What kind of palms can grow on beaches

[dimitriskedikogloy]

I’ve always wondered if washingtonias can grow on the beach and specifically on the sand close to the water since clear trunked washis are probably the closest thing to a coconut tree beach in Greece's climate. I’ve seen a beach in the Canary Islands where they had planted washingtonias extremely close to the water and they seemed to thrive. I live right next to the beach and I would really love to experiment with planting these as close to the water as possible (probably not legal so let’s say in theory). Here is a picture of a beach in the Canary Islands 

[SeanK]

I guess they do okay as I've seen them at California beaches as well. 

[Darold Petty]

Not a tree palm, but Allagoptera arenaria is from beachfront habitat.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Here’s a photo of Santa Cruz Beach just south of the SF Bay Area and, as you can see, there are lots of Washingtonia growing in the beach sand. 
 

[DoomsDave]

@dimitriskedikogloy nice to meet you!

Hmm, I wonder if those apparent beach front Washies are actually growing in regular soil under the sand? What do you think @Darold Petty @Jim in Los Altos and @SeanK?

[idontknowhatnametuse]

Here's one growing in the water at Presa La Boca, Nuevo León, México. However, this is freshwater, not salt water.

[Than]

Yeah they do fine. There are some CIDP and also date palms on Nea Makri beach, all.of them straight in the sand. 

[Phoenikakias]

11 minutes ago, Than said:

Yeah they do fine. There are some CIDP and also date palms on Nea Makri beach, all.of them straight in the sand. 

One thing is salt tolerance of root system and another the tolerance of foliage against salt laden wind. I can show to you CIDP s growing in normal soil but too close to shore, which are scorched by the salt.

[Phoenikakias]

Why do all people overlook the humble Phoenix theophrasti and dactylifera? In Stalida in Crete Phoenix theophrasti grows right on the sandy beach. A few cm below surface one can dig with bare hands to sea water. Theophrastus in his book describes how ancient growers used to spread salt around the trunk base of cultivated Phoenix dactylifera as a mean of fertilization.

[Than]

35 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

One thing is salt tolerance of root system and another the tolerance of foliage against salt laden wind. I can show to you CIDP s growing in normal soil but too close to shore, which are scorched by the salt.

Hmmm.. the ones in Nea Makri, 20 m from the water look fine. Or at least they looked fine before the beetle ravaged them. I agree though that dactylifera looks amazing on the sand. It looks amazing everywhere to be fair. A spectacular tree. I wish I had space for it.

[Phoenikakias]

20 minutes ago, Than said:

Hmmm.. the ones in Nea Makri, 20 m from the water look fine. Or at least they looked fine before the beetle ravaged them. I agree though that dactylifera looks amazing on the sand. It looks amazing everywhere to be fair. A spectacular tree. I wish I had space for it.

It depends on direction and speed of the prevailing wind.

[Jim in Los Altos]

7 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

@dimitriskedikogloy nice to meet you!

Hmm, I wonder if those apparent beach front Washies are actually growing in regular soil under the sand? What do you think @Darold Petty @Jim in Los Altos and @SeanK?

Dave, As far as I know, pure sand goes down several feet at that beach. Those Washies are likely growing in pure sand. I’ve seen a couple closer to the water where erosion had washed away sand and exposed a good portion of the palm’s roots. There was no soil to speak of, just sand and pebbles. 

[Than]

6 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

It depends on direction and speed of the prevailing wind.

They don't tolerate winds so well? In Nea Makri it's def very windy

[Phoenikakias]

1 hour ago, Than said:

They don't tolerate winds so well? In Nea Makri it's def very windy

Salt laden winds, that is winds spraying on to foliage directly sea water.

[happypalms]

Well there are a few palms that will tolerate salty conditions. 
livistona Australis, Howea, Hypohorbe, chamearops, Butia and Arecastrum all of these are suitable for planting near the sea! 

[iko.]

Hi,

To answer the original question: Washingtonia robusta performs well in sandy soil and coastal locations. The ones I have seen, show little to no damage from salty winds. In Spain, you can often find these palms growing directly on the beach. Sometimes, so close to the sea that during strong storms their roots may be exposed for weeks or even months until the beach is regenerated again (the council or local authorities bringing more sand). Often, the area is filled first with a different type of soil, but that doesn't seem to be a requirement. Phoenix canariensis tends to show salt and wind damage much faster. For example, many specimens in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are small and have severely scorched leaves. As others have mentioned, Phoenix dactylifera also does well near the sea and in sand. The leaves are tough. 

For anyone curious, the picture OP posted it was taken at a windsurfing and kitesurfing centre next to the Melià Paradisus Hotel in Playa de Sotavento de Jandía, Fuerteventura (Canary Islands). See location here. The original image, actually a TikTok video, was recorded during high tide. Alongside the Washingtonia palms, they’ve also planted coconut trees and Phoenix canariensis, which look surprisingly healthy given their closeness to the sea.

Sorry for the quality of the photo but to give an idea of how this place looks like when the tide is low.

[SouthernCATropicals]

17 hours ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

Here's one growing in the water at Presa La Boca, Nuevo León, México. However, this is freshwater, not salt water.

Not to be off topic, but how is this possible? ☠️

 

Wouldn’t it suffocate? Does the top layer of the ground seal in the oxygen down below? 
 

I imagine the water is seasonal, and it initially rooted when there wasn’t water there. Really interesting

[idontknowhatnametuse]

4 hours ago, SouthernCATropicals said:

Not to be off topic, but how is this possible? ☠️

 

Wouldn’t it suffocate? Does the top layer of the ground seal in the oxygen down below? 
 

I imagine the water is seasonal, and it initially rooted when there wasn’t water there. Really interesting

La Boca is the state of Nuevo Leon's main dam. We had a very bad drought in 2022-2023 that almost completely made the dam dry. That palm is most likely a volunteer. However, the dam is normally full or almost full most of the time. Tropical Storm Alberto in 2024 ended the drought and filled La Boca more than 100% of its capacity. I also asked myself how it still stands.

[Kim]

Another example of Washingtonia growing within the tidal zone -- this screen shot of False Point in La Jolla, California shows 3 palms at sea level at low tide, 2 near the tip of the point and another with a skirt of fans below a white house with a double gable roof. Surely these get drenched with sea water at extreme high tides and during big wave events. 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

18 hours ago, SouthernCATropicals said:

Not to be off topic, but how is this possible? ☠️

 

Wouldn’t it suffocate? Does the top layer of the ground seal in the oxygen down below? 
 

I imagine the water is seasonal, and it initially rooted when there wasn’t water there. Really interesting

Fresh water but ..Washies definitely don't have issues w/ consistently wet feet, .out here at least.  ..or dipping their trunks into the drink, look closely..


Agua Caliente Park, Tanque Verde area of Tucson, 8 / 2021.

[rockinrickyfox]

On 1/13/2026 at 10:05 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Fresh water but ..Washies definitely don't have issues w/ consistently wet feet, .out here at least.  ..or dipping their trunks into the drink, look closely..


Agua Caliente Park, Tanque Verde area of Tucson, 8 / 2021.

yes Washingtonia and brahea are very tolerant of being in water. if you ever have the chance go to a palm oasis here you will see hundreds of seedlings and adults in both standing water flowing creeks. i've went to a few oasis mostly in the cochella valley and one in sonora. these trees spend their whole lives inside water sometimes depending if they germinated on the outskirts or directly inside the oasis. in sonora there was a oasis with mixed brahea and washintonia and sabals and everything was growing directly inside the water or just a short ways outside the water tapping into the very high aquafer, when it rains those trees outside are probably flooded in standing water aswell. and its same in Coachella exept its all filifera you see a hell of alot of grass inside the water but its not grass its all palm seedlings in various stages of growth wet crowns and all. i assume phoenix probalby has a bit of tolerance to this aswell considering they're also an oasis palm.

[rockinrickyfox]

on the other hand they are surprisingly tolerant of just sitting in the open desert after a business goes under never irrigated again. just accepting what the rain gives them and if they are lucky whatever might wash off the road. if they are near a road. i always notice that the highway becomes a oasis of itself out in the desert. its fascinating how palo verde and mesquite and grasses just follow the highway and just outside is creosote and ocotillo and cacti. some environments are improved by the presence of our human constructs.