Pemba Palms, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida

Pemba palm, a slender feather-leaf palm named for Pemba Island off East Africa, is best for warm yards near the coast that want a tropical accent or a row of palms for screening. Ours are field grown at 10 to 12 ft, so they arrive with real height. It is cold-tender, so frost protection matters inland.

Light:: Full sun to part shade
Water:: Regular; keep evenly moist, since it wants more water than the drought-tolerant palms
Salt:: Low to moderate; keep out of constant salt wind

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Pemba Palm

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Pemba 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
Pemba Palm	Field Grown 10'-12'

Pemba Palm in SW Florida, at a glance

Mature size here: 15 to 25 ft tall with an 8 to 12 ft crown spread
Light: Full sun to part shade
Water: Regular; keep evenly moist, since it wants more water than the drought-tolerant palms
Salt tolerance: Low to moderate; keep out of constant salt wind
Cold tolerance: Frost-tender: fronds burn around 30 to 32°F and a hard freeze can kill it; coastal Lee and Collier is usually fine, but protect it inland on frost nights
Growth rate: Moderate to fast
Spacing: 6 to 10 ft apart for a screen
Florida native: No, native to East Africa
Botanical name: Dypsis pembana

Where Pemba Palm works in a SW Florida yard

Plant Pemba palms singly as a tropical accent beside a patio or entry, or in a staggered row for a graceful, airy screen along a fence or property line. The arching fronds look best against a plain wall or a green backdrop, with bromeliads, ginger or coontie at the base.

Give them 6 to 10 ft between plants, and keep the crown off roofs and screen enclosures.

Tropical accent palm
Row or screen planting
Entry and patio corners
Instant height, field grown

How our crew plants it

Field-grown palms this tall need good anchoring. We set each at the depth it grew, with the top of the root ball at or slightly above grade, and backfill with native sand and no soil against the trunk.

Bracing stays on for 6 to 12 months while new roots grow. We water in well, and Lee and Collier allow extra watering on new plantings.

Care after planting

Feed three times a year with an 8-2-12 palm fertilizer that includes micronutrients, timed outside the June 1 to September 30 fertilizer ban in Lee County, Naples and Marco Island.
Watch for yellow-orange flecking, yellow banding or frizzled new fronds, signs of potassium, magnesium or manganese deficiency that palms in this group show quickly.
Keep the root zone evenly moist and mulched, especially through the dry season.
Cover young palms with frost cloth on nights forecast near freezing, particularly inland.

What to watch for

Cold is the main threat: leaves burn near freezing and a hard freeze can kill the palm, so inland plantings in Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers and Port Charlotte need frost protection.

Pemba Palm questions we hear

What is a Pemba palm?+

Pemba palm (Dypsis pembana) is a slender, feather-leaf palm from Pemba Island off East Africa, and a relative of the areca palm. It is a warm-climate palm used for tropical accents and screens in Southwest Florida. Ours are field grown at 10 to 12 ft, so they arrive with real height.

Will a Pemba palm survive a freeze in Cape Coral or Lehigh Acres?+

It is cold-tender. Fronds burn around 30 to 32°F, and a hard freeze can kill the palm. Cape Coral and coastal Lee usually stay warm enough. Inland spots like Lehigh Acres and North Fort Myers can see frost, so cover young palms on those nights.

How far apart should Pemba palms be planted for a privacy screen?+

Space Pemba palms 6 to 10 ft apart, center to center, in a staggered row so the crowns overlap into a graceful screen. Palms screen mostly at the crown level, so add a lower hedge or shrubs if you need privacy near the ground. Keep crowns off roofs and screen enclosures.

Updated October 2026