Phoenix roebelenii PalmPygmy Date Palm - Dwarf Date PalmThe Phoenix roebelenii palm is one of the most feminine palm trees you will ever see. Its lush dark green fronds are more delicate than those of most other palms and they grow in a graceful arching habit.
The pygmy date palm boasts a slender trunk and, at a mature height of 8 feet, is also one of the small palm trees. Its size makes it a good fit for small space gardens where larger palms would be out of scale. You may see it labeled for sale as the dwarf date palm.
Many palms have perilously sharp fronds. But the soft fronds of the pygmy date are not a danger to people or pets. It's a lot like a fern elevated on a trunk. The Phoenix roebelenii palm requires little sun. I don't advocate placing it in a dark corner and keeping the curtains drawn, but this tree will thrive in typical indoor conditions. If you choose to plant it outdoors, a site in part--or even full--shade will suit it. This is a nice palm to plant in multiples. Try placing three on 2 foot centers in a triangle pattern at the center of a landscape bed for a pleasing effect. Two look good planted in the same hole. Especially if you use plants of different heights. It looks as if the tree has suckered or branched. It probably will sucker in time, but why wait? Hailing from India and Viet Nam, pygmy palm trees are hardy from zones 9b-11. There are many of them planted here in zone 9a where I live. If they are in a warm microclimate, they come through our freezes undamaged. If not, they suffer extensive leaf damage but usually recover.
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This is the damage you can expect after a hard freeze in zone 9a.
Those torpedo-shapes poking out of the crown are flower stalks. They survived a week of below freezing nights in Daytona, Florida.
