Plants By Type

Types of Palm Trees

Twelve types of palm trees worth knowing — from needle palm that survives a hard freeze to the queen palm of warm coasts — each sized to the zone where it actually lives.

The short version

For cold gardens (zones 6b–8), the needle palm, windmill palm, and Mediterranean fan palm are your real options. For the warm South and coastal zones 8–11, you can reach for pindo, sabal, queen, and the towering fan palms. Below I sort the common types by how cold-hardy they actually are, with mature heights, so you don't buy a tropical palm that won't see a second winter.

How we chose

Cold-hardiness is the spine of this list, so every zone rating is cross-checked against horticultural sources rather than nursery optimism — palms are notorious for being sold two zones north of where they'll actually live. I've also leaned toward palms you can genuinely source in the U.S. trade. Heights are mature, in-ground figures; in a pot or at a cold limit, most of these stay considerably smaller and slower.

1. Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix)

Zones 5/6–11 · Part shade to sun · 6–10 ft tall, clumping

The hardiest palm on record — it has survived temperatures well below zero in protected sites, which is why northern gardeners obsess over it. It's a slow, trunkless clump of stiff fan leaves rather than a towering palm, and the sharp needles at the base give it its name (and ask for gloves). If you want a palm where palms aren't supposed to grow, this is the one. Native to the southeastern U.S.

2. Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)

Zones 7b–10 · Part sun to sun · 10–20 ft tall, slim trunk

The classic 'cold-hardy palm with a real trunk.' Its trunk is wrapped in coarse brown fiber that insulates it through cold snaps, and the neat fan leaves give that unmistakable palm silhouette in zones most people think are too cold. This is the palm I'd start with in zone 7b — give it a sheltered, well-drained spot out of harsh wind and it'll reward you.

Types of Palm Trees

How we chose

1. Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix)

2. Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)

3. Mediterranean Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis)

4. Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)

5. Pindo Palm / Jelly Palm (Butia capitata)

6. Sabal Palmetto / Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto)

7. Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana)

8. Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)

9. Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta)

10. California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)

11. Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)

12. Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera)