Pygmy Date Palm

Pygmy Date Palm, Phoenix roebelenii, is a small feather palm from riverbanks in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and southern China. A slender trunk covered in peg-like old leaf bases carries a fine-textured crown of arching, softly drooping fronds, and it is often planted in clumps of two to four for a multi-stemmed look. It grows slowly to about 12 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide, suiting small yards, patios, and large containers. Give it full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil of almost any texture, with regular water while young; established palms take heat and short dry spells but not salt spray or saline soil. It is hardy in USDA zones 10 and 11 and widely grown in zone 9B. Cream flowers open in spring on separate male and female plants. Lower leaflets are sharp spines two to three inches long, so prune with care.