7 Best Small Palm Trees for Pool Areas

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The outlook of your pool can give it the effect you want your outer space to have. One major way of conveying this look is by planting well-chosen and designed plants that would show off your pool in the greatest possible way.

If you end up choosing the wrong tree variety, it could detract completely from the entire scene. Some amazing palm trees can be planted along your pool area to give it the look you want effortlessly and palm trees are the best when it comes to that.

Some of the best small palm trees for pool areas include the Mediterranean fan palm, sago palm, pindo palm, and a few others that we will discuss in this article.

Let’s get started!

Best Small Palm Trees for Pool Areas

1. Mediterranean Fan Palm

Photo by cultivar413 via Flickr

This palm species is surprisingly the only palm plant that is native to Europe. Just like the name implies, these palm trees have fan-shaped fronds that add an aesthetic value to your pool area. This plant usually has many trunks clumped together to give your tree a fuller look.

This plant is ideal for enhancing your privacy due to the thickness of its leaves and hardiness is one of the stand-out properties of this palm, it can survive the harshest of weather. Like most palm trees, this species can withstand drought and does not need regular watering so it does not develop root rot.

See Also: Best Small Palm Trees for Pots

2. Pygmy Date Palm

The pygmy palms are another amazing variety of palm trees that are made of invasive roots; that means they do not grow tall or too big and that makes them a perfect plant for tight areas like decks, patios, pool areas, and can also even be planted in between larger trees.

Despite this plant being native to southeastern Asia, it is a slow-growing plant species that is adaptable to varying species.

The pygmy palm trees are also said to be among the neatest species and this is because this plant does not have leaves that litter around and you would be needing to prune only when the green foliage of the plants turns brown.

3. Sago Palms

The sago palm is not a ready part of the palm family instead, they belong to the cycad species which is closer to the pine family. It is considered to be among one of the oldest palms alive and can date back to 200 million years in existence.

These plants are suitable for courtyards, sidewalks, and pools, and due to their dwarf nature, they do not grow too much over the years. Due to their lack of roots, they can be planted in a lot of confined spaces which also makes them suitable for pots.

4. Pindo Palm

Photo by Steven Martin via Flickr

Pindo palm is a small species of palm tree that require low maintenance for it to be able to thrive. This palm tree can create a visually stunning focal point by your poolside and due to its small nature, it can even be grown in pots and moved wherever you want.

A fully grown pindo palm tree has silver-green fronds that enable it to fit perfectly into contemporary and tropical-themed landscapes. Pindo palm is suitable in all climates and does not require a lot of watering because of the root type it possesses.

If you want to get this plant as a homeowner, then the wise thing to do would be to purchase the seedling and not the seed; that would save you some time and additional stress that comes with raising a plant from seed.

Regardless of the location, you place it, the pindo palm will always inject color into your backyard.

See Also: Different Types of Bonsai Trees

5. Bismarck Palm

Bismarck’s palm is an evergreen palm tree with round, steel blue, and fan-shaped fronds. It is quite popular due to its attractive foliage that has a soft texture. This specie of palm tree is diecious meaning the male and female species are separated and not kept together.

This plant species is exceptionally drought tolerant and these plants can amazingly regrow at subzero temperatures. When pruning this plant, ensure that you avoid removing its leaves that are partially dead; you should only remove the brown ones that are completely dead.

6. Dwarf Palmetto

The dwarf palmetto is one of the hardy yet trunkless species of palm trees you would be seeing. Instead of the trunk, this plant has petioles that hold the leaves that reach up to 80cm in diameter. When this plant is maturing, the plant blooms with creamy white flowers that have a pleasant scent.

These flowers can grow up to 6 ft tall and eventually, develop into black fruits. A hardy species of the dwarf palmetto that can survive temperatures of -10 degrees without its leaves getting damaged is the sabal minor.

Unlike most of the other species, this specie can be propagated by seeds and if successfully established, it is extremely drought tolerant.

7. Bottle Palm

The bottle palm gets its name from its special trunk which takes the shape of a bottle even if later on during growth, the bottle shape it possesses begins to fade. Nonetheless, the bottle palm is an evergreen palm that has a pale grey to the white trunk.

At the top of the trunk of the tree, there is a canopy that is made of at least four glossy and green feather-like leaves. these fronds also emerge from a green crown shaft. Like a lot of other species of palms, the bottle palm is also extremely drought tolerant and can survive for a while without water.

Several other plants can be planted around pool areas but before that, there are several factors you should consider before making your choice, these factors are;

  • Climate
  • The invasiveness of the roots of these plants
  • The size of the tree
  • How to deal with the seeds

Small palm trees can be able to withstand the change in climate ranging from either extreme drought down to freezing conditions. The most critical thing for you to do is to water them fatly and efficiently while they are still little before they start wilting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I grow palm trees in pots?

Before anything, make sure you get a pot that would be able to hold the plant and accommodate its roots. You should start by filling the pot with well-draining soil and then carefully get these plants out of their old pots; make sure it is done carefully so you do not eventually break the roots in the process.

When transplanting, ensure that there is already a little soil below before you let the root down because the root is not supposed to go down too deeply into the soil. Once transplanted, fill it with soil and make sure you do not leave any empty spaces between.

The first thing you should do after it has been transplanted is water the soil. This way, you would be able to know if you didn’t fill the sand to the supposed level if it sinks, and then, watering helps facilitate the growth.

How Does Drainage Affect These Palm Trees?

We all know that different soil types have different degrees of drainages. The best you can make use of is sandy soil while the worse is clay soil. The reason is that when clay soil dries up, it forms an impenetrable mass of soil, and palm trees would not be able to extract nutrients from this soil.

So, if you insist on making use of clay soil, although I wouldn’t advise you to do that, you can just simply mix with up with other soil supplements for it to be porous enough.

See Also: Plants With Yellow and Green Leaves

Does Chlorine Affect Palm Trees Close to Pool Areas?

Chlorine is very important when it comes to keeping pool water clean and healthy but unlike most plants, palm trees are resistant to the harmful effects of chlorine. This is because palm trees have a thick waxy coat that protects their fronds from chlorine splashed on it.

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