Last Updated on January 14, 2022 by Grow with Bovees
Planting or growing palm trees on your property offers myriad benefits, most notably a tropical landscape look, and the fact that they improve air humidity.
But since most palm tree species require a fair bit of expertise to grow from seed, and over 70 days to just sprout, you’re probably wondering how much does a palm tree cost if you buy from a local gardening center.
Short answer is that the cost of a palm tree depends on the species, its age, and of course where you buy it from, but to give you a rough idea could be anywhere between 100’s of dollars to $10,000+.
Common Species of Palm Trees and Costs
Before revealing the cost of a palm tree, it’s a good idea to understand the common types of palm trees suitable for your yard, so that you can pick the right tree at the right price.
Royal Palm Tree
Royal palm trees stand out from the other species for their quintessential tall structures such as the ones you see along the streets of Southern Florida or California. This species is either classified as the genus Roystonea or Roystonea regia, both in simple terms imply royalty.
In regard to growth, a Royal palm tree caps out at approximately 100 feet (30.48 m), and its green fronds can spread up to 25 feet (7.62 m) wide. Growing these from seed is a bit tricky, because this particular species is prone to disease and mineral deficiency, but they are relatively hardy.
One of their key traits is that they grow quickly, but are only a good choice for planting around larger properties, owing to their massive size.
Cost of Royal Palm
The cost of a Royal palm is greatly influenced by its height, and can be anywhere between $200 to $250. But some experts claim that a few Royal palms sell for more than $10,000, which equates to roughly a $100 per foot of trunk. You can even buy seeds if you’d like to grow from scratch, and sell the mature trees for a handsome profit. It may take a while though.
Parlor Palm – Indoor Palm Tree
Also known as the Neanthe Bella Parlor Palm, this attractive little plant originates from Central America, and can grow to well over six feet tall with proper care. Ideal as an indoor palm tree, it is sometimes referred to as bamboo palm for its bamboo like stems that spread like bamboo.
Cost of Parlor Palm Tree
Parlor palms are available at your local gardening stores and at online marketplaces, and carry price tags ranging between $40 to $100+.
Kentia Palm
If you aren’t one of the lucky ones to live in a tropical climate, yet would like to add a tropical look and feel to your home, Kentia palm is a great choice. Native to Lord Howie Island in the South Pacific, Kentia has typical large palm-shaped leaves, and can grow up to an impressive 40 feet (12.19 m) tall.
Cost of Kentia Palm
The cost of a Kentia palm is approximately $250 per trunk square foot. Trees in this range generally measure up to 14 feet (4.27 m) in height, and offer instant tropical landscape for your property.
Pygmy Date Palm
A small pygmy date palm will start from around $50 for a specimen in a 10 inch pot.
Foxtail Palm (Butia capitata)
While it may look delicate, this palm is actually quite sturdy.
Its shiny, pointed leaves lend an air of elegance to any room, and it will tolerate any temperature between about 15 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.78 °C), as long as there is plenty of sunlight.
Of course, since these palm trees grow very slowly, it may take decades to get to this point, but don’t lose hope: just be sure to keep it well-watered, and it will outlast you.
How Much Does A Foxtail Palm Cost?
A specimen in a pot of around 12 gallons (45.42 l) will set you back more or less $200.00
Bottle Palm
Bottle palms are incredibly popular houseplants, since they look good and require very little maintenance to thrive.
If you love the look of a tall, elegant plant but you don’t want to deal with the mess and the maintenance that comes from having one, then this is the perfect plant for you. It is a smaller, more compact version of the real thing that you can place almost anywhere in your house.
How Much Does A Full-Grown Palm Tree Cost?
As mentioned earlier, the cost of palm trees complete with roots vary, where a fully grown, and healthy tree can cost approximately $15,000+. The cost may or may not include shipping and landscaping, which can easily add a few hundred dollars to the total bill.
If you wish to sell your homegrown palm, it may be worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars. But there are few things to check out when deciding to sell your palm tree such as if it’s feasible to move the tree along with its root ball, as some neighborhoods and cities have ordinances against moving large palms.
Common varieties such as the dwarf palm and Mexican fan palm usually don’t have any resale value, so you’re probably going to end up spending more in palm tree removal costs than the actual value of the tree.
What Is the Best Growing Zone for Palm Trees?
With their tropical climate and sandy beaches, Florida and Hawaii are popular destinations for palm trees.
But they can be grown almost anywhere, as long as there is plenty of sun and warm weather.
People are familiar with images of the species that grow on tropical islands, but did you know that not every palm tree is a coconut palm?
In fact, only around 2% of palm species are tropical, growing on tropical islands like the Philippines.
The rest of them, like the ones that you see growing in Hawaii, are instead subtropical or even temperate.
While this might seem surprising, many can be found growing in Florida or California in the United States, or in parts of Europe and Canada.
The cost of a fully grown palm depends mostly on the species you’re interested in. Outdoor species are generally priced higher than indoor trees, but you can expect to spend anywhere between $10 and upwards of $1000 for matured specimens with large trunks.
There are a few factors to consider before when shopping for a palm tree including your budget, number of palm trees required, whether they will live indoor or outdoors, type of palm trees, and how high you’d like them to grow.
For example, if you grow a large species, then you can expect to pay between $10 and $50 for a small tree.
But a tree that’s at least four and six feet in height will cost you between $100 to $500+.
However, if you want the California glamour that fully grown palm trees provide, the prices can run between $500 to $2000+.
What Is The Average Cost Of Care for an Outdoor Palm Tree?
Apart from the cost of buying a palm tree, there is more to the cost of palm tree care. Palms require regular trimming with the correct tools, aka pruning, to keep them both attractive and safe.
There are several key reasons to prune palm trees including removing sprouts from the base of the trunk, removing dead and dying leaves to encourage new growth. etc.
Unless you know what you’re doing, pruning palm trees requires professional help, with landscape companies charging between $45 and $950, with the average being $75.
To give you a better idea on the cost of pruning small palm trees that measure between 10 to 15 feet in height is approximately $60 to $70 for each tree.
For extra large palm trees that stand 50 feet+ tall, the cost of palm tree trimming is around $300 to $600, owing to labor and equipment costs.
In terms of the best time to prune palm trees, there’s no specific time of year to get the task done, but the right time to trim is when the trees look like they need it.
You should be really sure that you do want an expensive palm tree on your property, as if you change your mind later, a high cost to remove palm trees could possibly come as a shock, especially if you have a larger tree that you need taking away.
How Long Does It Take for a Palm Tree to Grow?
Most species of palm trees typically take between four and six years to grow from seed to their highest. Then there are certain palm tree species that can take two to three years just to reach one foot in height.
If you’re looking to have a palm tree planted in your yard, it’s recommended that you buy one that is at least one to three years old, as starting from seed can be a bit challenging.
You should also consider what is the best time of year to plant the tree that you are planning on growing.
Final Thoughts On How Much Does a Palm Tree Cost
Palm trees are a great addition to your yard, but can be costly depending on the species you choose. The cost of these tropical highlights depends on several factors including the type of palm you’re buying, its size, and the nursery you’re purchasing from.
While a palm tree can cost anywhere between $15 to $45 for a three-gallon tree, larger trees taller than 10 feet can cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.
When checking palm tree cost, you also need to consider the cost of upkeep, which can run into hundreds of dollars for a single tree.