How Quickly Do Palm Trees Grow? Growth Factors & More!
Palm trees are extremely popular among home gardeners for sprucing up indoors as well as outdoor areas. Depending upon the variety, palms can be used as a small tabletop houseplant or giant trees for screening and landscaping purposes.
Different palm species tend to have different annual growth rates. How quickly do palm trees grow is further influenced by factors like climate conditions, location, temperature, soil type and pH, watering and more.
To ensure a fast growth rate, you need to provide your palm tree with the optimal growing conditions, depending upon its variety. Read on to find out more about palm trees and their growing speed.
In This Article:
What Conditions Do Palm Trees Need To Grow?
To ensure the palm tree’s healthy and quick growth, you must give it the right care. Here are a few factors that affect how fast does palm tree grow.
1. Variety of palm
This is one of the major factors affecting the palm tree growth rate. While some species are slow growers, other palm varieties mature quite quickly.
Popular, slow-growing palms are Lady palm, Chinese needle palm, European fan palm, and dwarf palmetto palm.
On the other hand, palms varieties like Carpentaria palm, King palm, California fan palm and queen palm have a moderate to fast growth rate.
2. Temperature
Most palm varieties hail from tropical zones marked by warm summers and mild winters. On average, the ideal temperature for most palms is somewhere between 95°F during the daytime and lows of 78°F during the night,
However, some palm species can withstand temperatures over 110°F. A few varieties also tolerate colder climates where lows may reach 40°F to 50°F.
A few subspecies may also live through an occasional, light snowfall. Although palm trees thrive in humid climates, a few species can also survive in dryer conditions.
To ensure the fast palm tree growth rate, choose a species that will thrive in the climate conditions in your area.
3. Water
How quickly do palm trees grow also depends on whether their watering requirements are being met the right way. While some palm varieties prefer moist soil and require regular watering, others are rather drought-resistant and can go without water for days.
However, providing inadequate water will affect the palm tree growth rate and its health. Also, keep in mind that overwatering may lead to root rot.
The water requirements of a new palm tree are more than that of an established plant. Once the plant has grown enough to have a better root structure and find adequate moisture, you may water the plant less frequently.
You may also like to read about the growth rate of other varieties of palm like Majesty Palm, Areca Palm, Mexican Palm, Pygmy Palm, and Ponytail Palm.
4. Soil condition
Generally speaking, light and well-drained soils are the best to ensure healthy growth in palm trees. Sand-based soil like sandy loam is a great choice since it provides an ideal environment for the palm roots to spread.
Palm trees do not do well in compacted soils with few air pockets. They may suffer from issues like root rot or growth stunting when planted in heavy soils. Most palm varieties do well in either acidic or alkaline soil. You can go over these fertilizers for palm trees to provide extra nutrients to the soil.
Variety Wise Palm Tree Growth Rate
So how quickly do palm trees grow in 1 year? Depending upon factors like palm variety, location, and growing condition, a palm can grow from 2-3 inches to 3-6 feet in a year.
Let’s take a look at how fast does palm tree grow depending upon their variety.
1. Foxtail palm
This palm variety is native to Australia. It is quite adaptable and moderate to fast-growing. It grows more than 1 foot a year and takes about 20 years or less to reach its full height. Foxtail palm can grow as tall as 32 feet.
However, it stops at around half this height when kept as an indoor plant. This variety is easy to maintain, thrives in well-draining soil and is tolerant of salty sea spray and wind.
2. Areca palm growth rate
Areca palm is perhaps one of the most popular indoor plants among home gardeners. It can grow up to be anywhere between 10 to 30 feet tall on maturity and prefers partial to full sun exposure, moist soil, and acidic to neutral soil pH.
The Areca Palm grows between 5 to 10 inches annually until they mature. When kept indoors, it usually reaches a height of about 7 feet.
Related read: How To Care For Areca Palm|Date palm vs Palm trees|King vs Queen Palm
3. Mexican fan palm
This super-tall palm variety is native to northern Mexico but can be grown through most of South and Southwest America. In right conditions where they are free to grow to their full height, they can grow up to 80 to 100 feet in height.
They have a growth rate of around 3 feet (or more) per year. These majestic trees feature wide, fanning dark green fronds.
4. King palm
King palms consist of a ringed trunk and tropical-looking leaves. How fast does palm tree grow if it’s a king palm? This remarkably fast-growing variety grows up to 2-3 feet per year.
It can attain a height of anywhere between 40 to 60 feet. King palms prefer full sun to shade, quick-draining soil, and are somewhat drought-resistant.
This palm variety is a common choice for specimen trees, tropical gardens, mass planting, ornamental and urban gardens.
5. Queen palm
Let’s learn more about this fast-growing variety! Queen palms feature a stately single trunk and glossy bright pinnate leaves and are common for landscaping in warmer regions.
They can grow up to be around 50 (or more) feet in height and produce large plumes of miniature blossoms in the summer. By winter, the bloom matures into bright orange fruits. These palm trees can grow about 2 feet per year.
6. Lady palm
This oriental palm variety consists of multiple trunks and green, umbrella-like fronds. These hardy and adaptable palms have a slow palm tree growth rate.
A standard lady palm tree will grow up to 10 feet (or more) when planted outdoors and around 5 feet (or less) when grown indoors.
In preferable conditions, the Lady palm has a growth rate of 8 to 12 inches annually. However, the growth rate tends to decrease when it is kept as an indoor plant.
Related: How to grow lady palm?
7. California fan palm
The California fan palm is the only palm variety native to western North America. This palm features a large, grey singular trunk with pale green fan-shaped leaves.
This imposing tree has a slow growth rate. It can grow up to 1.5 feet per year and be 20 to 60 feet tall.
8. Carpentaria palm
Carpentaria palm consists of a singular ringed trunk with a stunning crown of gracefully arching fronds. It has a moderate to fast annual growth rate.
Given the right conditions, it can grow up to 6 feet in a year. This palm variety can attain a height of 20 to 30 feet (or more) on maturity. This easy-to-maintain tree prefers partial shade to full sun and has high to moderate water requirements.
9. Windmill palm
This hardy palm variety features a slender stalk topped with large, rounded leaves. On maturity, a windmill palm tree can be as tall as 40 feet.
However, this slow-growing palm is usually seen between 10 to 20 feet. This palm tree growth rate annually is generally less than a foot. Windmill palms prefer partial shade (but may tolerate some sun), fertile and well-drained soil and moderate watering.
10. Royal palm
This regal palm variety boasts a long, smooth trunk and glossy pinnate leaves. Royal palm trees have an annual growth rate of around a foot or 2 feet and can grow up to be anywhere between 50 to 100 feet or more at maturity.
A popular choice for landscaping, this palm variety requires plenty of sunlight and moist, well-drained soil.
11. Ponytail palm growth rate
This palm variety is actually succulent. It consists of a large ‘stump’ tapering off into thinner stems along with long, green leathery leaves.
The ponytail palm has an annual growth rate of fewer than 12 inches and can be around 10-12 feet tall at maturity when planted outdoors).
Indoor ponytail plants usually grow up to be around 4-5 feet tall. Although it remains relatively compact when grown as a houseplant, wild ponytail palms can be as tall as 30 feet or more. This palm variety prefers bright, indirect light and sandy, well-drained soil.
Related: Ponytail palm types
12. Date palm growth rate
Date palms consist of a thick trunk and sprawling green fronds, giving this tree a rather commanding presence. This variety grows well in the hot sun and dry climate and can be as tall as 80 feet on reaching maturity.
Date palm is a moderate to slow-growing palm variety. Date palms tend to grow about 1 foot per year in normal gardening conditions.
13. Sago palm growth rate
This slow-growing sago palm features long green fronds in a single trunk. This variety is extremely slow-growing and will gain only a couple of inches every year.
It can reach up to a height of 20 (or more) feet but may take decades to do so. This palm variety is toxic to humans and pets.
You might also want to look into how fast these plants and trees grow: Pine, Banana, Fiddle Fig, Snake Plants.
Experts Answer How Fast Does Palm Tree Grow
Q. Which palm tree grows fastest?
A . How fast does palm trees grow depends upon the variety of palms. How quickly do palm trees grow also varies according to the growing conditions and location. Some of the fastest-growing palm varieties are King palm, Carpentaria palm, King Kong palm, Fishtail palm, Majesty palm, Queen palm, and Windmill palm.
Q. Are palm trees fast or slow-growing?
A. The growth rate of a palm tree depends upon its growing conditions, location and variety. While some palm varieties have a moderate to fast growth rate, others are slow growers.
Carpentaria palm, King palm, California fan palm and queen palm are a few fast-growing palms. Lady palm, Chinese needle palm, European fan palm and dwarf palmetto palm are a few slow-growing palm varieties.
Q. How many feet does an average palm tree grow per year?
A .How fast does palm tree grow in a year varies depending upon their species. The growth may vary from just a few inches to 5-6 feet, based on the variety of the palm.
Q. What is the lifespan of a palm tree?
A . The average lifespan of a palm can be up to 70 to 80 years. Some of the palm varieties live for as long as 100 years, others have a shorter lifespan of around 30 to 40 years.
Q .How can I make my palm tree grow faster?
A .To make your palm grow faster & healthier, give it the care it needs. Different palm varieties have different requirements. Care for your palm tree according to its specific requirements.
Proper light, soil type and pH, fertilization, watering and pruning are a few things you need to take into consideration. You also need to take measures to protect your palm tree from harsh weather conditions, diseases, and pests.
Q. Can you stunt the growth of a palm tree?
A .The best way to prevent palm tree from growing too tall is to plant shorter palm species. Pruning and trimming can also help slow down a palm tree’s growth. However, excessive pruning or using the wrong cutting methods can end up damaging the tree.
Tweaking the roots to stop a palm tree from growing is a temporary method to stunt a palm tree’s growth. Methods like ‘stress training can be used for slowing down the growth of indoor palms.
Q. Should I remove seeds from palm tree?
A .Removing seed pods is not really required to maintain a palm tree’s health or decide how fast does palm tree grows. However, you can go ahead and remove the pods if they seem unsightly or end up creating a lot of mess.
