A popular landscape element around golf courses and destination hotels, the Sylvester palm brings the luxury of resort living to home gardens.
The tree is notable for its large, bushy crown. Comprised of as many as 100 fronds in mature specimens, the leaflets are long, fluttering and blue-green to silver in color. Leaf scars ringing the distinctive trunk create an attractive and symmetrical diamond-shaped pattern. Sylvester palms are slow growing but can eventually reach a height of 50 feet or more with a canopy 10 to 15 feet in diameter. The Sylvester is also known as a sugar date palm. The blossoms mature into small, purple-black “dates” that are edible, sweet and single-seeded.
The Sylvester palm is resistant to both salt air and cold temperatures, making it feel right at home near ocean views. Plant your new Sylvester palm in uniformly moist, well-drained soils and make sure it receives moderate to direct light. This hardy palm needs little care. Simply prune away old fronds to maintain the clean appearance of the trunk. Take advantage of the large crown and use the Sylvester as a shade palm on sunny lawns. Indoors, the Sylvester makes a statement in open atriums or glass-enclosed porches.