Texas Sabal is the only palm native to Texas. This tree can be identified by its thornless leaf margins and the fact that it tends to hang on to its leaf bases or boots.
More robust than Florida's Sabal palmetto, the Texas Sabal is a sturdy fan palm that will reach a mature height of about 30 ft. This variety is very slow growing and an excellent choice for either commercial or home landscapes.
One of the most cold-hardy palms, Texas Sabal performs well as far north as Dallas-Fort Worth. Betrock's Cold Hardy Palms states that it is “hardy to at least 5 degrees F and reported to survive sub-zero temperatures.” Ours have 4–10 ft. of clear trunk.
The Mediterranean Fan Palm is one of the most successful palms for general use in landscaping under a wide range of conditions. The broad spread, multiple trunks, and dark green foliage make this variety an outstanding choice as an accent tree.
One of the most cold-hardy of all palms, the Mediterranean fan palm can tolerate temperatures as low as zero degrees Fahrenheit. Our Dallas customers tell us that the Mediterranean fans were unfazed by the brutal winter 2010 temperatures.
This variety also does well in many desert regions. Native to Southern Europe, this tree is typically found in poor, rocky soils. Mediterranean fan palm is adaptable to a wide range of soils, provided they are well drained.
Also known as European fan palm, this variety is a relatively slow growing palm. A Mediterranean fan grows at a rate of six inches per year. This tree can be expected to reach a height and canopy spread of about 20 ft. If you are into silver plants, ask about our silver cultivar. These varieties are about hip-high and are very cold-tolerant.
The Pindo Palm is the most cold-hardy feather palm. This tree handles the harsh North Texas winters with minimal or no damage. Pindos are a short stature accent palm. The foliage of this variety leans to the blue-green or silvery-gray color. These trees are graceful and will retain a substantial quantity of green fronds, up to 40–50.
Even though many of the books say otherwise, we have found that Pindos are particular about their soil, preferring a sandy loam. In soils with more clay particles, these trees tend to yellow. Our Pindos are field grown and balled and burlapped. The varieties available have two feet or less of the trunk.
The Silver Mediterranean fan palm is a subspecies of the Mediterranean fan. This tree can be identified by its silvery leaves and black thorns. Silver Meds are slower growing and more cold-hardy than regular Mediterranean fan palms. Ours are field grown and balled and burlapped.
Mexican Fan Palms or Washingtonia robusta are probably the most common palm in the Rio Grande Valley. These trees line our highway system and decorate many buildings and developments.
Washingtonia filibusta is a cross between the California fan palm and Mexican fan palm. This variety is cold-hardy to 20°F and has a thick trunk. Washingtonias have naturalized in Deep South Texas. Once established, these trees are extremely drought tolerant.
A True Date Palm, or Phoenix dactylifera, is native to the deserts in North Africa. This date variety is becoming more widely used in landscaping. This tree is highly adaptable but is said not to fruit well in tropical or humid environments. True Dates often have suckers at the base which are typically removed to retain their single trunk. Hardy to zone 8B, this palm is a slow grower that will reach a height of 70 ft.
Queen or Cocus Palms are the most commonly used feather palm in Southern Texas. This variety has solitary trunks and long, arching leaves. A fast grower, it is not unusual for this tree to grow from two up to two-and-a-half feet a year. Used as a specimen, Queen Palm is especially attractive when planted in groups of three.
Originally from Southern Brazil and Argentina, this palm is hardy to zone 9B. According to Betrock’s Cold Hardy Palms, this tree is damaged but recovers from 24° temperatures. In Texas, Queen Palms can be grown as far north as San Antonio. These trees are field grown, balled and burlapped, and sold by the clear trunk foot.
This variety is our current favorite palm. We installed one at our home, and it put on at least four sets of fronds the first growing season. The Silver Date Palm, Phoenix sylvestris, looks much like a Canary Island date palm but on a smaller scale, much more appropriate for most home landscapes. A mature sylvestris will have up to 100 fronds in its canopy. Leaf color is blue-green, thus the Silver Date name.
Originating in India, this date palm is hardy to zone 8B. It’s a slow grower that will reach a mature height of 40 ft. This variety has a solitary trunk, and we think it looks perfect planted by itself.
We placed ours in front of a brick wall with only low-growing plantings below it. Watch out for the spines on the petiole. Betrock's Cold Hardy Palms says there are no irritants on this palm, but you may blister on site when you are pricked with one of its spines.
Chinese Fan Palms can withstand several degrees below freezing with no damage. Hardy to zone 9, this tree can be safely grown as far north as San Antonio or Houston. This palm is a slow grower, only adding about six inches of height each year. The mature height of 25 ft. makes it a terrific palm for an average home landscape.
We notice Chinese fan palms in more commercial projects than home projects. Our trees are available either booted or shaved. As you can see below, ours are quite tall. Chinese fan palms are the best deal on our farm.
Phoenix roebelenii is a short feather palm with light and airy leaves. This tree looks striking against a blank wall or fence and is often used in foundation plantings. Multiple planting at a building’s corner is another use.
Our Pygmy Date Palms are being grown as doubles, triples, and singles. These palms measure over six feet tall. All materials are balled and burlapped. Pricing is as singles, doubles, or triples.
The Everglades Palm, or Acoelorrhaphe wrightii, is a tall clustering fan palm. About 25 leaves are arranged into crowns that sit above thin 3–4 in. diameter stems. These slender stems can grow to 30 ft. high and lean away from one another to create attractive informal clusters.
Everglades can become a very dense tangle of foliage if suckers are not routinely trimmed. Our Paurotis palms are field grown and balled and burlapped.
Washingtonia filibusta is a cross between the California fan palm and Mexican fan palm. This variety is cold-hardy to 20°F and has a thick trunk. Washingtonias have naturalized in Deep South Texas. Once established, these trees are extremely drought tolerant.
Mule Palms are a hybrid created to increase the cold hardiness of the statuesque Queen Palm. .
Crossing a Pindo Palm (Butia capitata) with a Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzofianna) gives us a feather palm that is cold hardy down to 14 degrees. Expect the mature size to be somewhere between 30 feet and 35 feet. An added bonus is that once established, they are fairly drought tolerant. The leaves are salt tolerant so they do well in coastal installations. Like all hybrids, mules are mostly infertile so only rarely will they produce seed. This makes them very tidy in the landscape..
Windmill Palms are considered to be one of the most cold-hardy palms, hardy to zone 7B. In their native habitat, windmills receive light winter snow. This palm has a standard trunk with smallish fan leaves. Expect a mature windmill palm to reach a height of 25 ft.
Windmill palms have a high drought tolerance and moderate salt tolerance. Our trees are field grown and sold balled and burlapped. The varieties we have in stock have two to four feet of clear trunk.
