Palms that grow well in sand

[Xhoniwaters1]

What are some palms that don't mind living in pure sand? Beach folk and Florida folk should be able to add to this one. A good reference for growers who can plant a palm in the sand and expect low maintenance. What I have seen in my neck of the woods.. Sabal palmetto, Butia capitata, Sabal mexicana, Washingtonia robust/fillifera, Phoenix dactylifera.

[Mandrew968]

Seashore palm.

[stevethegator]

Many of the Florida/Caribbean natives: Thrinax, Cocothrinax, Leucothrinax, Pseudophoenix to name a few.

Also Serenoa which seems to love pure sugar sand best.

Despite being the quintessential "beach palm", in my experience Cocos nucifera is very succeptible to nutrient deficiency when grown in pure sand in Florida.

[Alberto]

Allagoptera arenaria

[NorthFlpalmguy]

sabal minor, phoenix reclinata

[PalmatierMeg]

Coconut

[fiji jim]

I have planted Bismarck in near-beach sand along with several other palms and it out-grew everything else. Seems to take a beating also as it went underwater, seawater in a cyclone, and then after 2 years has doubled it's size. Also takes much abuse of salty tradewinds.

[redant]

Bizzies are great for the sand with no irrigation.

Edited January 28, 2014 by redant

[Walter John]

Bizzies, Coconuts and Archontophoenix...

[radicalis]

For your area I'd second Serenoa repens, and Allagoptera arenaria if you can cover it in future polar vortices. Acrocomia totai might work too.

I've never grown it, but my understanding is that Dypsis saintelucei grows natively in coastal sand. Like some of the other palms mentioned above, I doubt it would be hardy for you in Pensacola Beach, but might work well for beachfront folks further south.

[_Keith]

What are some palms that don't mind living in pure sand? Beach folk and Florida folk should be able to add to this one. A good reference for growers who can plant a palm in the sand and expect low maintenance. What I have seen in my neck of the woods.. Sabal palmetto, Butia capitata, Sabal mexicana, Washingtonia robust/fillifera, Phoenix dactylifera.

Have you tested to find out how deep the clay base is underneath sand? I remember back in the 80s after a series of storms being shocked to see huge cypress stumps all along the beach in Pensacola. Dredges were brought in to pump sand back on the beach after that. I was not a gardener at the time, but that now brings to mind that the clay may not be all that far down. Or maybe it is. These are the meanderings of an bored mind.

[Xhoniwaters1]

What are some palms that don't mind living in pure sand? Beach folk and Florida folk should be able to add to this one. A good reference for growers who can plant a palm in the sand and expect low maintenance. What I have seen in my neck of the woods.. Sabal palmetto, Butia capitata, Sabal mexicana, Washingtonia robust/fillifera, Phoenix dactylifera.

Have you tested to find out how deep the clay base is underneath sand? I remember back in the 80s after a series of storms being shocked to see huge cypress stumps all along the beach in Pensacola. Dredges were brought in to pump sand back on the beach after that. I was not a gardener at the time, but that now brings to mind that the clay may not be all that far down. Or maybe it is. These are the meanderings of an bored mind.

I am pretty much on a sandbar. I'm sure if you started digging deep you would pull up some very old prehistoric seashells.

[DoomsDave]

I don't live on a beach, but I've had experience with palms that grow in sand. If you leave palms potted in the same potting soil for too long, the humus decays out, leaving the inert ingredients, which includes sand. In other words, if you wait long enough, a potted palm will end up in a pot of sand. (Assuming sand is the main inert ingredient in the potting mix.)

Here are some species that have survived well for me (can't say how they'll take your climate): Ravenea glauca; Dypsis decaryi and madagascarnesis; Allagoptera arenaria.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong. The two Dypsis just croak in my clay.

NOTE: Pure perlite or vermiculate is not the same. Those two media hold water much better than sand does, so if you have a palm happy in pure perlite or vermiculite, it might or might not make it in pure sand.

[mike in kurtistown]

Try Livistona muellerii.