainly not cold-hardy.
If you are thinking about adding palm trees for landscaping, you might wonder how to choose the right species for your property and how to care for them. Here are some ideas to consider.
Determining Intended Use
Selecting the right palm trees should first and foremost be based on a location’s intended use and attributes. There are various palms available for landscaping homes, commercial buildings, parks, and streets. They can be used as patio trees, border plants, specimens, or street plants.
Consider the overall appearance of the property you’ll be putting the palms on. Large, towering palm trees lend a stately feeling to the area with their feathery canopies, while shorter palms with cute, fan-shaped leaves make great accent pieces.
How to Choose Palm Trees
To make sure you have healthy palm trees, you need to choose the right palm species. Moreover, find out if your chosen palm species prefer the shade or sunlight so you’d have an idea of where to plant them. As much as possible, avoid planting palm trees in areas with direct sunlight. Too much sun can burn the fronds, eventually killing them.
If you’re considering adding palm trees to your landscape, take a look at what the varieties are. Each palm tree has its own characteristics. There are 6 Florida native palms to choose from, which include:
- Cabbage Palmetto (Sabal Palmetto)
- Florida Royal Palm (Roystonea Regia)
- Dwarf Palmetto Sabal Minor
- Florida Thatch Palm (Thrinax Radiata)
- Everglades Palm/Paurotis Palm (Acoelorrhaphe Wrightii)
- Saw Palmetto (Serenoa Repens)
Of these 6 native palms, only two are endemic to Florida. Miami Palm (Sabal Miamiensis) and Scrub Palm (Sabal Etonia) are those two species that can only be found in Florida and nowhere else.
Questions to ask before choosing palm trees for your property
Before finalizing your choice of palms, take the following considerations into account:
- Is the area too sunny or shady?
- How cold is the area? Is it too windy?
- What is the hardiness rating of the location?
- How fertile is the soil? Is it well-drained, shallow, or compacted?
- How much space do you have for palm trees? Do you have enough space for a small, medium, or large palm?
JMC Landscaping can help take out the guesswork in all these. We are providing landscaping services to residential and commercial customers throughout Cape Coral and surrounding areas.
