Our Palm Trees
Feather Palms
Queen Palm - Syagrus romanzoffiana:
The Queen Palm is a graceful, fast-growing palm, and a perfect tree for San Francisco and other coastal locations. The trunk is gray with old leaf scars. It has dark green, arching, feathery leaves up to 15" long with wide bases and long petioles. This royal beauty bears a fruit, yellow to orange in color, with a roundish shape, about 1" long. The dead fronds are persistent and often require pruning to remove. In ideal conditions, the Queen Palm may grow to 40 feet, but in the Bay Area it more commonly grows to 20 or 30 feet. Because the Queen Palm grows quickly, it's affordable. Best in full sun, it will nevertheless tolerate some shade. The Queen Palm is hardy to 25 degrees. |
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Kentia Palm - Howea forsteriana:
The Kentia is a lovely palm most often seen as an indoor plant—thus it has earned the common name “parlor palm.” It’s graceful large dark green fronds have a smooth, neat appearance, unencumbered by spines or rough bark. The trunk is 6 inches in diameter, green and resembles bamboo. The Kentia grows wonderfully inside the home, or planted outside in heavy shade. They can also take full sun after 5 years of age, but must first be acclimated as we have grown them in full shade. It should be protected from frost and winds. This palm is great for entryways and courtyards. The beauty of the Kentia is unmatched and is an all around excellent palm. |
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Pindo Palm - Butia capitata:
The Pindo Palm is a cold-hardy, single-trunked palm. It is easily recognized by its rounded canopy of blue-gray, strongly-recurved fronds which curve in toward the trunk. It is a slow-growing palm that eventually will reach 20 feet tall and is attractive as a freestanding specimen or grouped with other palms. Most are seen smaller than this since growth rate is very slow. The Pindo Palm is both hardy and drought tolerant. It will grow in full sun or part shade on a wide variety of soils. You won't see it often in the Bay Area, but it does well here. |
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Date Palms
Canary Island Date Palm - Phoenix Canariensis:
This large, stately palm often reaches a size too massive for most residential landscapes but, fortunately, it is very slow-growing and will take a considerable amount of time to reach its 50 to 60 foot height. The Canary Island Date Palm is most impressive with its single, upright, thick trunk topped with a crown of 8 to 15 foot long, stiff leaves with extremely sharp spines at their bases. The stalks of inconspicuous flowers are replaced with clusters of one-inch-diameter, orange-yellow, date-like, ornamental fruits which ripen in early summer. The trunk can reach a diameter of 4 feet and is covered with an attractive, diamond shaped pattern from old leaf scars. This palm should be grown in full sun on fertile, moist soil for best growth. It has a formal effect that complements the Mediterranean garden nicely. This beauty has become a San Francisco favorite.
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Senegal Date Palm - Phoenix reclinata:
The Senegal Date Palm is a stunning, multi-trunked tree, still somewhat rare in the Bay Area. This striking palm creates an interesting silhouette with its multiple curved, often reclining, slender brown trunks and dense crowns of stiff but feathery leaf fronds. The multiple trunks lose older fronds as the palm grows, clearing lower trunks of all foliage. A mature specimen of Senegal Date Palm can reach 35 feet in height with a 12 to 20 foot spread. They have a slow growth rate, however they grow easily in full sun or partial shade and will thrive on any well-drained soil. This palm requires room to spread out and works well as an accent for large landscapes or parks. The flower stalks, often lost within the thick foliage, are followed by bright orange dates which are incredibly showy. These can be very attractive, particularly when viewed from a balcony above the tree. Whether artificially lit from below at night or naturally by the sun, this tree is graceful and elegant. |
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Pygmy Date Palm - Phoenix roebelenii:
The charm of the Pygmy Date Palm is in its size and grace. This slow-growing tree will never be more than 6 to 12 feet tall, but don’t be fooled by its size—a five-foot tree may be 20 years old. The Pygmy has an upright or curving single trunk topped with a dense crown of gracefully arching three-foot-long leaves. The flower clusters, hidden by the foliage, are present periodically throughout the year and produce small jet-black dates which ripen to a deep red. The fruits are edible as it is a member of the true date family. Though usually single-trunked in nature, multiples are frequently produced in nurseries. These trees are great for small gardens, and they grow well in containers, even in bright indoor spots. They prefer partial shade and not too much wind. The Pygmy Date will not tolerate a frost. |
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Deglet Noor Date Palm - Phoenix dactylifera:
Deglet Noor dates are a type of date grown in Algeria and Tunisia. Their name is Arabic and means, “translucent” or “date of light,” so named because the center appears light or golden when held up to the sun. The dates themselves are somewhat dry in texture and slightly less sweet than many other fruits. They are popular for use in baking and as snacks. The palm that produces the Deglet Noor is far more readily available than other date palms similar in nature (eg. Medjool or the Zahidi). It survives transplant very well, is slow growing and grows best in the dry desert climate. It is high yielding but not very tolerant of rain and atmospheric humidity. They grow over 40 ft and can reach heights up to 70 ft! With proper planting and care these trees make excellent specimens in the landscape layout. |
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Medjool Date Palm - Phoenix dactylifera:
The beauty and diversity of the Medjool Date Palm makes it the perfect ornamental tree. They are very rare in comparison to the Deglet Noor, but have proven themselves to be well suited for use in many microclimates. The fronds create a thick canopy of silvery green and tend to arch out and downward. They have a high tolerance of draught, salt, light and wind. Medjools can grow as tall as 70 ft and even taller in the desert. The growth rate is very slow and is slowed even further by wet conditions. You can expect a foot of new trunk every 2 to 4 years. The fruit they produce is large, soft, sweet and succulent. Whether multi-stemmed or used as a freestanding specimen the Medjool Date Palm is a stunning sight to see. |
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