Palm Trees Branch Out in Size and Shape

No tropical garden would be complete without palm trees. They come in a variety of sizes and styles. Depending on your space requirements and the look you want, you can choose from single- or multiple-trunk palms, which have three to six trunks coming out of the same central area.

Multiple-trunk palms are very showy, while single-trunk palms are often stately, according to Jeffrey Garton of Paradise Designs in Dana Point.

Palm trees range in height from three to 100 feet. Because they vary greatly in size, it’s possible to find the palms that are right for your space.

Some large palm trees include the popular queen palm, which is frequently used in homes. This grows up to 35 feet and has a long trunk and long arching fronds. Garton says these trees are durable; they aren’t bothered by winds or pests.

There is also the king palm, which grows to about 25 feet, although it is more delicate than the queen palm and can have problems if it is windy. A good palm for the coastal areas is the Washington palm, because it can withstand heavy salts. It grows as tall as 80 to 100 feet, though, and requires some growing space.

For more confined spaces, there are many palms to choose from, says Diane Grace, who is manager of the nursery at Pay Less Drug Store in Rancho Santa Margarita.

“The Mediterranean fan palm is very attractive and grows to 20 feet,” she says. “There is also the tepejilote, which reaches 10 feet; the paradise palm, which has nine-foot leaves and grows to seven feet; feathery leaf glaucifolia, which is an eight-footer; century palm, which grows to six or seven feet; cataractarum, which reaches four to five feet, and the polar palm which is a mere three feet.”

A good palm for containers is the triangular. According to Garton, this tree has a singular trunk shaped like a triangle and is a faded green in color with a slight blue tinge.

When planting a palm, it is important to consider transport, as these trees have trunks full of water and are very heavy.

“Palms need good, fast drainage, so you may want to backfill your soil with 50% sand before planting,” says Garton, who recommends planting the palms a little low in the ground to stabilize them.