In Spain there is a great variety of climates both in the Iberian Peninsula, as in the two archipelagos as well as in Ceuta and Melilla. Without leaving the country, you can enjoy gardens dominated by plants that resist snowfall, but also those in which the most sensitive to cold, such as heliconias or alpinias, bloom every year in warmer areas. .
For this reason, it is very easy to have healthy palm trees in this country, since there are also many species that, despite their appearance, are capable of withstanding sub-zero temperatures without being damaged. So that, If you want to know which palm trees to have in a tropical garden in Spain, write down the ones we recommend.
butia capitata (Jelly palm)
Image - Wikimedia / Materialscientist
La butia capitata is a relatively small plant, which reaches a height of 4 to 5 meters, with a trunk about 30 centimeters thick. Its leaves are glaucous green, pinnate, and arched. It produces yellow fruits that can be eaten: its flavor is acidic but pleasant. It has a slow growth rate, but do not worry because as a youngster it is a beauty. It is a species that has to be planted in a sunny place, with fertile soil. Resists up to -10ºC.
Howea forsteriana (Kentya)
Image - Wikimedia / Black Diamond Images
La Kentia It is a palm tree that has been cared for in Spanish homes for a long time. It has long, pinnate, dark green leaves, and it grows very slowly. It adapts very well to indoor conditions, but it is also interesting to have in the garden. It is a plant that exceeds 10 meters in height, and can reach 15 meters, and that maintains its thin trunk, about 30 centimeters thick. The only drawback (which is not really such) is that it needs shade when young, but otherwise you have to know that it resists up to -4ºC.
Jubaea chilensis
Image – Flickr/Scott Zone
La Jubaea chilensis it is a palm tree that grows slowly. But it has a very high ornamental value. It reaches a height of 30 meters and its trunk measures between 80 and 100 centimeters in diameter.. The leaves are pinnate, green, and can measure up to 4 meters long. Certainly, it is not the most suitable to have in small tropical gardens, but it can be great in medium and large ones. It needs sun, and a lot of space. Resists up to -14ºC.
livistona mariae
Image - Wikimedia / Cgoodwin
La livistona mariae It is a garden palm that reaches a height of 25 meters, and its trunk grows up to 45 centimeters thick. Its leaves are fan-shaped, and are red when the plant is young, and green-glaucous when it is adult. It has to be planted in a sunny place, so that it develops well. It resists drought, so it won't be necessary to water it frequently. In addition, it supports frosts down to -6ºC.
Parajubaea torallyi
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- Image - Wikimedia / Rodrigo Mariaca // Parajubaea torallyi in its natural habitat.
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- Image - Wikimedia / Hortiphoto
La Parajubaea torallyi It is a species that reaches a height of up to 25 meters in height, but nevertheless maintains its thin trunk, about 40 centimeters thick. It has pinnate leaves, green in color and up to 3 meters long. He likes the sun to hit him directly, in fact it is something he needs. Likewise, it supports drought and frosts down to -6ºC.
Prichardia minor
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- Image – Wikimedia/David Eickhoff // Pritchardia minor
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- Image - Flickr / David Eickhoff
La Prichardia minor it is one of the few species of the genus that is resistant to frost. It may not be as pretty as the tropical Pirtchardia pacifica, but that doesn't mean it's not pretty. It reaches a height of between 4 and 6 meters, and its trunk is about 20 centimeters thick. It has broad, palmate leaves, green in color. It tolerates direct sun without problem, but from my own experience I advise putting it in a place with partial or semi-shade. Resists up to -3.5ºC.
ravenea glauca
Image - Wikimedia / Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
La ravenea glauca is very similar to Ravenea rivularis, a species that is cultivated more but that is also less tolerant to cold than the one we present to you. It reaches a height of 10 meters, and its trunk thickens up to 20 centimeters. Its leaves are pinnate, up to 2 meters long, and green in color. It lives well both in full sun and in semi-shade, and resists up to -3.5ºC.
Sabal uresan
Image - Wikimedia / Thecoldmidwest
El Sabal uresan It is a palm tree that has fan-shaped leaves, bluish in color when the plant is young and green later on. It grows up to 20 meters in height and its trunk is 40 centimeters thick. It has to be put in a sunny place from the beginning, since it does not live well in shade. Likewise, it is important to bear in mind that its growth is very slow: it will take years before it forms a trunk. But the good thing about it is that it beautifies the tropical garden from the first day, and that it resists frosts down to -9ºC.
Do you know other palm trees that they may have in a tropical garden in Spain? What do you think of the ones we have shown you in this article?