Paurotis Palms, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida
Natural-looking screens and wet or low spots are the paurotis palm's territory: this clumping Florida native, also called Everglades palm, grows well in Southwest Florida where other palms struggle. A cluster of slender trunks carries fan fronds at different heights. We stock 15 and 25 gallon clumps and field grown clumps of 11 to 16 ft, planted by our crew.
- Light:
- Full sun to part shade
- Water:
- Moderate to high; likes consistently moist ground and tolerates standing water, not drought
- Salt:
- Moderate; takes salty breezes but not salt water flooding
Paurotis 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 |
|---|---|
| Paurotis Palm | 15 Gallon, 25 Gallon, Field Grown 11'-16' |
Paurotis Palm in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- 15 to 30 ft tall, clump 10 to 20 ft wide
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate to high; likes consistently moist ground and tolerates standing water, not drought
- Salt tolerance
- Moderate; takes salty breezes but not salt water flooding
- Cold tolerance
- Hardy to about the low 20s; frost rarely hurts it in SW Florida
- Growth rate
- Slow to moderate
- Spacing
- 10 to 12 ft on center for a screen
- Florida native
- Yes, native to South Florida
- Botanical name
- Acoelorrhaphe wrightii
Where Paurotis Palm works in a SW Florida yard
Paurotis palm suits naturalistic plantings: a loose clump at a pond edge, a screen along a back fence, or a low corner that stays wet after rain. The slender trunks stand at different heights, which gives a layered look no single-trunk palm can match.
Sabal palm, saw palmetto and wax myrtle make good native companions, and coontie finishes the ground layer.
- Native multi-trunk screen
- Wet or low yard spots
- Pond and swale edges
- Natural-style plantings
How our crew plants it
Set clumps at the depth they grew, level with the soil. Dig the hole twice as wide as the root ball and backfill with native soil. Brace field grown clumps for the first year, and space clumps 10 to 12 ft apart for a screen.
Under Lee and Collier rules, new plantings can be watered extra, so keep the soil wet at first, then taper.
Care after planting
- Keep the soil moist; paurotis tolerates standing water better than most palms but declines in long dry spells.
- Palm fertilizer (8-2-12 with micronutrients) goes on in spring and fall; between June and September, Lee County, Naples and Marco Island ban nitrogen and phosphorus, so use only potassium, magnesium and micronutrient blends.
- Watch for manganese deficiency, which frizzles new fronds, especially in alkaline soil near foundations.
- Remove only fully brown fronds, and wear heavy gloves because the frond stalks are spiny.
What to watch for
- The frond stalks carry sharp spines, so keep clumps off walkways, play areas and pool decks.
- UF/IFAS notes paurotis grows poorly on alkaline soils, where manganese and iron deficiency show as stunted, yellow, frizzled new growth, so avoid spots beside foundations and limerock fill.
Paurotis Palm questions we hear
Is paurotis palm a Florida native?+
Yes. Paurotis palm, also called Everglades palm, is native to South Florida and grows naturally in wet, low ground in the Everglades region. That makes it a good fit for natural-style yards, wildlife plantings and wet areas, and birds eat and spread its black fruit.
Can paurotis palm handle wet soil and salt?+
It handles wet soil well, including occasional flooding, which most palms do not. Salt tolerance is moderate: it takes salty breezes, but it will not survive standing in salt or brackish water. That makes it a good choice for freshwater pond edges and low spots that collect rain, and a poor one for the tide line.
How far apart should I plant paurotis palms for a screen?+
Space clumps 10 to 12 ft apart, center to center, for a screen that knits together as the clumps widen. Field grown clumps of 11 to 16 ft give you height right away, while 15 and 25 gallon clumps start smaller and fill in over several years. Keep clumps 10 ft from walls and walkways because of the spines.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on Paurotis 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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