Landscape Design With Palm Trees

Landscape design with palm trees should have some advance planning. With the best ideas for a wonderful property layout.

Don't be the person who ends up disappointed over their palm tree landscaping layout! Be the person who gets the best landscaping organization tips.

Feeling overwhelmed by palm tree choices?

You're not alone. We Understand the struggle. At Mission: Palm Trees you'll find clear answers to your questions, Step-By-Step Guidance, and solutions to help. No puzzling shoptalk. No tiring research needed. Making this easy & fun for you.

Principles of Landscape Design With Palm Trees

Before thinking of designing your own landscape plan, think about ideas coordinating with basic palm needs. Along with your particular property.

First Rule for Palms in a Landscape Design

First know your Own USDA Hardiness Zone, or some comparison (check the USDA low temps) where you live.

If you live in tropical zones around the world, you'll grow palms with little problem.

  • Tropical areas get their pick of palms.
  • While non-tropical areas will present you with distinctive challenges. But give you equally distinctive rewards!
  • Did you know that planting palms in temperate zones is doable?

Are you liking a palm that's not zoned for your USDA Hardiness Zone? Consider these factors:

As in Tucson Arizona, where we worry about conserving water. Natural yearly rainfall is about 10 inches. Not a lot! It's where we live, in subtropical Zone 9b. But here, we're also an arid zone. Limiting our choice of palm trees.

Figuring this out gives you an edge for ideas in planning a landscape design with palm trees.

world map delineating the tropics, subtropics and temperate zonesEarth's Subtropics are Above & Below the Tropical Zone.
Temperate Zones Cover Many Areas - Microclimates Will Be Important!

Create Your Palm Landscape Design Analysis

To get a sense of your best palm tree landscaping design plan, create A Mood Board.

Design your mood board with pics representing what you're foreseeing. Use pics of palm trees, swatches for color schemes, and example garden layouts. Using this type of tool helps plan your backyard transformation.

Creating a mood designer to evaluate palm landscaping

Planning Your Landscape Design in Advance

Your first organization in planning is so important. It's good to see you're thinking that way! 

Advance PlanningThink Ahead - Avoid Future Problems

Landscaping With Palm Trees
Goals & Outcomes

We have ideas for you: suggestions to Have a Peachy Palm Landscape!

Using a palm as a Focal Point

Do you want a palm as a focal point for your outdoor space? 

Find out the species' total growth height, its potential, its impact: will it complement your home or overwhelm it?

  • Consider nearby structures: will it interfere with overhead power lines?
  • Consider the crown's size: will fronds spread out and clash with anything?

Walk around your garden with a measuring tape. Test the available height and width for your chosen spot. Then evaluate your palm preferences. Will that species work?

But improbably, a palm might seem

  • Too large, yet enhance the intimacy of an appropriate space
  • Too small, yet influence your garden's tropical aesthetic.

What Will Surround Your Palm?

Think of the entire planting area while planning your landscape design with palm trees.

First be sure Surrounding Landscape Plantings and/or lawn turf aren't growing right up to your palm's trunk.

  • Because of possible palm injury, use prevention when caring for the lawn.
  • Because of avoiding the mismatch of lawn vs. Palm Fertilizer Needs. 
  • Because of water competition for the palm's roots vs. grasses, nearby flowering plants or bushes.
temple with palm trees and a flowerAre There Flower Beds Close By?
pathway lined with tall palm treesSee How Tall! Oh - the grass is competing!

Your Palm's Eventual Growth Pattern

Why do you want to know the final height & width of the palm you're considering?

  • What a horror to see the palm you love begin hitting the side of your house!
  • Or getting too close to your driveway, sidewalk, a roadway, etc.
  • Or growing unexpectedly tall - you barely see the crown!

Transplanting is a pain - and sometimes not to a palm's liking. So ensure palms aren't placed beneath roof eaves or too near artificial/permanent shade covers.

When you take an overview of your landscape design, prevention is much better.

We're sure you'll agree.

No Foresight for the palm trees coming onto the homeOh, oh! Looks like there wasn't much advanced thought here!

Look Up! Any Power Lines?

Remember, watch overhead power lines. You must avoid them!!

For instance, Landscapes With Foxtail Palms are breathtaking! But need serious placement evaluation.

Palm trees at a Galveston homeWhat Do You Think is Wrong Here?
What Do You Think is Good?
Two Palms Died - Maybe Near Flower Beds or Lawn?
Large Palms Suitable for Home Size.
Small Palms are Best Near Front Sidewalk. Why?
Few Palms Near Lanai Nicely Sized, Good for Shading. Are They Too Close?

Palm Tree Landscape Design for Shade?

Palm trees aren't noted for bringing shade.

A number of homeowners and landscapers believe that Tall Palm Trees could effectively provide shade. Perhaps because they love their striking appearance. If true, all yards with tall palms would have lots of shade.

But how many have planted tall palms hoping for shade? Then finding they don't do that, once they've reached towering heights.

Just like tall flagpoles cast small shadows because the flag is high - tall palms cast a small shadow, with their far distant canopies.

Yet certain palms could be used for your tropical shade garden. Those with Palmate Fronds can shade, as their fronds have larger surfaces.

  • Use small palm trees with wide fronds to give seating area shade.
  • Use palm species no more than 12-15ft/3.7-4.6m high to shade seating areas.
  • Group palms with varied heights for layered shading.
palmate frondsLarge palm fronds.

When choosing a palm for shading to help cool your house:

  • Plant it along your home's sunniest side, the south or west side.
  • Plant it so it doesn't diminish your home's style. Balance the palm's shape & height.
  • Plant it so the ultimate height will be several feet/meters higher than the roof's edge.
tropical pool outside housePalm Trees for These Single-Story Homes Are About the Right Level

Grouping Palms is Always Eye-Catching

Some people may like a Mutt & Jeff look, as in the photo below.

Yet for palm esthetics, such a grouping is not considered good taste. Because of the proportions.

Buying a home you love may give you no choice anyway! You'll live with it.

Palm trees out of balance for the homeThese Tall Palms Are Immensely Taller
Unbalanced With the Low-Roofed Home.

The best practice landscape design with palm trees is grouping in odd numbers.

Group five Types of Palm Species for an impressive landscaping technique. Or try three of one species along with four of another. Or just stick with three, total.

group of palm treesExample of a Pleasing Grouping of Palms in the Rear of a Beach Shelter
Odd Number - Somewhat Zigzagged Placement - Multi-sized

Landscaping With Palm Trees
Designs for Specific Purposes

We know palm trees add to the tropical mystique in your landscaping.

Yet there are several practical purposes we can suggest for using palms. It's likely you may think of even more!

wooden privacy fenceNeeding Some Type of Screening on Your Property? Is This the Best Idea?

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Palm Trees: Perfect as a Natural Screen

Disguise an Unsightly Area With Palms

Who enjoys looking at trash cans?

You can use small to medium sized Types of Palm Trees that are planted thickly enough to make effective concealment.

thickly leafed palm hiding garbage cansScreening Off Garbage Cans With a Palm Tree

Palms: Naturally a Pristine Privacy Curtain

Use palm trees to create private spaces in your yard.

Plant them strategically to form a natural privacy barrier. In a strategic manner, alternate Palm Tree Species with varied mature heights. Making a pleasant interface from viewing neighbors or street traffic.

Sugar Cane Palms in a row looking gorgeousSugar Cane Palms Max Out at 30ft/9m.
Clustering Growth Making a Fabulous Screen

Noise Reduction with Palm Tree Barriers

Want to reduce noise pollution from busy roads or partying neighbors?

Some types of palms can act as natural sound blockers. Clustering palms in several heights are good for helping absorb and deflect sound. Use palms with dense leaf crowns.

Get species that are most effective for this purpose. Like alternating a few of the following:

  • Arenga caudata is short (6ft/1.8m), & although pinnate, it's thickly leaved & clustering. Warmer Mediterranean climates okay with good watering.
Close-up of fronds of Arenga caudata Arenga caudata is called the Miniature Sugar Palm - best in Zones 10-11.
  • Rhapis humilis, a clustering palmate, grows to 25ft/7.5m in Zones 8-11.
Tall Lady PalmRhapis humilis is AKA Slender Lady Palm
  • Bactris major gets up to 40ft/12m tall & clusters densely, if spiny. Zones 10-11 work. Known as the Prickly Palm.
Bactris major clustering palmBactris major is also known as Lata Palm or Cubarro.

Takeaways for Landscaping With Palm Tree Ideas

YOU'RE JUST GETTING STARTED!

Even more to think about when landscaping with palm trees! Like fabulous ideas for landscaping Around a Palm Tree. What other plants to include? Maybe assorted tropicals, cycads or yuccas.

Did you find the best ideas for helping with your palm tree designs, your landscape vision, your ideal tropical aura?

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