Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Pygmy Date Palm
Pygmy date palm is a small, slow-growing palm with soft, feathery fronds and one or several slim trunks. It usually tops out around 6 to 10 feet, so it fits patios, entries and large pots. In the Valley it looks best with morning sun and afternoon shade, such as the east side of the house. Give it regular water and palm fertilizer, and it keeps a lush, tropical look all year.
Best for: an east-facing patio or entry, large patio pots, and tight spots near a pool or courtyard that get afternoon shade.
Plant it on the east side of the house or anywhere it gets morning sun and shade after noon. It stays around 6 to 10 feet tall, so it fits beside an entry or a covered patio.
Its slow growth and small size make it one of the best palms for a large pot. A potted palm can also be moved under a roof on freeze nights.
It fits narrow beds near pools, patios and courtyards where a big palm would crowd the space. Keep it a step back from walkways, because the lower frond stems carry sharp spines.
Hot afternoon sun and reflected heat off west walls burn and yellow the fronds. Cold below about 30°F can damage it, and small palms are the most frost sensitive. The spines at the frond bases call for gloves when trimming.
Water a new palm daily for the first two weeks, keeping the root ball moist but not soggy. Then water about once a week, 2 feet deep, and widen the watered area as the roots grow.
It needs more water than desert palms. Once rooted, give it regular deep soaks through summer and water less in winter. Let the top of the soil dry between soaks.
Feed with a palm fertilizer twice a year while the soil is warm, in spring and again in mid-summer. Pale or yellow fronds often mean it needs feeding, so do not skip it. Skip feeding late in the year.
Remove only dead or brown fronds, and never cut green fronds above the horizontal. Take off no more than a quarter of the living crown in a season. Wear gloves, since the leaf stems have spines.
Frost damage is likely in cold spots. Cover it on freeze nights, or move a potted palm under cover. Cut damaged fronds only after frost danger passes.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Can pygmy date palm take full sun in Phoenix?
It does poorly in full afternoon sun here, because hot sun and reflected heat burn and yellow the fronds. Plant it where it gets morning sun and afternoon shade, such as the east side of the house.
How often should I water a pygmy date palm?
It needs more water than desert palms. Give it regular deep soaks through summer, let the top of the soil dry between waterings, and water less in winter. Potted palms dry out faster, so check them often.
How big does a pygmy date palm get?
It usually grows 6 to 10 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide over many years. It grows slowly, so buy the size you want to see now.
Is pygmy date palm cold hardy?
Cold below about 30°F can damage it, and small palms are the most sensitive. Cover it with frost cloth on freeze nights, or move a potted palm under a roof.
My palm froze. Should I cut off the brown fronds?
Wait until the cold risk has passed before trimming. Then remove only the fronds that are fully dead and leave any green ones.
Does pygmy date palm have spines?
Yes. Sharp spines grow near the base of each frond stem. Wear gloves and long sleeves when you trim, and plant it a step back from walkways.
Why are my pygmy date palm fronds turning yellow?
Old lower fronds yellow and die with age, and you can trim them once they are fully dead. Yellowing on newer fronds usually means it needs feeding, so use a palm fertilizer in spring and mid-summer.
How should I fertilize a pygmy date palm?
Feed it twice a year while the soil is warm, in spring and again in mid-summer, with a palm fertilizer. Spread it under the canopy away from the trunk and water it in.
Can I grow a pygmy date palm in a pot?
Yes. It is one of the best palms for containers because it grows slowly and stays small. Use a large pot, water it more often than a palm in the ground, and move it under cover on freeze nights.
Pygmy Date Palm for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Pygmy date palm brings a small, soft tropical palm to Valley patios, entries and pots. It needs afternoon shade, regular summer water and palm fertilizer. Below is what to expect: size, sun, water, frost, feeding and trimming.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Pygmy date palm sun in Phoenix
Give it morning sun and afternoon shade. West walls and reflected heat scorch and yellow the fronds, especially on young palms.
How to water a pygmy date palm
It needs regular deep soaks through summer and less water in winter. Let the top of the soil dry between waterings, and check potted palms often.
Pygmy date palm frost protection
Cold below about 30°F can damage it. Cover it on freeze nights or move pots under a roof, and wait until the cold has passed before trimming damaged fronds.
How big does a pygmy date palm get?
Plan on about 6 to 10 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide. It grows slowly, which makes it easy to keep in a pot or a small bed.
Yellow fronds on a pygmy date palm
Lower fronds yellow with age and can come off once fully dead. Yellowing on newer fronds usually means it is hungry, so feed with a palm fertilizer in spring and mid-summer.
Trimming a pygmy date palm
Remove only fully dead fronds and leave the green ones. Wear gloves, because sharp spines sit near the base of each frond stem.
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