Jacksonville Palm Tree Nursery
Did you know that there are over 2,500 species of palm trees?
If you’re looking for a Jacksonville palm tree nursery that offers plants that will thrive in a variety of different climates, consider Palmco.
We’ve been growing and nurturing palm trees for 30 years at our 600-plus acre farm on Pine Island. Our warm, fertile environment gives palms plenty of space to grow, and nurtures them with state-of-the-art irrigation systems and extensive nutritional programs that produce the strongest and healthiest specimens for your landscaping projects.
Most people are familiar with just a few palm varieties.
Often people think they only grow in places with year-round warm weather, but did you know there are species that can even tolerate snow. Most grow best in USDA Zones 8-10, but you don’t have to be in Florida or California to use palms in your landscaping.
Palm Trees Suitable for Jacksonville
Like most of the south Atlantic region, Jacksonville’s weather is usually mild in winter and hot and humid in summer, placing it in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 9A. However, the area straddles Hardiness Zone 8B, and some Jacksonville-area microclimates may experience colder winters than the city at large.
In fact, the temperatures can dip below freezing for a few weeks each year in Jacksonville, Orange Park, Lakeside, Norwood, College Park and Talleyrand, and hard freezes at night do occur. Consider planting “cold hardy” palms that tolerate temperatures down to 5 to 10°F (and sometimes colder), such as:
European Fan Palm
The fan-shaped leaves of this popular small palm look exotic in any landscape. Its natural habitat is along the Mediterranean Coast from Morocco to Turkey where it has to handle occasional severe frosts and low temperatures. It is wind-resistant, very cold hardy, and prefers a climate that is not too humid. This palm grows baby palm trees (sucklings) from the base of its trunk, giving it a clump-like look. If you take the time to prune them properly, European Fan Palms can become a natural work of art. Growing to only about 10 to 20 feet tall, they are ideal as a focal point and will treat you to small yellow flowers in the spring.
Sabal Palm
You are bound to see plenty of Sabal Palmettos, also called Cabbage Palms, throughout Florida. This palm grows all the way from USDA Zone 7B to 11, so you may also see it in states as diverse as Washington and Virginia. It’s the official Florida state tree, tolerates almost any type of soil, and can grow in all conditions, such as in swamps, dry flatlands, inland, and even on the coast. It also tolerates frosts and freezes. The large, light green fan-shaped leaves emerge from a tight, round, semi self-cleaning crownshaft. Although it grows slowly, it can reach heights of 60 feet tall. Sabal suffers very little shock when transplanting and is virtually maintenance-free once established.
Sylvestris Palm
Look for the majestic Sylvestris, also known as the Silver Date Palm, in some of the world’s most luxurious resorts and country clubs. Tolerating cold down to 15 to 20°F when mature, this rugged palm is also moderately salt-tolerant. It grows one to three feet a year but can reach heights of 40 feet. The Phoenix sylvestris has silvery blue-green fronds and a solitary trunk with an interesting diamond pattern created by leaf scars. A special cut can be done to it to make the deep orange of its trunk really stand out.
For pricing and information on our wholesale palms, contact Palmco at 1-855-Go-Palmco or 1-239-283-1329 and talk with one of our experts.
If you are a Jacksonville landscaper looking for a large palm tree nursery, we invite you to tour our farm in Bokeelia and discover our great variety of palm trees and bamboo.
