I created a 3×3 man-made island in a shallow freshwater creek that's probably in a zone 10a microclimate, What palm could I plant there, that looks good is.  it has a real nice tree canopy and in next to a huge tunnel that runs under the street plus stone walls around half of the island. The soil is sandy and loamy.

Becarriophoenix alfred...

Arenga engleri or Acoelorraphe wrightii to keep the structure stable.

Ravenea rivularis; Archontophoenix cunninghamiana and tuckeri; Roystonea oleracea or Regia (get HUGE) for starters.

Hmm. I'd go with the Becarriophoenix or a small grove of Acoelorraphe wrightii. Duval is probably a "marginal" z10a. Better safe than sorry.

Whatever palm you decide to put there I would love to see the pictures. As others have already said I agree with Majesty, everglades palm, bec alfredii, etc. Maybe even caryota mitis could work too

He said that there is a tree canopy so I guess the palm will be in shade? Beccariophoenix wants full sun I think. Go for King palms if in shade, zone 10 safe, like shade and grow fast!

Sabal

Something ridiculous that'll draw tons of attention. 

6 hours ago, ck_in_fla said:

Becarriophoenix alfred...

This plus all the others mentioned. Make a jungle. Make sure to add a couple bananas to fill it out. 

Licuala possibly

7 hours ago, John2468 said:

Licuala possibly

Would a coconut or any crownshafts work?

15 minutes ago, Maddox Gardening-youtube said:

Would a coconut or any crownshafts work?

Archontophoenix

9 hours ago, John2468 said:

Licuala possibly

Too cold I think.

Good suggestions above. We definitely need to see this island!

11 hours ago, John2468 said:

Licuala possibly

Yeah, spinosa would like the moisture and canopy cover to look A+. 

Be a trail blazer... I see that Floribunda has Ravenea musicalis on their list. No one else will have that! In 20 years or so, you might be the talk of the town.

Chamaedorea cataractarum

Plant a 1gal of each suggestion and see which ones win 😊

Becariophoenis alfredii is hardy enough and can grow in shade, albeit slower.

Archontophoenix maxima for a thicker trunked king palm.

Mule palm, if you want it to survive twenty years.

 

But won't most palms get waterlogged roots in your mini island?

 

15 hours ago, Maddox Gardening-youtube said:

Would a coconut or any crownshafts work?

Coconut no way. Crownshafts yes

7 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

Chamaedorea cataractarum

Underrated choice. Water lover, cheap and available, look great, practically zero maintenance, very underrated choice. 

6 hours ago, VA Jeff said:

Becariophoenis alfredii is hardy enough and can grow in shade, albeit slower.

Archontophoenix maxima for a thicker trunked king palm.

Mule palm, if you want it to survive twenty years.

 

But won't most palms get waterlogged roots in your mini island?

I still think that if you want something that will eventually make a statement, you can't go wrong with Becarriophoenix alfredi.  These things have the ability to get huge.  I have one that still hasn't begun to trunk.  But the fronds are enormous.  Yes, they do take years to grow to size.  But, these trees make an unmistakable statement that can't be duplicated with any other palm in my humble opinion.

4 hours ago, ck_in_fla said:

I still think that if you want something that will eventually make a statement, you can't go wrong with Becarriophoenix alfredi.  These things have the ability to get huge.  I have one that still hasn't begun to trunk.  But the fronds are enormous.  Yes, they do take years to grow to size.  But, these trees make an unmistakable statement that can't be duplicated with any other palm in my humble opinion.

I have been  mulling this over some more. Coming from 20+ years of landscape design/install I would have to see the picture and space before making a great long term decision.  Sight unseen I would suggest Beccariophoenix alfredii, or fenestralis

3 hours ago, PalmBossTampa said:

I have been  mulling this over some more. Coming from 20+ years of landscape design/install I would have to see the picture and space before making a great long term decision.  Sight unseen I would suggest Beccariophoenix alfredii, or fenestralis

A well grown Becarriophoenix alfredi is a magnificent sight in its own right.  But, in that setting it would be awesome...   The only downside is that it will take a number of years to get there...

 

Curious about the creek. How often does it flood? I'd be concerned about the "island" washing away before the palm could get established. But no photo! This post desperately needs some photos!

On 12/12/2025 at 1:24 PM, Maddox Gardening-youtube said:

I created a 3×3 man-made island in a shallow freshwater creek that's probably in a zone 10a microclimate, What palm could I plant there, that looks good is.  it has a real nice tree canopy and in next to a huge tunnel that runs under the street plus stone walls around half of the island. The soil is sandy and loamy.

Will the island survive the next heavy rain????????

I tend to agree with everyone on the Archontophoenix. I would opt for Cunninghamiana, extra couple of degrees f hardier, and loves wet feet and shade. If the island does wash out, good chance it will still survive with submerged roots.

If you can find a marojejya darinii or a Johannesteijsmannia Altifrons, in the middle of a creek bed it’s bound to have plenty of moisture and humidity along with shade, it’s a microclimate just waiting to happen and begging for such quality palms, and if it floods you just never know your luck!

Like the poster who questioned above about “whether the island will survive the next heavy rain”, I also tend to be pessimistic with regard to long-term success.  Even rock fortification of the island would likely not hold up to mid-term water level fluctuations in rains.  And as someone who lives on a bayou, I can attest in most cases waterways tend to serve not only water drainage purposes, but also pathways of cold air drainage.  Often the affects of this far outweigh the benefits of any heat coming off the water.

I didn't even think about the flooding possibilities. Let alone is it your land or public land? I'd be hesitant to plant anything there that cost me more than $15 or $20 for a whole book full of reasons. 

Hopefully this helps 

 

2 minutes ago, PalmBossTampa said:

Hopefully this helps 

 

We still know our palms better than AI

Calyptronoma Rivalis. They love water, are 10a, unique, and beautiful. 

6 minutes ago, PalmBossTampa said:

We still know our palms better than AI

Finally got a coconut to appear. Im done. Hope its good for a chuckle

I took some pictures it has a really nice microclimate which walls and a vast tree canopy close and far from the ground. I also have a sprouted coconut on the shore of the creek(not on the island). The two sprouted coconut pictures are the same plant

Here are some more pictures of the surrounding area

1 hour ago, Maddox Gardening-youtube said:

I took some pictures it has a really nice microclimate which walls and a vast tree canopy close and far from the ground. I also have a sprouted coconut on the shore of the creek(not on the island). The two sprouted coconut pictures are the same plant

Definitely an Arenga or Acoelorrhaphe. These like wet feet. If you want to go more rare, try Bactris setosa.

On 12/13/2025 at 2:04 PM, Darold Petty said:

Chamaedorea cataractarum

Expletives screamed! 

On 12/16/2025 at 7:07 PM, ryjohn said:

Like the poster who questioned above about “whether the island will survive the next heavy rain”, I also tend to be pessimistic with regard to long-term success.  Even rock fortification of the island would likely not hold up to mid-term water level fluctuations in rains.  And as someone who lives on a bayou, I can attest in most cases waterways tend to serve not only water drainage purposes, but also pathways of cold air drainage.  Often the affects of this far outweigh the benefits of any heat coming off the water.

Never heard the word bayou before so I had to Google it. I also live near a seasonal creek and indeed it lowers the temperature in the surrounding area significantly. Also the humidity obviously, which makes matters worse for sensitive plants.