Types of Palm Trees in Sarasota County, Florida

Sabal Palm

• Sabal palm (Sabal palmetto) is the most abundant palm tree seen in Sarasota county as cited by the Florida Native Plants Nursery. Sabal palm is also referred to as cabbage palm and adapts well to a variety of growing conditions, but is not tolerant of shade. The hardy palm is small to medium sized and grows to a mature height of about 50 feet with a 12 to 18 foot crown with dull, medium green fronds. Sabal palm thrives in the sandy soil of the beaches in southern Florida, being highly tolerant of salt and drought. The palm is popularly used as a street tree and as ornamental planting.

Royal Palm

• Royal palm (Roystonea regia) is another common palm tree seen in Sarasota county and is a native of the southern Florida swamps. The palm thrives in the sandy soils of the area, adapting well to nearly all soil types. Royal palm grows best in areas of full sun, growing anywhere from 50 to 100 feet tall. The drought tolerant palm has a smooth, gray trunk and is tolerant of salt sprays. The palm canopy has 10 to 20 feet long fronds and the base of the leaves is covered with a smooth, glossy extension of the trunk.

Silver Palm

• Silver palm (Coccothrinax barbadensis) is among the common palm trees of Sarasota county and other southern Florida areas, well adapted to growing in sandy and limestone soils. The fan shaped foliage of the tree with green uppersides and silver white undersides create an open crown. Silver palm, also referred to as thatch palm and Barbados silver palm, grows to a mature height of 8 to 50 feet. The palm produces clusters of white flower inflorescences during summer followed by bunches of purple-black, round fruit in fall. In its native habitat the slow growing silver palm grows abundantly in coastal forests and woodlands from lea level to elevations of up to 2,000 feet.