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The Daily Insight

Can you grow palm trees in Houston Texas?

Author

Matthew Barrera

Published Jun 02, 2026

Can you grow palm trees in Houston Texas?

Despite the obstacles, palm trees can thrive in Houston. In fact, Texas has two native palm trees that grow in the wild, the Mexican palmetto (Sabal mexicana) and the dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor). If palms can grow in the Texan wilderness, they can grow in your yard, too.

Can I plant a palm tree in my backyard?

A tropical getaway in your backyard. Plant palm trees that are known to grow well in your climate. Keep the root ball moist and backfill the planting hole with a 50/50 blend of native soil and fresh, new soil. Use a soaker hose to keep your new palm tree well-watered.

Can queen palms survive cold weather?

Answer: Queen palms are hardy to about 20 degrees, so they likely have gotten through the freeze in your area. Sylvester palms are hardy down to about 15 degrees, so they should be fine. Remove the damaged fronds from all of the palms in March.

Do queen palms do well in pots?

Queen palms tolerate growing inside containers quite well provided the container is large enough to house them. Select a container that has drain holes in it and is approximately three times larger than the queen palm’s root ball.

Do palm trees do well in Texas?

Several palm trees will grow well here in North Texas. Some are quite winter-hardy, and all of them will grow in sun or shade. Few palms have problems with extreme heat, but my top palm choices for general toughness and cold-hardiness are the windmill palm and the needle palm.

Will a queen palm come back after a hard freeze?

The queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) is among the least cold tolerant of the palms we commonly grow, and they were badly affected by temperatures in the low 20s and teens. It is now up to the palm tree. If the top growing point survived, the trees generally recover even if the trunks are damaged.

How much water should a queen palm get?

The queen palm should be irrigated every week or two when it is young. It is important to thoroughly wet the entire soil profile. Established palms do well with 6 to 8 inches of water every two to three weeks during the warm growing season months and the same amount every four to six weeks in winter.

How big will a queen palm get?

Queen palms are considered to be moderately tolerant of salt spray. They can reach heights up to 50 ft with a spread of 20–25 ft. The smooth gray trunk varies from 8–15 inches in diameter, depending on the seed source and environment, and may contain bulges.

Where can I buy a queen palm tree in Houston?

The Silver Queen Palm Tree has been used in Houston, Texas for decades and has withstood some of the worst winter weather recorded in the last twenty years in Houston, Texas while other types of Queen Palm Trees in Houston perished. See Where To Buy Silver Queen Palm Trees In Houston, Texas and Other Palm Trees For Sale In Houston Areas.

Where can I find Silver Queen palm trees?

The Silver Queen Palm Tree has been used in Houston, Texas for decades and has withstood some of the worst winter weather recorded in the last twenty years in Houston, Texas while other types of Queen Palm Trees in Houston perished.

Can a queen palm tree be cared for?

Caring for queen palms is much easier if you have planted the tree in an appropriate location with acidic soil. The tree will develop severe mineral deficiencies in alkaline soil, stunting young leaves and potentially killing the tree.

Where to grow cold hardy palms in Houston?

No one in the world has developed stronger, hardier, and more disease-resistant palms than the ones available at Big Tex Tree Nurseries. These are our top cold hardy palms for the Houston area. Visit your nearest Big Tex Tree Nurseries location and allow our nursery pros to help you select the perfect palm for your property.

Caring for queen palms is much easier if you have planted the tree in an appropriate location with acidic soil. The tree will develop severe mineral deficiencies in alkaline soil, stunting young leaves and potentially killing the tree.

No one in the world has developed stronger, hardier, and more disease-resistant palms than the ones available at Big Tex Tree Nurseries. These are our top cold hardy palms for the Houston area. Visit your nearest Big Tex Tree Nurseries location and allow our nursery pros to help you select the perfect palm for your property.

What to do with brown tips on Queen palm?

Only remove fronds that hang downward. Simply cut frond about 2”-3” from trunk using a cut that is parallel to the trunk. During summer months it’s common to get some brown tips. It’s OK to just trim off the brown and leave the green portion of the frond.

Where is the nursery in Katy West Houston?

Our easy-to-get-to nursery is located at 10910 Katy Freeway and boasts a huge inventory of the highest-quality trees, palms, hedges, shrubs, and other plants custom grown at our Glen Flora Farm ready to thrive in your landscape. Homeowners are buzzing about our incredible selection of trees and plants.