A landscaping project requires research as you need to make sure that you choose the plants ideal for Southwest Florida’s tropical weather. Palm trees have been deemed as a landscape mainstay, especially if you’re residing in Florida. As you drive around the city, landscaped lawns won’t be complete without palm trees. Of course, when it comes to palm trees, you need to pay attention to the specifics: the size, height, shape, and even the leaf color.
It’s important to note that each palm tree has a different characteristic. While you may get excited about the thought of planting palm trees, you should know more about their different species to ensure that you pick the ones that improve the overall appearance of your home.
Coconut Palm Tree
Being the most popular tree used for landscape purposes, coconut palm trees are known for their single smooth trunks. The more the trees mature, the smoother the leaves become. At their base, you’ll notice that they have a slightly swollen and curved base. With 25 to 30 pinnate leaves, the crown can grow as tall as 18 feet long and 6 feet wide. The 200 leaflets are also two feet long. On average, the leaf of a coconut palm tree can remain healthy for up to 3 years. With regard to the mature palms, it’ll form new ones while the old ones begin to fall. This cycle happens every month.
The tree begins to produce flowers during springtime. The tree needs to be around 4 to 6 years old for it to be in bloom. Since the flowers grow in clusters, their sweet smell is truly captivating. Once the flowers bloom, the tree will start to bear coconuts ranging from green to yellow or brown depending on the variety or maturity.
Carpentaria Palm Tree
This palm tree is also popular in Florida landscapes as it resembles the Christmas palm. They look good when planted together as they give your lawn a tropical forest appearance. The leaves are not close together and it has a single smooth and slender trunk. The trunk measures 10 inches with a slightly swollen base. It also has a gorgeous crown with up to 12 leaves and up to100 leaflets.
It produces green to white flowers all throughout the year. These flowers are held together by the tree’s lengthy inflorescence which can grow up to 4 feet long. The tree will start to bear red fruits once it’s 5 to 6 years old. The fruits hang, making the tree look like an outdoor decor. The fruit is oval and measures 1/5-inch long. You shouldn’t touch the fruit because the juice can irritate the skin.
Chinese Fan Palm Tree
Native to China and Japan, this tree is also called the Chinese Fountain Palm. It consists of a single brown-grey straight trunk. The trunk is also ringed with old leaf scars. Its base is slightly swollen and measures 15 to 17 inches. It also has fan-shaped leaves which topped the trunk. The leaves form a droopy crown that resembles a fountain. Its segmented leaves can reach the length of up to 5 feet wide and 5 feet long. It produces yellow-cream flowers which are held by inflorescence shorter than the leaves.
Growing a palm tree as part of your landscape project is a great idea. By researching the different types of palm tree, you’ll be able to know which ones are suitable for your climate.
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