Sylvester Palms, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida
Sylvester palm, also sold as silver date palm, is a slow-growing, silvery-green specimen palm that handles Southwest Florida's heat, sun and sandy soil and is best as a single focal tree. It carries sharp spines, so site it away from walks, and as a Phoenix palm it is prone to lethal bronzing. Our crew delivers the 6 ft size and field grown palms, sets each at the right depth, braces it, and cleans up.
- Light:
- Full sun
- Water:
- Low once established; best in well-drained sandy soil, though it grows better with regular water
- Salt:
- Moderate to high
Sylvester 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.
| Variety or form | Sizes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sylvester Palm | 6' | The 6 ft size, the smaller of the two, for yards where you would rather start with a more manageable palm and let it grow in. |
| Silvestre Palm | Field Grown | The field grown palm, dug with a larger root ball for more size at planting; it is the same Phoenix sylvestris, spelled the Spanish way. |
Sylvester Palm in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- 30 to 40 ft tall (up to 50 ft in time), crown 15 to 20 ft wide
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low once established; best in well-drained sandy soil, though it grows better with regular water
- Salt tolerance
- Moderate to high
- Cold tolerance
- Very hardy, to about 15 to 20°F, so SW Florida cold is no concern
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Spacing
- 20 ft or more from structures and other trees
- Florida native
- No, native to India
- Botanical name
- Phoenix sylvestris
Where Sylvester Palm works in a SW Florida yard
Sylvester palm is a focal point, not a filler. Its thick, diamond-patterned trunk and arching blue-green to silver fronds look best alone in a sunny lawn, or in a trio of different heights at a lawn corner.
Give it room for a 15 to 20 ft crown, and keep it off walkways and play areas, since every frond stalk carries long, sharp spines. Agave, muhly grass and coontie suit its dry, sunny look at the base.
- Single specimen palm
- Sunny lawn focal point
- Dry, desert-style plantings
- Coastal and canal yards
How our crew plants it
Wear gloves and long sleeves, because every frond stalk is spined. Plant in full sun at the same level the palm grew, and never bury the trunk. Dig two to three times as wide as the root ball in well-drained ground and backfill with native sand. Brace the palm with three or four braces for the first year, and mulch 3 to 4 inches deep, off the trunk.
Extra watering for new plantings is allowed in Lee and Collier; give it every day or two at first, then back off to your assigned days.
Care after planting
- Use an 8-2-12 palm fertilizer with micronutrients in spring and fall; in summer, the Lee County, Naples and Marco Island ban on nitrogen and phosphorus (June 1 to September 30) means switching to potassium, magnesium and micronutrient products.
- Watch for potassium deficiency (yellow-orange spotting and frizzled tips on the oldest fronds), magnesium deficiency (broad yellow bands on old fronds) and manganese deficiency (stunted, frizzled new fronds).
- Cut only fully brown fronds, and never trim green ones for looks.
- Water deeply but infrequently once established; it likes sandy, well-drained ground and sulks in wet spots.
- Ask an arborist about preventive trunk injections if lethal bronzing is active in your neighborhood.
What to watch for
- Lethal bronzing is a major killer of Phoenix palms in Florida, silver date palms included: fronds bronze from the oldest up, fruit drops early and flower stalks blacken, and there is no cure, though preventive oxytetracycline injections can protect healthy palms.
- Ganoderma butt rot, a fungus that rots the trunk base of many palms, has no cure, so a palm with a declining crown and a shelf-like conk near the soil should come out before you plant another palm there.
- Long, sharp spines on every frond stalk can puncture skin and tires, so plant it away from walks, driveways and play areas.
Sylvester Palm questions we hear
How fast does a Sylvester palm grow?+
Slowly. UF/IFAS calls Sylvester palm slow growing, which is why a bigger palm saves you years of waiting. Full sun, regular palm fertilizer and steady water through the first year keep growth moving. A 30 to 40 ft palm takes many years, so choose the size that gives you the look you want now.
Is Sylvester palm salt tolerant and drought tolerant?+
Moderately to highly salt tolerant, and quite drought tolerant once established. It handles coastal breezes and dry, sandy soil, which suits Cape Coral and Fort Myers yards. It does not like wet, poorly drained ground, so avoid low spots that hold water after summer storms.
Can Sylvester palms get lethal bronzing in Southwest Florida?+
Yes. UF/IFAS lists silver date palms among the palms susceptible to lethal bronzing, a disease found in more than 30 Florida counties since 2006. There is no cure, but preventive oxytetracycline injections can protect a healthy palm, so ask an arborist about them if the disease is active near you.
How close to the house or pool can I plant a Sylvester palm?+
Keep it at least 15 to 20 ft from the house, pool cage and walkways. The crown spreads 15 to 20 ft, and the sharp spines on the frond stalks can puncture skin and screens. Plant it where nobody brushes past the trunk, and where the dates it drops will not land on a pool deck.
What is the difference between a Sylvester palm and a Canary Island date palm?+
Sylvester palm is smaller and slower, with blue-green to silver fronds and a narrower crown, while Canary Island date palm grows bigger and fuller on a heavier trunk. Both are Phoenix palms with sharp spines, and both can get lethal bronzing. Sylvester suits smaller yards, and Canary suits larger ones.
How much does a Sylvester palm cost installed?+
Price depends on the size, either the 6 ft palm or a field grown one, and on how easy the site is to reach with equipment, so we text a planted price. Text us your address and what you have in mind, and we usually reply within the hour during the day. Half down holds the palm and a delivery day.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on Sylvester 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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