Potted Palm Trees for Your Patio

Welcome to our guide to potted palm trees for your patio including the best types for shaded and sunny patio designs. Any patio, no matter the décor, can benefit from a few potted palm trees. There are, of course, those potted palm trees readily available at your local home and garden store, but there is generally a huge lack of variety, healthy plants, and size options.

While adding one of these big box store palms might lend a tropical hand to your design, the true aesthetic of the right palm tree for your patio will add just the right finishing touch.

Best Patio Palm Trees

A few basic palm tree options always come to mind when we envision a patio complete with lush foliage and palms, but these options aren’t always the best for what your patio has to offer.

If all you need is a very basic palm with minimum care requirements, have a look at the following species options.

Majesty Palm

This species is slow-growing in some zones, but is well-known for its long, branching stems that bear beautifully symmetrical leaves.

Wide leaves offer the appearance of an island getaway without the hard work of stemming and excessive pruning.

The majesty palm thrives in somewhat humid environments and can grow to as much as 80 feet in height.

This type of palm is also referred to as a Ravenea Rivularis or majestic palm tree.

Areca Palm

Bushy and vibrant, these bright green palms are perfect for a bit of privacy, or as a cornerstone to your patio design. Generally, Areca palms grow rather quickly in warmer climates, so a large pot and lots of water are preferable to keep the Areca happy.

This type of palm is also called a Dypsis lutescens, golden cane palm, yellow palm and butterfly palm.

Chinese Fan Palm

With its gorgeous downward-facing fronds, this palm is a must for any frequent patio-goer. Tolerant to most soil types and light accommodations, the Chinese Fan Palm is an easy-care species that can take some drought and winds.

The Chinese fan palm is also known as the Livistona Chinensis and fountain palm.

Shade-Dwelling Palms

Although most palms are happy in full sun to partial shade, there are a few palms that thrive in a well-shaded environment.

Generally, shade-friendly palms require semi-frequent fertilization, but fertilizer products today make it easy with all-purpose fertilizers.

Below are some of the best palm options for a notoriously shady or enclosed patio design.

Bamboo Palm

Elegant, feathery leaves spread out from tightly packed stems for a truly tropical appeal. This species remains relatively small and bushy, which caters to a low patio ceiling. Use a nutrient-rich soil for deep green, lush foliage.

This palm is also known as a Chamaedorea seifrizii, green lady or reed palm.

Lady Palm

Also known as Rhapis Palm, this species requires very little light to thrive and features a swath of uniquely textured branches, each with a spray a leaves. Perfect for well-shaded and enclosed patios, this palm is a stunning deep green feature.

Needle Palm

Laden with the classic fan pattern everyone adores, the Needle Palm is a shade-loving, pygmy species unlikely to outgrow the boundaries of your patio. While most palms require large planters, the Needle Palm will need a bit of extra room for its wide root system.

This palm has a scientific name of Rhapidophyllum Hystrix.

Sun-Loving Palm Tree Species

In warm, sunny climates, palms often grow to towering heights, whether they are grown in a pot or the ground. Despite this common factor of palm tree growth, there are several species which thrive in containers even in optimal growing climates. Have a peek at these perfect species for containers in hot, sunny climates.

Pygmy Date Palm

Without further ado, this species is by far one of the best palms to grow in containers. Kept trimmed and watered, this species will happily thrive in a sunny location on your patio. Featuring flashy, long branches with the classic fan pattern of leaves, a Pygmy Date Palm is perfect for full sun.

European Fan Palm

Tolerant to full sun and colder winters, this species is considered one of the only true hardy palms to date. Care is as simple as removing dead fronds and trimming back brown tips, while watering moderately in cooler temperatures and thoroughly in warmer climates.

Manilla Palm

Most famous for its clusters of radiant red fruit, the Manilla Palm is one of the most easy-to-care-for palms for patios and landscapes.

For the most part, this species is self-cleaning, and will drop its own spent leaves as they become dry and obsolete. Plant in slightly sandy soil for healthier roots.

The scientific name for this palm is the Adonidia Merrillii and it is also known as the Christmas palm.

How to Care for Patio Palms

Many rumors about the fussiness of palms have circulated throughout the gardening community over the years, but palms, like most outdoor plants, are rather easy to care for.

Most potted palm trees for your patio require roughly the same care parameters, but be sure to research your specific species in order to accurately care for your patio palms.

Potted palm trees all require the same basic necessities: water, fertilizer, and sunlight in varying degrees. Read on to discover some useful tips on how to keep a potted palm tree happy.

Maintain the foliage

In order to both keep the palm healthy and maintain its beautiful aesthetic appearance, trim away spent leaves or branches by simply cutting them off at the base, about a centimeter away from the stem of the plant using only sharp, clean shears.

Once a leaf begins to show signs of spotting, it may be a sign that the palm no longer requires the leaf and will soon discard it.

Choose the right soil

Soil is an important part of any kind of gardening, but even more so in container gardening. The vast majority of palm species will enjoy a nutrient-rich soil with sand components to help mimic its natural environment.

You can try adding one small bag of sand additive to one large bag of nutrient-rich soil. Pre-mixed palm soils are sometimes available in warmer regions from nurseries and box stores.

Keep up on watering

It’s easy for a palm to bounce back from overwatering, but underwatering is a force that can permanently damage a palm.

Try to water as soon as the soil in the pot appears dry, but to be sure, you can check the moisture in the soil with a meter or by simply digging two inches into the soil to check for any sign of dampness. If there is still moisture 2 inches below the surface, the palm can wait another day.

Use an all-purpose fertilizer

Not all palms are picky about nutrition, but for optimal growth and beautiful displays, use an all-purpose fertilizer at half-strength and as frequent as once per month. Be sure to fertilize only after watering, so as not to burn the roots with excess nutrients.

Pick the right container

For most patio purposes, medium-sized containers are ideal. However, for plants as large as palms, a very sturdy root system is required, which also means they need adequate foot room in a planter. Choose a planter no less than twice the size of the nursery pot that the palm came in.

Palms for Patios

Pairing lush palms with colorful blooms makes for a perfect patio aesthetic, but proper maintenance and care of palms is what makes them most attractive.

A well-groomed palm can turn a boring patio into a tropical paradise escape, especially in large containers. Consider how you would like your patio to look and how much care you intend to put into your palms before deciding which species is best for you.

What are the favorite potted palm trees for your patio? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more related information visit our page on desert landscaping ideas here.