QUESTION: What type of palm trees grow in Texas? I’d like to plant one in my sunny front yard. – Maria J
ANSWER: There are a variety of palm trees that can grow and thrive in Texas. The palm tree that would be the best fit for you will depend upon your location within the state, and you didn’t mention which city, unfortunately.
Texas is a unique state that consists of many planting zones. In fact, the common planting zones can be anywhere from zone six to zone nine.
Because of such a wide gap in growing conditions, you really need to understand which planting zone you’re in to decide which of these varieties might work best for your growing conditions. So we’re going to break it down by zone, and you can estimate your zone with this USDA hardiness map.
Planting Zone 6
In planting zone six, you can grow the Needle Palm and Scrub Palmetto. These palms are hardier and can survive the dip in temperatures during the winter months.
Planting Zone 7
The Dwarf Palmetto is a good fit for planting zones seven and higher. It’s a native variety to Texas and is also known as sabal minor. This is a drought tolerant variety and only grows to be approximately five feet in height and width.
Planting Zone 8
Your options increase as your planting zone increases. In planting zone eight, you can grow a Mexican Palmetto. This is another native variety to Texas and is also known as sabal mexicana. This tree can grow to be forty feet or taller.
The Jelly Palm is our next variety. It grows to be twelve feet or taller and is a great fit for planting zones seven or eight.
A Mediterranean Fan Palm can be grown in this planting zone and grows to be six feet or taller. The Windmill Fan Palm is another fun variety of palm tree to grow in Texas.
It does well in planting zones seven or eight and can grow to be thirty feet or more. The California Fan Palm grows to be fifty feet or higher and is a great choice for this planting zone, too.
Our last three choices, for planting zone eight, are some of the more commonly known varieties of palm trees. You can grow Cabbage Palms, Desert Fan Palms, or Everglade Palms in Texas as well.
Planting Zone 9
In planting zone nine you’re dealing with mild winters and extremely warm summers. Therefore, you don’t need cold-hardy plants.
However, they must be able to withstand the heat. Your options for this planting zone consist of the Chinese Fan Palm, the Date Palm, and the Canary Island Date Palm.
The Date Palm will grow to be fifty feet or more while the Canary Island Date Palm will grow to be thirty feet or more.
Hopefully, this information will help you find the perfect palm tree for your location in Texas. These are a wonderful addition to many landscapes as they’re capable of handling both flooding and high winds.
More About Growing Palm Trees
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/planting/planting-palms.html
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