How to Grow Palm Trees From Seed

Palm trees in a landscape.

Palm trees are planted in home landscapes for their exotic appearance. Their large leaves on top of a branch-less trunk remind you of a vacation in a faraway land. Growing palm trees from seed is an inexpensive way to add these wonderful trees to your lawn. You can have a palm tree just about anywhere you live. There's even a species of the mostly tropical palm tree that grows as far north as Canada.

Things You'll Need

• Palm tree seeds
• Seed medium
• Plant pots

Instructions

1. Select seed according to the type of palm you want to grow. Purchase seeds that are fresh, healthy and that have the fruit cleaned away from the seed. It's important to purchase the seed from a reliable source because the age and type of storage can affect the germination of the palm tree seed. Place the seed in water to test its freshness. Discard any seed that floats. Only the seed heavy enough to sink will germinate.

2. Soak seed in water from one to seven days. The amount of time will depend on the size of seed. Small seed need to soak one to two days, medium seed three to five days, and large seed six to seven days. Leave palm tree seed in water until it's full of water. Change the water daily.

3. Wash the pot before filling with medium. Pots are better to use for seeds than flats because of the soil depth and better drainage. Purchase the medium for growing palm tree seed at a garden center. It should be a peat moss and perlite mixture with good drainage but some water-holding capacity.

4. Plant seed in a pot filled with medium. The depth depends upon the size of seed. Put palm tree seed at a depth equal to the diameter. A seed ½ inch in diameter is planted at a depth ½ inch below surface of the medium. Don't plant seeds touching; put a small amount of space between seeds.

5. Transplant palm tree seedlings into a larger pot after they have developed two leaves. The seedlings need to be planted just deep enough so that the root system begins at the soil surface. Do not remove the seed if it's still attached to the seedling. Instead, plant palm seedling so the seed sits on surface of soil. Keep transplant in shade. Keep soil moist but not wet.

6. Move palm tree to a larger pot as it grows. Do this until the palm tree is large enough to plant in the landscape.

Tips & Warnings

• Small palm tree seeds germinate in one to two weeks but large seed can take up to a year.

• Over-watering the palm seed can cause it to rot.

• Do not fertilize the palm tree seedlings.

References

• University of Florida Extension: Palm Seed Germination
• Floridata: How to Germinate Palm Seeds

Resources

• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Palm seed germination