Cat Palms, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida
Cat palm is a clustering palm with feathery, arching fronds that stays 4 to 8 ft tall, and it does well in Southwest Florida in shade and part shade where moisture holds. It is best for courtyards, poolside beds and low screens. It wants steady water and shelter from cold, hot afternoon sun and salt spray.
- Light:
- Part shade preferred; tolerates more sun with extra water
- Water:
- Regular; keep it evenly moist but not soggy
- Salt:
- Low; salt spray and pool-water splash burn the fronds
Cat Palm sizes we deliver and plant
Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.
| Plant | Sizes |
|---|---|
| Cat Palm | 3 Gallon, 7 Gallon |
Cat Palm in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- 4 to 8 ft tall and 4 to 6 ft wide
- Light
- Part shade preferred; tolerates more sun with extra water
- Water
- Regular; keep it evenly moist but not soggy
- Salt tolerance
- Low; salt spray and pool-water splash burn the fronds
- Cold tolerance
- Fronds burn around the low 30s°F, so give it shelter; coastal Lee and Collier are usually fine, and inland yards should cover young plants on frost nights
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 3 to 4 ft on center for a hedge or screen
- Florida native
- No, native to southern Mexico
- Botanical name
- Chamaedorea cataractarum
Where Cat Palm works in a SW Florida yard
Cat palm fits shady courtyards, poolside beds, and the north or east side of the house, where a full, clumping palm softens a wall. Planted 3 to 4 ft apart it forms a low screen. Pair it with bromeliads, philodendron and ginger for a layered tropical look.
Keep it out of hot, reflected sun, and back from the pool edge, since chlorinated splash burns the fronds.
- Shady courtyard planting
- Poolside clump palm
- Low palm screen
- Patio container palm
How our crew plants it
A shady, moisture-holding spot is half the job. Dig twice as wide as the root ball, keep the top of the ball at grade, and mulch 2 to 3 inches off the stems. Keep the root zone moist daily at first and taper to your assigned days, using the extra watering Lee and Collier allow for new plantings.
We set it and clean up.
Care after planting
- Keep the soil evenly moist and mulch heavily, since cat palm comes from stream banks and browns quickly when dry.
- Feed with a slow-release palm fertilizer with micronutrients, about 8-2-12, in spring and early fall, because yellowing fronds in our sandy soil usually mean magnesium, potassium or manganese is short, and skip it from June 1 to September 30 under the Lee County, Naples and Marco Island ban.
- Cut only fronds that are fully brown, and clear spent flower stalks.
- Rinse salt or pool chemicals off the fronds, and keep sprinklers from soaking the crown.
What to watch for
- Spider mites can speckle and yellow fronds in dry, dusty or sheltered spots such as lanais, and a regular rinse with water keeps them down.
- A cold night in the low 30s burns the fronds, so shelter it under a tree or roof edge.
Cat Palm questions we hear
Can cat palm grow in full sun in Florida?+
It can, but it prefers shade or part shade. In full sun the fronds yellow or bleach unless the soil stays consistently moist, and afternoon sun is the worst. Plant it on the north or east side or under a canopy, and water it more often if it gets sun.
Is cat palm safe to plant near a pool?+
Yes, it is a popular poolside palm because it stays small and clumps, but chlorinated water and salt burn the fronds. Plant it a few feet back from the edge, in shade, and rinse off splash. Keep leaf litter out of the skimmer.
How cold can a cat palm take?+
Fronds burn around the low 30s°F, so cat palm is a zone 10 plant. Coastal Lee and Collier usually escape damage, and a spot under a tree or roof edge helps. Inland, cover young palms on frost nights and wait until spring to trim burned fronds.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on Cat Palm
Tell us what and how many. Quinten prices it from the nursery's live list and texts you back, usually within the hour during the day.
Only need the plant delivered, no planting? It is on our nursery's list at Palm & Plant Co.
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