Hello everyone! I am new here! I found this while looking for good palm choices for outdoors in Morris County. I am having some issues with a neighbor and some nosiness. I wanted to get a few palms to put outside. I can't full sun until about 3:00 pm. I do have the option of moving them inside in my basement which is warm and I can set up lights and a humidifier. I've kept plants down there before that's not an issue. But I was looking for some good choices that will do well from now until about September until I have to move them in. 

If anyone has a list of good palms that would work to help give a little coverage that's also price friendly, I'd really appreciate it! I don't mind paying for one or two larger palms but since I'm going to need that least  four to six price-friendly would be appreciated. You so much!

Easiest and cheapest option would be the larger (7 gallon) majesty palms, available at every home depot across the country. They generally run less than $60 each. Being 6-8 feet tall and fairly dense, you will need to place their black plastic pots into decorative heavy ceramic pots to keep them from constantly blowing over outside.

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

@Plantasmagoria welcome to PalmTalk! I'm guessing you mean NJ, right?

If you need something reasonably dense, a common choice is Dypsis Lutescens, commonly called the Areca Palm. The new name is Chrsalidocarpus Lutescens, so you might see any combination of names. They will easily cluster to be pretty dense, take full sun and part shade, and can be grown in pots pretty well. They are not hardy below freezing, and will take variable leaf burn down to around 25F before culms start dying. By the lower 20s they'll burn to the ground, but regrow quickly in the spring. It's definitely not a winter survivor in NJ but ok inside with lights. But you can grow dense clusters and chop off any stems that get unmanageably tall.

Another idea (if in mostly shade) is the "Cat Palm," Chamaedorea Cataractum. It's smaller than Areca and looks similar, and is similar in hardiness. But it doesn't like a lot of direct afternoon sun. So if your spot gets blasted in the afternoon it might not be happy there.

Lady Palm (Rhapis Excelsa) is a common potted palm too, but generally pricey and might not be a good visual block. It's a lot hardier than the above, taking 22.5F at my house with zero burn.

All palms are susceptible to spider mites inside. Abamectin is a common suggestion here, if you have issues.

A good palm for nosiness might be Caryota mitis. My whole experience is just 6 months but it seems to be a fast grower with multiple trunks and large, dense fronds.

Chamaedorea cataractarum is graceful, dense, and commonly available. Not sure how much it’ll enjoy full outdoor sun. (I’m experimenting with that this year!)

Sabal palmetto in oversized pots will also work like a hedge. Those humongous leaves definitely block the view and they’re very easy, but slow.

On 5/20/2026 at 1:41 PM, Plantasmagoria said:

looking for good palm choices for outdoors in Morris County.

Since you have a basement I’m guessing we’re talking Kansas or New Jersey, not Texas, but if TX then you could consider planting out Sabals to avoid overwintering.