Hi guys! 

Im new to gardening and I've become obsessed with palms and have purchased Coccothrinax Argentata, C. Miraguama, and Leucothrinax Morissii for my up and coming South Florida garden. I know these palms are well adapted to my region being (near) native but should I add amend the soil in any particular way (i.e. sand) to ensure drainage? Should I mound them? 

Also, while browsing the forums, I saw a comment that mentioned that Coccothrinax dont respond well to fertilizer and watering. Could I get a clarification on this.  And what are yall's fertilizer and watering regimens for Coccothrinax? 

Any other tips are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

 

By all means amend your soil , it will give the slow growing species you have a better start in life. I have some very nice cocothrinax Alta in my garden and most don’t seem to mind the dry conditions growing the same with or without irrigation, but personally by all means water them it won’t do them any harm. As for fertiliser less is best for palms so just liquid feed with seaweed extract now and then it is also a soil conditioner so that will help them out. 

I have a Cocothrinax Barbadensis here in Southern California . It does OK but I really think it would do much better in a subtropical climate. I amend the soil around my palms at least once a year and use a wood chip topping to help the soil stay moist. I also use a bit of EB Stone palm fertilizer (organic) every 2 months or so just to give it the best chance to grow. It is well over 25 years in the ground , doesn’t like winter , but grows steady. Very slow growing palm. My friend has a different variety , not sure which one , a few blocks away and it is about double the size of mine but also about 8-10 years older. Harry

last year . 
Fibrous trunk and stubborn leaf bases

an orange hastula

I have Coccothrinax miraguama,  borhidiana, montana, and barbadensis WAY out of their natural growing zones and feed and water them regularly despite their very slow growth here in this cooler than ideal climate. They respond well to the feeding and watering schedule I have them on. My fertilizer of choice is PalmGain. 
 

In south Florida with a Coccothrinax, you don't need to do anything crazy at all. Especially Miraguama. I put one in the ground last year, and it's in a very hot, unforgiving area with bad soil, and I've only fertilized it with 2/3 cup Florikan 2x since it's been planted and it's done amazing. Probably doubled in size from about 2' to 4'

They love the heat and it seems they also love our wet/dry cycles that are very similar to Cuba.

1 hour ago, RainforestCafe said:

In south Florida with a Coccothrinax, you don't need to do anything crazy at all. Especially Miraguama. I put one in the ground last year, and it's in a very hot, unforgiving area with bad soil, and I've only fertilized it with 2/3 cup Florikan 2x since it's been planted and it's done amazing. Probably doubled in size from about 2' to 4'

They love the heat and it seems they also love our wet/dry cycles that are very similar to Cuba.

Nice! Thats why I chose them! Love the Thrinacinae subtribe! They're tough as nails and so beautiful too! 

How often do you water them , if at all, during our dry season? 

@MC Silver always amend...what kinda soil ya got.

10 hours ago, Rubberboots said:

@MC Silver always amend...what kinda soil ya got.

Thanks! I have sandy soil. I ended up picking a bag of miracle gro palm, cactus, citrus soil. It was the only option at lowes.

Your Coccothrinax should do really well in south Florida without much attention. I’d water them a bit during long dry spells in the growing season and feed them a few times a year but they are pretty hardy.

Whether to amend the soil really depends on your soil. I grow several different species of Coccothrinax and find that they like lots of non organic material. I use a lot of sand and pumice with a bit of organic like compost and coco coir. Adding a bit of slow release fertilizer will help with any doubts about how often to fertilize. Also, make sure the soil is well drained. You don’t want them sitting in water after heavy rains or sitting in water in an area with a high water table. 
Here are a few of my Coccothrinax,

 

 

46 minutes ago, MC Silver said:

Thanks! I have sandy soil. I ended up picking a bag of miracle gro palm, cactus, citrus soil. It was the only option at lowes.

Should work for now...do look for organic options as they have beneficial microbes and bacteria that's great for palm tree health 🤙🏿

9 hours ago, Brian said:

Your Coccothrinax should do really well in south Florida without much attention. I’d water them a bit during long dry spells in the growing season and feed them a few times a year but they are pretty hardy.

Whether to amend the soil really depends on your soil. I grow several different species of Coccothrinax and find that they like lots of non organic material. I use a lot of sand and pumice with a bit of organic like compost and coco coir. Adding a bit of slow release fertilizer will help with any doubts about how often to fertilize. Also, make sure the soil is well drained. You don’t want them sitting in water after heavy rains or sitting in water in an area with a high water table. 
Here are a few of my Coccothrinax,

 

 

Beautiful garden man! Im not into crinitas but those specimens look stunning! Def wanna see an update on how those palms close to the house end up growing!

On 27/6/2025 at 10:48, Brian said:

Tus Coccothrinax deberían prosperar en el sur de Florida sin necesidad de muchos cuidados. Yo las regaría un poco durante las sequías prolongadas de la temporada de crecimiento y las alimentaría varias veces al año, pero son bastante resistentes.

La conveniencia de enmendar el suelo depende del tipo de suelo. Cultivo varias especies de Coccothrinax y he observado que les gusta mucho el material no orgánico. Uso mucha arena y piedra pómez con un poco de materia orgánica como compost y fibra de coco. Añadir un poco de fertilizante de liberación lenta ayudará a aclarar cualquier duda sobre la frecuencia de fertilización. Además, asegúrese de que el suelo esté bien drenado. No querrá que se acumulen en agua después de lluvias intensas ni en zonas con un nivel freático alto. 
Aquí les dejo algunos de mis Coccothrinax.

 

 

Beautiful palm trees, my friend. Very cool🌴🦜🌴🦜🌴💪💪

On 26/6/2025 at 20:19, Jim in Los Altos said:

Tengo Coccothrinax miraguama, borhidiana, montana y barbadensis muy fuera de sus zonas de crecimiento naturales y las alimento y riego con regularidad a pesar de su crecimiento muy lento en este clima más frío de lo ideal. Responden bien al programa de alimentación y riego que les doy. Mi fertilizante preferido es PalmGain. 
 

Beautiful palm trees. Thanks for sharing.

On 26/6/2025 at 16:35, MC Silver said:

¡Hola chicos! 

Soy nuevo en jardinería y me he obsesionado con las palmeras. Compré Coccothrinax Argentata, C. Miraguama y Leucothrinax Morissii para mi prometedor jardín en el sur de Florida. Sé que estas palmeras se adaptan bien a mi región, ya que son (casi) nativas, pero ¿debería añadir algún aditivo al suelo (por ejemplo, arena) para asegurar el drenaje? ¿Debería amontonarlas? 

Además, mientras navegaba por los foros, vi un comentario que mencionaba que las Coccothrinax no responden bien a los fertilizantes ni al riego. ¿Podrían aclararme esto? ¿Y cuáles son sus regímenes de fertilización y riego para las Coccothrinax? 

¡Cualquier otro consejo será muy apreciado!

¡Gracias!

 

 

Imagine, I found myself with stones. I had to dig a huge hole and then fill it with dirt, improving the entire surface for a future palm tree project.