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Beautiful Palm Trees and Cycads for your Containers

Embrace the Tropics: Palm Trees Add a Lush, Exotic Touch to Decks, Patios, and Poolside Areas

Palms for Containers, Cycads for Containers, Small Palms, Drought Tolerant Palms, Water-wise Palms, Low Water palms, Desert Palms

Palm trees and cycads are perfect choices for adding a lush, exotic touch to your outdoor spaces. Whether placed on decks, patios, porches, or around pools, their bold foliage and architectural beauty instantly create a tropical ambiance. With approximately 2,500 species in the palm family, these fascinating plants come from diverse climates — tropical, subtropical, and even temperate regions.

While many palm trees flourish when planted directly in the landscape, numerous species are well-suited to life in containers. This versatility makes them a popular option for gardeners looking to bring a touch of the tropics to smaller spaces or create movable focal points in the garden. If you’re looking for inspiration, explore our guide to the Top 25 Palm Tree Varieties to Love in Your Garden.

When choosing a palm or cycad for container gardening, focus on species known for their slow growth or compact size. These plants adapt better to limited root space and can remain in the same container for 2-4 years before needing to be repotted into a larger pot. Drought tolerance is another important factor, as container plants dry out faster than those grown in the ground.

Many popular palm species, such as Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii) or Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta), thrive both outdoors in containers and indoors as houseplants. If you’d like to bring their beauty indoors, check out our expert picks for Palm Trees That Thrive Indoors: 15 Stunning Options.

With the right species, proper container, and a little care, you can enjoy the timeless elegance of palm trees and cycads no matter the size of your space. Your Complete Guide to Growing and Caring for Indoor Palm Trees.

Pretty Palm Trees and Cycads for your Containers

Bismarckia nobilis (Bismarck Palm)
Brahea armata (Mexican Blue Palm)
Brahea edulis (Guadalupe Palm)
Butia capitata (Jelly Palm)
Chamaerops humilis (European Fan Palm)
Cycas revoluta (Sago Palm)
Cyrtostachys renda (Lipstick Palm)
Dioon edule (Chestnut Dioon)
Dypsis decaryi (Triangle Palm)
Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (Bottle Palm)
Latania loddigesii (Blue Latan Palm)
Livistona chinensis (Chinese Fan Palm)
Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm)
Phoenix roebelenii (Pygmy Date Palm)
Rhapis excelsa (Lady Palm)
Sabal minor (Dwarf Palmetto)
Syagrus romanzoffiana (Queen Palm)
Trachycarpus fortunei (Chinese Windmill Palm)

Planting Palm Trees or Cycads in Containers

  • Use a well-draining soil rich in organic material
  • When you remove the container from the root ball of your newly purchased palm, make sure you carefully handle the root ball. Some palms suffer from having their roots cuts or bent and could undergo severe shock.
  • Palms are very intolerant of being planted too deep, regardless of age or size. Plant the palm so that the base of the stem (where the roots emerge) is about 1/2 in. (1 cm) below the soil level.
  • Fill in air pockets and compact the backfill around the root ball. Water the root zone thoroughly.
  • Irrigation frequency varies considerably depending on the species grown, the prevailing temperatures, the growing substrate type, and the container size. A reasonable rule of thumb is ensuring the substrate remains evenly moist but never saturated.
  • 2-4 weeks after planting, apply a palm fertilizer. Fertilize again one month later or as instructed on the product label. When your palm is established, fertilize 4 times a year.
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

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