Stay in the know about wildlife, water quality, and ecosystems on Sanibel and Captiva Islands and in Southwest Florida
Meet the Natives: Florida Silver Palm
The Florida silver palm (Coccothrinax argentata) is listed as a threatened plant species in the state of Florida.
Silver palms are very slow growing, and it can be difficult to determine an individual’s exact age. One study that monitored two silver palms in Bahia Honda State Park found the trees had an average growth rate of only 1.85 inches per year.* Using this equation, a silver palm planted in the Bailey Homestead garden, which is about 50 inches tall, is approximately 26.65 years old.
“The silver palm, with its narrow leaves and slow growth rate, is petite next to our native Florida thatch palm (Thrinax radiata),” said SCCF Native Landscapes & Garden Center Assistant Sue Ramos.
The fronds of the silver palm have deeply divided, narrow palmate leaves that split close to the leaf shaft, and they hang down around the palm almost like a skirt. They get their name from the silver-y hue found on the underside of each palm frond.
“This silver color is exposed when the wind blows the soft leaves around making an interesting addition to the landscape,” Ramos said. “Silver palms can also do well in a pot, given their slow growth rate. It would be an interesting addition to a deck or rock garden.”
Learn more about or purchase a silver palm at SCCF’s Native Landscapes & Garden Center at 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL.
This species does well in our region’s nutrient poor and high pH soils. It is salt tolerant and drought tolerant after it has been established.
“The silver palm’s threatened status, slow growth rate, and small stature places it on the SCCF staff list of favorites,” Ramos said.
Silver palms are also the larval host for the monk skipper butterfly (Asbolis capucinus).
*The Palmetto, Summer 1994 ‘How Old is a Silver Palm’ by Daniel B. Ward and Robert T. Ing