Low Growing Palm Trees: What Are Some Short Height Palm Trees

Short Height Palm Trees
dwarf palm
(Image credit: OlyaSolodenko)

Small palm trees are an excellent and versatile addition to a yard. Miniature palm trees are generally defined as being under 20 feet (6 m.) tall, which in terms of palms is really quite short. Within this category there are two types of palm trees: small tree and bushy. Each has its own uses and comes in many varieties. Read on to learn more about these types of palm trees.

Low Growing Palm Trees

Small palm trees that grow up from a single trunk are excellent for front yard garden beds because they have such small root balls. You can plant small palm trees close to your house and avoid the damage to your foundation another tree’s roots might cause, while adding an interesting extra level of height to your landscape. So what are some short height palm trees? The following palms all reach heights under 12 feet (3.6 m.) at maturity:

Palms that grow between 15 and 25 feet (4.5-7.5 m.) include:

Bushy Types of Palm Trees

Many palm trees feature underground trunks or low-to-the-ground clustering branches that give them the appearance of a bush and make them excellent ground cover or property dividers.

  • The Serenoa repens palm has a trunk that grows horizontally with dense leaves that give it a bush-like appearance. It usually reaches heights of 6 feet (1.8 m.).
  • The Sabal minor grows in the same way but gets no taller than 5 feet (1.5 m.).
  • The Chinese needle and dwarf palmetto are both short, slow-growing groundcover palms with fanning leaves.
  • Coontie palms reach only 3-5 feet (0.9-1.5 m.) in height and take on the appearance of small, manageable bushes.
  • The Cardboard Palm is a close relative with many small, broad leaves and a nearly unnoticeable trunk.

Now that you know a little more about low growing palm trees, take advantage of their short features and add one or two to your landscape.

Liz Baessler
Senior Editor

The only child of a horticulturist and an English teacher, Liz Baessler was destined to become a gardening editor. She has been with Gardening Know how since 2015, and a Senior Editor since 2020. She holds a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers.