Palm Trees

Palms are one of the world’s most useful plants.  From fruit production to fiber, they are part of the diet of millions of people worldwide.  Palms vary from tropical to desert, from frost sensitive to very cold hardy.  At Whitfill’s we specialize in desert varieties and grow thousands of palms at our farms in southern Arizona.

Mexican Fan Palm-- A fast growing, thin, fan palm that reaches a height that few palms reach.  A tall, graceful palm that sways with the breeze.  This is a solitary fan palm that can reach 80-100' in height with a spread of 10'. Fronds are 4-6' wide and are bright green. The fronds remain on trunk after dying, but when cut away reveal a handsome brown trunk.  Native to California’s desert making it drought tolerant once established.
California Fan Palm-- A stout fan palm that is easy to grow, cold hardy, and ideal for inland arid areas.  Stately and distinctive, the California fan palm is one of the most widely grown palms in subtropical climates. California fan palm can grow 60’ tall with a crown spread of 15’. The massive gray trunk is barrel-shaped and ringed with old leaf scars, and may reach over 3’ in diameter at its widest point. California fan palm can have up to thirty gray-green fan-shaped leaves, each 3’-6’ across.  Drought tolerant.
Fruiting Date Palm--The most important palm in the history of mankind.  Large suckering palm tree reaching  up to 80’ tall with up to 25’ spread and a  trunk of up to 2’ in diameter.  Grey green feather-like fronds with a small flowering large hanging spray which turns into dates.  Requires moderate watering.
Pygmy Date Palm-- The small size of this palm make it perfect for residential landscapes.  A feather y palm that reaches up to 10' high and 10’wide.  Fronds measure 3’-5’ long and are a dark, glossy green color with a soft texture.  This is one of the most widely used palms in all of the United States.   Requires regular watering.
Canary Island Date Palm --Large stately palm with a dominant overall size.  Slow growth up to 60’ tall with a 30’spread and a trunk up to 3’ in diameter.  Feather like spiny leaves.  The lower leaflets as for most date palms are transformed in long spines.  Dates are ornamental.  Requires moderate watering.
Bismarck Palm--Up to 50’ tall with a 20’ spread.  Generally smaller trunk  12”- 18” in diameter.  Mature trees have dark gray trunks, smooth with leaf scars, immature trunks still have old leaf base with 2’ long petioles divided at their base.  10-25 silvery blue green fan fronds up to 10’ across, with woolly wax on the underside and filaments between the segments.  Requires regular watering.
Queen Palm-- Solitary feathery palm. Slow growth up to 50' high with a spread of 25'. Soft, full appearance of this palm makes it a popular choice for many landscapes. Glossy green fronds measure 10-15' in length.  Requires regular watering.
Mediterranean Fan Palm--This palm can withstand extreme cold, heat, wind, poor soil, and seashore conditions. Mediterranean Fan Palm is a slow growing, medium size fan palm. Palm clumps readily and can reach 20' high with a 15' spread.  Fronds are 2-3 feet across and are blue green. Trunk is covered in brown matted hair that persists.  Palm can also exhibit drought tolerance once established.
Mexican Blue Palm-- Solitary palm tree, growing slowly up to 40 feet tall. Gray, smooth trunk  18" inches in diameter with leaf scars.  25 to 30, glaucous, blue grey, costapalmate leaves, divided in 40 to 60 leaflets.  Drought resistant, needs good drainage
Pindo Palm-- Attractive feather palm with long graceful blue/gray fronds that arch and recurve towards the ground from atop a thick stout gray trunk. Slow growth up to 15'.    The blue-green color of the fronds along with this palms' cold hardiness make it a superb choice. This is a feather palm that can reach 10-15' high with a 12-15' spread. Fronds measure 4-6’ long and are a blue-green color. The flowers of this palm are followed by small, yellow, edible fruits that can be used to make jelly.  Drought and frost tolerant.  Requires regular watering.