Total newb when it comes to palm trees and would like to plant some around my house

[imcool]

A recent first time homebuyer here who lives in St. Pete, FL. FINALLY can fulfill my dream of creating my own palm oasis. My home has some banana trees in the backyard and some bougainvillea (sp?) in the back as well, but the front is lacking. It's all St. Augustine grass and that's it. It needs life. I would like to plant some palms. Admittedly, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. What kind should I plant? I see queens everywhere and I like them enough, but idk... what else is there? I would love to have some coconut palms, but I think St. Pete would be just a bit too far north for them to really thrive. Can anyone suggest what I should plant besides a queen? That perhaps looks like a coconut palm? Or feel free to suggest other palms. I like the Bizmarks too, but I'm wanting something a bit more "traditionally palm tree" looking. I've seen foxtails and they're nice, but they're not really dazzling me. Christmas palms are cute too. However, I would like to plant some lesser known palms. Ultimately, I want them to be able to thrive in their environment, so ones that can stand an occasional cold snap too as St pete can and does get into the 40s and sometimes 30s during a strong cold front. Thank you for helping me and if this was posted in the wrong place, please accept my apologies. 

[Silas_Sancona]

8 minutes ago, imcool said:

A recent first time homebuyer here who lives in St. Pete, FL. FINALLY can fulfill my dream of creating my own palm oasis. My home has some banana trees in the backyard and some bougainvillea (sp?) in the back as well, but the front is lacking. It's all St. Augustine grass and that's it. It needs life. I would like to plant some palms. Admittedly, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. What kind should I plant? I see queens everywhere and I like them enough, but idk... what else is there? I would love to have some coconut palms, but I think St. Pete would be just a bit too far north for them to really thrive. Can anyone suggest what I should plant besides a queen? That perhaps looks like a coconut palm? Or feel free to suggest other palms. I like the Bizmarks too, but I'm wanting something a bit more "traditionally palm tree" looking. I've seen foxtails and they're nice, but they're not really dazzling me. Christmas palms are cute too. However, I would like to plant some lesser known palms. Ultimately, I want them to be able to thrive in their environment, so ones that can stand an occasional cold snap too as St pete can and does get into the 40s and sometimes 30s during a strong cold front. Thank you for helping me and if this was posted in the wrong place, please accept my apologies. 

Welcome to Palmtalk..  Aside from ideas that will likely be shared here, would take a stroll through Gizella Kopsick Arboretum / Palmatium, near Vinoy Park / Downtown  to see all of the possible palms that will grow there ..and be able to collect seeds of types you like, depending on the time of year..

[Kailua_Krish]

52 minutes ago, imcool said:

A recent first time homebuyer here who lives in St. Pete, FL. FINALLY can fulfill my dream of creating my own palm oasis. My home has some banana trees in the backyard and some bougainvillea (sp?) in the back as well, but the front is lacking. It's all St. Augustine grass and that's it. It needs life. I would like to plant some palms. Admittedly, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. What kind should I plant? I see queens everywhere and I like them enough, but idk... what else is there? I would love to have some coconut palms, but I think St. Pete would be just a bit too far north for them to really thrive. Can anyone suggest what I should plant besides a queen? That perhaps looks like a coconut palm? Or feel free to suggest other palms. I like the Bizmarks too, but I'm wanting something a bit more "traditionally palm tree" looking. I've seen foxtails and they're nice, but they're not really dazzling me. Christmas palms are cute too. However, I would like to plant some lesser known palms. Ultimately, I want them to be able to thrive in their environment, so ones that can stand an occasional cold snap too as St pete can and does get into the 40s and sometimes 30s during a strong cold front. Thank you for helping me and if this was posted in the wrong place, please accept my apologies. 

Just to start Beccariophoenix might be a nice coconut substitute. Welcome to the rabbit hole 

[iDesign]

If you post a photo of the front yard that might generate some ideas... zone is the most important factor of course, but seeing the property often helps visualize what might work well.

[D Palm]

Royal palms should grow well, Dypsis Decaryi isn’t common in that area.

Foxtails and Queens are really common and demand a lot of care in order to really pop. 
 

Check out Springtime Farms in N. Fort Myers for selection. Off the beaten path, but an awesome variety at good prices imo.

Bog box stores have been lacking in variety these days.

[sonoranfans]

8 hours ago, imcool said:

A recent first time homebuyer here who lives in St. Pete, FL. FINALLY can fulfill my dream of creating my own palm oasis. My home has some banana trees in the backyard and some bougainvillea (sp?) in the back as well, but the front is lacking. It's all St. Augustine grass and that's it. It needs life. I would like to plant some palms. Admittedly, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. What kind should I plant? I see queens everywhere and I like them enough, but idk... what else is there? I would love to have some coconut palms, but I think St. Pete would be just a bit too far north for them to really thrive. Can anyone suggest what I should plant besides a queen? That perhaps looks like a coconut palm? Or feel free to suggest other palms. I like the Bizmarks too, but I'm wanting something a bit more "traditionally palm tree" looking. I've seen foxtails and they're nice, but they're not really dazzling me. Christmas palms are cute too. However, I would like to plant some lesser known palms. Ultimately, I want them to be able to thrive in their environment, so ones that can stand an occasional cold snap too as St pete can and does get into the 40s and sometimes 30s during a strong cold front. Thank you for helping me and if this was posted in the wrong place, please accept my apologies. 

You are far ahead of the game when you recognize that survive does not equal thrive.  I am about 25 minutes from st pete near where 75/275 connect near bradenton.  Where in st pete are you, some areas are warmer than others.  What I have found is that a number of my crownshafted feather palms do burn in a bad winter(not this one) but that is about a one in ten years event and they recover in one or two growing seasons.   When you say "traditional" I am going to guess a feather(pinnate) is what you want.  If you want easy care, it reduces the choices a bit as well.  Beccariophoenix alfredii is a great palm for our area, they don't yellow over winter like a coconut, and they handle any weather without damage that we will see after 3-4 years in the ground.  Make sure they get full sun and water and you will have luxurious growth that shames the neighbors yellowish cocos.  Alfredii is a large palm in maturity(25'+ wide) though, so maybe you don't have the room.  If you like crownshafted palms there are a number that are easy.  Kentiopsis(now renamed chambeyronia) oliviformis and Dypsis pembana volunteer in my yard, so they are very well adapted to the climate.  Dypsis leptocheilos(teddy bear) and chambeyronia macrocarpa with the red new leaves are good choices as well.  The macrocarpa look better in some shade, the red new leaf color hangs around longer.  Dypsis madacascariensis has done very well in my yard, it was a mis IDed palm as sold, and I almost ripped it out, glad I didnt.  What you can grow will possibly depend on your microclimate, a wide open, tree free yard would offer the least protection from cold.  Satakentia is also a possibility but they like shade and overhead protection from frost.  I have two with 3-5' trunk, and the one that had no overhead got 2-3' of upper leaves burned in our recent frost @34F.  The one under canopy was unfazed.  Frost can be your enemy if you have no cover.  Even though it was only 34F, not a problem for satakentia, the frost at an unusually high elevation(6-12') was a problem.  member "Kinzyjr" has authored a survival sheet for palms in 9B with some data, I would download that as a guide then look for what thrives.  IF you want to see some of what thrives, send me a pm and we can arrange a visit to my place.  My yard right now looks as bad as it gets all year coming out of winter, so you can see it at its worst.  You can see my neighbors cocos, they will survive for sure, but thrive is another matter.

[awkonradi]

10 hours ago, iDesign said:

If you post a photo of the front yard that might generate some ideas... zone is the most important factor of course, but seeing the property often helps visualize what might work well.

I agree!  imcool, I think you will engage everyone here so much better if you post pictures of your property.

[iDesign]

40 minutes ago, awkonradi said:

I agree!  imcool, I think you will engage everyone here so much better if you post pictures of your property.

No promises, but I've been known to Photoshop plant ideas onto people's yards at times (when they provide a photo) 

* I'm in CA so am not qualified to recommend specific plants, but I could have a lot of fun with the plants that have already been recommended to you.

[imcool]

Ok, here goes nothing. As you can see, it could use something (many things really). In the middle right where the shadow of the streetlight is cast there used to be a massive tree, but it was half dead and there were branches hanging over the house, so I had it taken down and then resodded. Now, my house is left looking kind of barren. Would love to put some cool palm trees in and really give it a "florida vibe".... Problem is, I don't really know where to start. 

Edited March 4, 2022 by imcool

[imcool]

6 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

You are far ahead of the game when you recognize that survive does not equal thrive.  I am about 25 minutes from st pete near where 75/275 connect near bradenton.  Where in st pete are you, some areas are warmer than others.  What I have found is that a number of my crownshafted feather palms do burn in a bad winter(not this one) but that is about a one in ten years event and they recover in one or two growing seasons.   When you say "traditional" I am going to guess a feather(pinnate) is what you want.  If you want easy care, it reduces the choices a bit as well.  Beccariophoenix alfredii is a great palm for our area, they don't yellow over winter like a coconut, and they handle any weather without damage that we will see after 3-4 years in the ground.  Make sure they get full sun and water and you will have luxurious growth that shames the neighbors yellowish cocos.  Alfredii is a large palm in maturity(25'+ wide) though, so maybe you don't have the room.  If you like crownshafted palms there are a number that are easy.  Kentiopsis(now renamed chambeyronia) oliviformis and Dypsis pembana volunteer in my yard, so they are very well adapted to the climate.  Dypsis leptocheilos(teddy bear) and chambeyronia macrocarpa with the red new leaves are good choices as well.  The macrocarpa look better in some shade, the red new leaf color hangs around longer.  Dypsis madacascariensis has done very well in my yard, it was a mis IDed palm as sold, and I almost ripped it out, glad I didnt.  What you can grow will possibly depend on your microclimate, a wide open, tree free yard would offer the least protection from cold.  Satakentia is also a possibility but they like shade and overhead protection from frost.  I have two with 3-5' trunk, and the one that had no overhead got 2-3' of upper leaves burned in our recent frost @34F.  The one under canopy was unfazed.  Frost can be your enemy if you have no cover.  Even though it was only 34F, not a problem for satakentia, the frost at an unusually high elevation(6-12') was a problem.  member "Kinzyjr" has authored a survival sheet for palms in 9B with some data, I would download that as a guide then look for what thrives.  IF you want to see some of what thrives, send me a pm and we can arrange a visit to my place.  My yard right now looks as bad as it gets all year coming out of winter, so you can see it at its worst.  You can see my neighbors cocos, they will survive for sure, but thrive is another matter.

Thanks so much for your thoughtful post! I'm on the southern end of the peninsula there in St. Pete, not too far from the skyway bridge. And yes, I guess by traditional, I'm kind of trying to create a "tropical" look which I know can be achieved with a variety of palms. Never heard of a Beccariophoenix alfredi, but after extensive research, it looks exactly like the type of palms I'd love to have.  I really do love a Royal, especially when they're healthy and tall. They look regal. Do they do well here? I see some on the area that look great and others that look scraggly. So im not sure if it's the cold that caused the to look scraggly or perhaps soil conditions? I have much to learn. 

[sonoranfans]

5 hours ago, imcool said:

Thanks so much for your thoughtful post! I'm on the southern end of the peninsula there in St. Pete, not too far from the skyway bridge. And yes, I guess by traditional, I'm kind of trying to create a "tropical" look which I know can be achieved with a variety of palms. Never heard of a Beccariophoenix alfredi, but after extensive research, it looks exactly like the type of palms I'd love to have.  I really do love a Royal, especially when they're healthy and tall. They look regal. Do they do well here? I see some on the area that look great and others that look scraggly. So im not sure if it's the cold that caused the to look scraggly or perhaps soil conditions? I have much to learn. 

I think in your area you have plenty of choices, yes royals do very well, I have (2) that are somewhere between 35-45' tall and have fat trunks.  You can grow all the palms I mentioned, I'd keep the royals 10'+ away from the house due to falling leaves.  I would put in faster growers like royals and alfredii now.  Later you can add slower growers for the understory in 5-7 years.  Everything changes it seems things grow up, then you want something under.  A multi layer canopy can make a yard feel much larger than it is, much like a house with high ceilings.    

[JLM]

20 hours ago, imcool said:

A recent first time homebuyer here who lives in St. Pete, FL. FINALLY can fulfill my dream of creating my own palm oasis. My home has some banana trees in the backyard and some bougainvillea (sp?) in the back as well, but the front is lacking. It's all St. Augustine grass and that's it. It needs life. I would like to plant some palms. Admittedly, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. What kind should I plant? I see queens everywhere and I like them enough, but idk... what else is there? I would love to have some coconut palms, but I think St. Pete would be just a bit too far north for them to really thrive. Can anyone suggest what I should plant besides a queen? That perhaps looks like a coconut palm? Or feel free to suggest other palms. I like the Bizmarks too, but I'm wanting something a bit more "traditionally palm tree" looking. I've seen foxtails and they're nice, but they're not really dazzling me. Christmas palms are cute too. However, I would like to plant some lesser known palms. Ultimately, I want them to be able to thrive in their environment, so ones that can stand an occasional cold snap too as St pete can and does get into the 40s and sometimes 30s during a strong cold front. Thank you for helping me and if this was posted in the wrong place, please accept my apologies. 

Traditional palm tree look? I tend to find Phoenix roebelenii as a more traditional look. However, much like Queens, those are very common there. 

[iDesign]

Here's what I'd do (but I'm a palm nut)...

Specific comments...

1) Right planter
On the right (between your car and front door) there appears to be a grassy area with no purpose. I'd personally get rid of that grass and replace it with a planter bed. Maybe one "feature" palm, and the rest would be small to medium size Florida tropicals. In my mockup I have...
- Chambeyronia macrocarpa ("flamethrower")
- Chamaedorea (perhaps microspadix or radicalis?)
- Bromeliads, Ti's (or Queen emma lily if hot), and/or crotons
- In my mockup I removed the plants by the front door, so they're not blocking the windows as much.

2) Left planter
This is where I'd personally go nuts. Make some sort of planter bed on the left that draws the eye to the front door. I'm not super-happy with the current border lines in my mockup, but you get the idea. Add an amazing Beccariophoenix... but as far to the left as possible, so you can see some of the other cool stuff. In my planter I have...
- Beccariophoenix alfredii
- Dypsis Leptocheilos ("teddy bear") - my personal favorite palm
- A "clumping dypsis" of some sort* (I'm not sure which ones do well there... just thinking a skinny multi-trunk palm would contrast nicely with the single fat trunk of beccariophoenix)
- A big fat bromeliad (I'm showing "Alcantarea julietta")
- Maybe a Coccothrinax crinita (old man palm) to greet people at the door?

3) Back row (optional)
Not sure what you can do in the back, but I like the idea of putting a Bismarckia and Royal in the corners. But that's hugely dependent on what's going on with the powerlines (since they're big palms). In my mockup...
- Bismarckia has replaced the non-tropical tree. The combination of Beccariophoenix + Bismarckia (with Bismarckia in the back) is one of my all-time favorite combinations.
- Royal is on the right. Do NOT put the royal where fronds can fall on your car or roof (I've heard falling Royal fronds are heavy and can break things... especially in wet Florida).

Not saying any of this is your best solution... just thought I'd get you thinking through some possibilities, since you said you were having trouble visualizing.

Hope that helps! 
 

[D Palm]

Missed the traditional part earlier, Sabal palmetto (or variant) with saw palmettos. Saw palmettos attract so much wildlife, really enjoy my patches! 

Queens are either a show stopper with huge fronds or look sad. Lucky you can plant Royals.

Check out Maximo park for inspiration, love playing disc golf there. 

[DoomsDave]

@imcool welcome!

There’s lots of grand gardens and great ideas here.

How big is your lot? I’ve got half an acre.

[Looking Glass]

Great blank slate there.  Great ideas above.  

Keep in mind how much effort you enjoy putting in also.  Some natives like Pseudophoenix sargentii, silver saw palmettos, thrinax radiata, sabal minor, zamia/coonties look great with a little care and do OK with total neglect.  Some non-natives like Chamaerops humilis and Bismarkia and bromeliads do too, and many of the Cuban Copernicia and coccothrinax are pretty happy as well under our natural conditions.   

Other, more exotic, tropical stuff does well, but may require a fair amount of water and fertilizing and soil amending, depending on the time of year and your soil(sand) quality.  

I’ll be working on the backyard soon, and will be focusing on natives and Cuban stuff back there when I do.   

I think you have to find room for Beccariophoenix Alfredii based on what you described.  Kentiopsis oliviformis, the various king palms, Dypsis leptocheilos, Dypsis Pembana, Spindle palms could all have a place there.   

Take your time.   More ideas will come to you as you delve deeper.  Don’t forget that you need some palmate palms mixed in there too!   You’ve got a lot of good choices out there for a tropical look.   Take a good look at all the Cuban Palm choices too.  
 

 

[imcool]

10 hours ago, iDesign said:

Here's what I'd do (but I'm a palm nut)...

Specific comments...

1) Right planter
On the right (between your car and front door) there appears to be a grassy area with no purpose. I'd personally get rid of that grass and replace it with a planter bed. Maybe one "feature" palm, and the rest would be small to medium size Florida tropicals. In my mockup I have...
- Chambeyronia macrocarpa ("flamethrower")
- Chamaedorea (perhaps microspadix or radicalis?)
- Bromeliads, Ti's (or Queen emma lily if hot), and/or crotons
- In my mockup I removed the plants by the front door, so they're not blocking the windows as much.

2) Left planter
This is where I'd personally go nuts. Make some sort of planter bed on the left that draws the eye to the front door. I'm not super-happy with the current border lines in my mockup, but you get the idea. Add an amazing Beccariophoenix... but as far to the left as possible, so you can see some of the other cool stuff. In my planter I have...
- Beccariophoenix alfredii
- Dypsis Leptocheilos ("teddy bear") - my personal favorite palm
- A "clumping dypsis" of some sort* (I'm not sure which ones do well there... just thinking a skinny multi-trunk palm would contrast nicely with the single fat trunk of beccariophoenix)
- A big fat bromeliad (I'm showing "Alcantarea julietta")
- Maybe a Coccothrinax crinita (old man palm) to greet people at the door?

3) Back row (optional)
Not sure what you can do in the back, but I like the idea of putting a Bismarckia and Royal in the corners. But that's hugely dependent on what's going on with the powerlines (since they're big palms). In my mockup...
- Bismarckia has replaced the non-tropical tree. The combination of Beccariophoenix + Bismarckia (with Bismarckia in the back) is one of my all-time favorite combinations.
- Royal is on the right. Do NOT put the royal where fronds can fall on your car or roof (I've heard falling Royal fronds are heavy and can break things... especially in wet Florida).

Not saying any of this is your best solution... just thought I'd get you thinking through some possibilities, since you said you were having trouble visualizing.

Hope that helps! 
 

Oh wow, look at that! That's what I'm talking about. Surprised by how much I love the royal in the back, kind of looming there in the background. LOVE it. Thank you for the inspiration.

I'm actually going to go to a few nurseries today and try and start this process. Thank you again! Love the tropical look

Edited March 5, 2022 by imcool

[Davidlon]

Generally sticking with more 9b and 10a palms will be best. 10b palms usually are harder to grow long term because of our once in a while extreme temps.  Dictyosperma Album( Hurricane palm) will do very well here and looks good too. Many Dypsis will grow here but try to keep them from frost. Coccothrinax is good along with Copernicia’s if you like fan palms as well. If you can find some Satakentias they are a very nice looking palm and there are not many around. Good luck

Edited March 5, 2022 by Davidlon

[awkonradi]

If Royals are hardy in your neighborhood, then I submit the below concept.  Maybe these are too close to each other.

[ruskinPalms]

Lots of great advice so far here. How far are you from the Gulf or the Bay? What do you see in a 1 mile radius that looks good or better than most? How Sandy is your soil? Personally, I’d definitely put a few royals in your back yard away from anything or anyone that their falling fronds could do damage to. I don’t think I’d put royals in your front yard as they would dwarf your house in relatively short order and in my option would reduce the curb appeal of your home. I like advice to use native palms like Pseudophoenix sargentii, Coccothrinax argentata, Thrinax radiata and Leucothrinax morrisii in planters closer to the home itself. Even the lowly Sabal minor can be used to great effect. And as far as other feather palms the suggestions given above are great. I might add Clinistigma savoryanum if you can find it; I plan to try one where I’m at in the future. I personally like to stay away from thorns for maintenance reasons but if you don’t mind them then your options are even greater. Some of the Hawaiian Pritchardia species would work well for you too if you can find them. In my experience I haven’t found a crown shafted palm yet that can take much frost or frozen dew on the foliage without damage so if you see a lot of frost and frozen dew where you are at, expect damage in the winter. But, as your yard fills in that becomes less of a problem as it creates as bit of a microclimate and the all your plants tend to protect each other. 

[sonoranfans]

yes royals grow well here even for non palm nuts who dont fuss over them.  Here are a neighbors out front, landscaping was not special, supplied by builder.  Second photo is my smaller one, its a fattie, the roof of the house at bottom of photo.  Hard to get a pic with my jungle.

[ruskinPalms]

By the way, there is a Florida native plant nursery in Parrish if you’re interested in the native suggestions called Sweet Bay Nursery. You won’t find most native palms at the box stores. 

[Looking Glass]

20 minutes ago, sonoranfans said:

yes royals grow well here even for non palm nuts who dont fuss over them.  Here are a neighbors out front, landscaping was not special, supplied by builder.  Second photo is my smaller one, its a fattie, the roof of the house at bottom of photo.  Hard to get a pic with my jungle.

As a native palm, they do great.  I haven’t grown a lot of different palms, but I’ve never seen anything grow so fast.  A little volunteer in my neighbors front yard peeked out of the bushes last year, and is now 10 feet tall.   It grows without care.  They look great, but man, they get big for a residential property without a lot of space.  My neighbor across the street has three monsters he planted decades ago. They are huge and 70+ feet tall?, maybe.   They drop leaves at night that wake you from sleep with a ‘“crack”, then take 2+ seconds to reach the ground, tearing through everything, and smash down on the driveway like a toppled oak tree.  He can’t park anywhere near them.  The fronds are 15+ feet long and super heavy.  

Too big for me.   But I can still admire them, as they are one of the most common palms around here.  Every parking lot, high rise, and major road has a bunch of them.  
 

 

[Merlyn]

I'd do a mix of palms for variety. 

• Bismarck adds big silver fans
• Beccariophoenix Alfredii is a monster hardy coconut look-alike
• Dypsis Pembana, Dypsis Lanceolata, Ptychosperma Macarthurii, Ptychosperma Schefferi, and Pinanga Coronata are good multi-trunk fast growing clumpers
• Arenga Engleri is a big super-hardy clumper
• Allagoptera Arenaria is a neat curly-leaf small palm
• Butia Odorata/Capitata (Pindo Palm) is a silvery-blue hardy feather palm
• Copernicia Baileyana and Fallaensis are great silver-blue-green big fans
• Licuala Peltata v. Sumawongii is my favorite small palm with big full-diameter fans
• Chambeyronia Macrocarpa (flamethrower) has great red new leaves and is good for sun-to-shade

If you like the tall/skinny "shuttlecock" shape palms, you could also look for one of several Attalea (Cohune, Phalerata, Butyracea, etc) or Arenga Pinnata.  Add in some color like Bordelon bananas, Hawaiian Ti, etc.

[Cindy Adair]

Your photo shows endless possibilities and you came to the right place for questions!

Welcome to PalmTalk!

I love books, especially palm books so that’s another option for opening your eyes as to possibilities. There is even one called Designing With Palms that is on my bookshelf right now.
 

If you are up for a drive, The Palm Beach Palm Society is hosting a palm sale in April which always offers an amazing selection. I am hoping to attend.

See the PalmTalk calendar.

[sonoranfans]

after watching my planned 0.3ac(115x115) yard grow in over 11 years, I have come to the conclusion that you will be happiest by giving yourself a chance to adjust your plan, that is go in stages every 3-5 years or so.  When it starts to grow in, you will find it different than you expected, and it will grow up and over you so you might want to plan for a 3 level canopy as you go the lowest perhaps being crotons.  Fastest palms first was my plan, archontophoenix sp, bismarckia, S causiarum, livistona decora, and royals grow fast.  In 10 years those palms will be well up over the house.  Under those high up I put slower growing palms and the lowest level is of of crotons, copper bushes, plumeria etc.  Landscaping for the short term or for a targeted size fails to consider the changing yard, but if youre flipping houses you wont have to worry about how it all grows together in the future.   Shade kills grass, but it makes outside more tolerable for humans, so its a good approach if you like to send time outside.  I have grass out front, but it is getting shaded out for about half the side yards and all of the backyard.  The overhead palms actually make the yard feel much bigger than it is, like high ceilings in a house making rooms feel bigger.   The more extensive the canopy, the bigger it feels.  This lot of 0.3ac is the second smallest Ive ever lived in, but it has more private sitting areas than most others, and feel spacious with all the palms.  The yard ages, nothing stands still, some palms will die over time, some will need an edit just to give others around it room.  Most people overplant per square foot, myself included.  I have edited 6 palms of 70 original plantings because they grew into each other too much.  If you go in stages this is less likely to happen as you will se how its growing in before adding more palms.    

[cocoforcoconuts]

On 3/3/2022 at 9:19 PM, imcool said:

A recent first time homebuyer here who lives in St. Pete, FL. FINALLY can fulfill my dream of creating my own palm oasis. My home has some banana trees in the backyard and some bougainvillea (sp?) in the back as well, but the front is lacking. It's all St. Augustine grass and that's it. It needs life. I would like to plant some palms. Admittedly, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. What kind should I plant? I see queens everywhere and I like them enough, but idk... what else is there? I would love to have some coconut palms, but I think St. Pete would be just a bit too far north for them to really thrive. Can anyone suggest what I should plant besides a queen? That perhaps looks like a coconut palm? Or feel free to suggest other palms. I like the Bizmarks too, but I'm wanting something a bit more "traditionally palm tree" looking. I've seen foxtails and they're nice, but they're not really dazzling me. Christmas palms are cute too. However, I would like to plant some lesser known palms. Ultimately, I want them to be able to thrive in their environment, so ones that can stand an occasional cold snap too as St pete can and does get into the 40s and sometimes 30s during a strong cold front. Thank you for helping me and if this was posted in the wrong place, please accept my apologies. 

Coconut palms do great in St. Pete. They don't simply "survive" either, they thrive (not Malaysia-esque thrive obviously, but they definitely look lush and produce plenty coconuts) and are really only threatened by 20 year freezes which you can prepare for anyways. For example, despite the recent Florida cold snap in January, the cocos in St. Pete look like hardly anything happened. Even if you do fear a once a generation cold snap, they are relatively cheap to get sprouts so its kind of a why not deal. Heck some people will even give you unwanted sprouted coconuts for free. I have gotten some St. Pete Jamaican tall sprouts this way 

Here are some great examples of coconut palms of St. Pete, you will notice most of them predate the big 2010 generational cold snap.

 

Gulf side

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.6842179,-82.7270639,3a,45.5y,325.87h,105.06t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1shBHcQ_bYzvfN_GDPLyXP2Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.6688864,-82.7249543,3a,26.3y,332.58h,100.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDr5BsiGScksqQbacvyIh2Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7086882,-82.7296901,3a,15y,199.65h,87.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVReq6MMnV1KR9jPpldFChw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7444975,-82.7340888,3a,75y,317.07h,108.92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sk0tFPX9lJrzSa4cJ6m2sqA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7476339,-82.7570898,3a,75y,205.05h,101.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDCz_VxqfNZb85ggxXw2-og!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7460376,-82.7272434,3a,30.2y,245.63h,94.38t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-AG9nnPnkFOGpThr4lqz4Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7167607,-82.7010614,3a,22.4y,333.68h,93.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slHsiZShf0eph8eeROHLVWA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.6906491,-82.7251067,3a,40.9y,4.66h,88.81t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6V5OI5qaSU7oUeKMUWr1qg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Bay side

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7335868,-82.6368716,3a,40.6y,340.76h,102.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sxI_xIppDFBRhPpbjX5jngQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.804792,-82.6045077,3a,20.3y,100.79h,97.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDnTy8jkaXn1ZKq9xwb4tBA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.8166689,-82.6092321,3a,16.8y,250.03h,96.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sd3r5aUd_RERna74thh-atA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7924164,-82.6265029,3a,15.6y,344.56h,90.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIA0m422IWRbt9C4XDX4cnQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.8155406,-82.5894994,3a,25y,25.81h,98.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEMlFES-zfE3rJvn2CpsPYg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7481648,-82.6269554,3a,38.8y,56.2h,99.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sq9AoG_SOjRU7LCe-loVyNA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7332494,-82.6254602,3a,75y,210.14h,108.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJ-DdOWeW3kZoADHfJqdEGg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7335401,-82.6257974,3a,30.1y,340.67h,95.45t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snw3PNoxKa0nBfkNaTs_CnQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Inland areas away from water

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.8896809,-82.6692008,3a,42.8y,314.88h,93.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seg9bkGbOZSnW94lJ3VSyHg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.8179955,-82.665828,3a,75y,65.49h,107.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sP1Rp5mV-pn22ol-DvU4r7g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.8750777,-82.7249385,3a,15y,286.58h,98.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swrt8Q_8tsQT_pqcxfCz_qQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Downtown

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7711217,-82.6535233,3a,35.8y,333.25h,98.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCse-6FFWeohuY01Ncnbp0A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7712012,-82.6497493,3a,15y,335.71h,90.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sShBpsgTKBWM2fVb3foxHYQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7710767,-82.6617107,3a,21.5y,145.86h,93.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfGNiR4z0s-TiNdTGpyk_1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Edited March 24, 2022 by cocoforcoconuts

[cocoforcoconuts]

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7711221,-82.6534234,3a,50.4y,316.27h,94.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWNOBRuCgTltlXsqpdDRsyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Honestly it might even be worth asking the owners of this business in downtown St. Pete if you could snag a sprout. Whenever I visit downtown St. Pete there are always heaps of fallen coconuts piled atop each other below these two palms and I have seen more than a few sprouted. I'd be curious as to what they do with them.

[Geoff58]

If you like the look of coconut palms, you might consider a mule palm. They have a similar look, but are hardier than coconuts.

[redant]

On 3/5/2022 at 11:08 AM, awkonradi said:

If Royals are hardy in your neighborhood, then I submit the below concept.  Maybe these are too close to each other.

Huge palms in front of a single story older FL home just don'e look right, if any massive palms are used they should be behind the home as in the example Stacy did

[EPaul]

So jealous right now of everyone here who can plant Zone 10 palms - I'm going to spend the rest of my day pouting like a child.   Stupid, Zone 9 palms ;-)