Palm Trees >>Palm Tree Help >>Palms That Don't Grow Tall Short Palm Trees

FIRST, LET US DEFINE "SHORT" AND "TALL"

There's no question that a huge Caryota species (Fishtail Palm) that gets up to ninety feet is tall. Also, a shorter variety of a Serenoa species that only gets to five feet is one of the short palms. Where do we draw the line? Most people consider short to be a palm that doesn't get over 15 to 20 feet at maturity. Tall is more than 30 to 40 feet. 

In between these two are the medium sized palms. Thus, for this article, below we are going to examine palms that don't typically get more than 5 to 20 feet at maturity.  This does not take into consideration cultural restrictions that may dwarf the palm or create a bonsai type plant. We are assuming that the palm will be in the ground and well maintained.  Also, the list below is for the eventual mature height of the tree.  Remember that some species are so slow that, for all practical purposes, they are short for many decades.  For the sake of this article, the heights below are typical heights for well grown trees.   

We are including in this article species of small palms that are both common and rare.  You'll probably have to visit a nursery like ours to find all of the plants below.  They'll not be at the "Depot Stores".   We have avoided species that only grow in tropical regions of the world.  

Another factor we've worked into the list is sun tolerance.  Surprisingly, there are more shade-loving small palm trees than there are sun-lovers.  But, when you think about it, this is natural as these "understory" palms by their nature don't penetrate the upper canopy and prefer filtered light.  As we approach the 20 foot mark, there are a lot more sun palms than shade species.  

I hope the information below helps you choose the right palm for your garden.  By clicking on any species below, a picture of the palm with basic information will appear.