Deer Resistant
Drought Tolerant
Full Sun
Cold Hardy
| Hardy Zone: | 7b-11 |
| Cold Hardy: | Yes, down to 15° and 10° for a short duration |
| Mature Height: | 15-25' |
| Spread: | 10-15' |
| Shape: | Tree |
| Growth Rate: | Fast, approximately 2 to 4' a year |
| Sun Preference: | Full Sun |
| Maintenance: | Easy |
| Water Needs: | Average |
| Soil Preference: | Well Drained |
| Drought Tolerant: | Yes |
| Deer Resistant: | Yes |
Hybrid cold-hardy palm tree with arching feathery fronds that withstands temperature drops to 15°F, fast-growing, thrives with minimal care, and works well in larger landscapes as well as near the pool.
Why Choose a Mule Palm?
The majority of feathery-leafed palm trees are sensitive to freezing winter temperatures and won’t grow long-term in northern landscapes. However, this isn’t so with Mule Palms, as they stand up to temperatures down to 15°F.
Coconut Palms are the poster child of warm tropical beaches with their fronds blowing in the breeze. However, Mule Palms are like small Coconut Palm imposters. You get all of the Coconut Palm’s good looks but at a smaller size and without the sensitivity to moderately cold temperatures that reach 15°F.
The single-trunk palm is a hybrid. It’s the result of cross-breeding between Queen Palm and Pindo Palm. In fact, it gets its common name Mule Palm because the fruit produced is sterile just like a mule.
Trees can grow up to 20-25 feet tall and with a spread of around 15 to 20 feet when in USDA zone 7b-8. The gray curving trunk sports brown leaf scars adding to the tree’s interest. Its graceful canopy is filled with arching fronds covered in a mass of flowing green leaflets giving them a feathery appearance. Each frond can grow up to 10 feet long, adding to the tree’s tropical appeal.
Mule Palms are attractively utilized as specimens, accent plants, or mingle with other plants adding to a tropical design. They even look fabulous when planted near a pool or body of water.
Is a Mule Palm Tree Cold-Hardy in My Area?
Mule Palms are hardy growing in USDA hardiness zones 7b through 11. Making it the largest feathery frond palm to withstand temperatures in cooler areas.
Mule Palms are hardy growing in USDA hardiness zones 7b through 11. Making it the largest feathery frond palm to withstand temperatures in cooler areas.
Mule Palms withstand temperatures down to 15°F, and brief temperature drops of 10°F. However, you might want to give the palm a bit of protection before extreme cold weather arrives. The fronds suffer greatly if an extreme temperature event hits your otherwise moderately cold area. Please be advised that although the palm may survive, the fronds will likely turn brown.
You can insulate the roots and help keep them warm by saturating them with water and adding a thick layer of organic mulch over the planting site the day before cold weather arrives.
Covering the palm with a sheet or burlap and stringing holiday lights throughout the canopy also help keep the Mule Palm warm.
How Big Does a Mule Palm Tree Get?
Although Mule Palms produce fast growth (a rate of 2 to 4 feet per year), they average up to 20-25 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide when in USDA zones 7b-8.
How Much Sun Does a Mule Palm Require?
Mule Palm trees grow well in a variety of light conditions from full sun to partial shade.
What About Soil and Water?
The palm grows well in a variety of well-drained soils from sandy to clay. The main importance is that the soil drains and doesn’t remain soggy.
Water newly planted palms twice weekly while it establishes itself in the planting site, which can take several months. Thereafter, and depending on local weather conditions, water weekly. However, the Mule Palm won’t punish you if you forget.
Is a Mule Palm Tree Easy to Maintain?
If you don’t want to spend your free time out in the yard taking care of a fussy plant, then a Mule Palm tree is the right one for you. Their maintenance needs are very low and they aren’t bothered by any major pest or disease problems.
Other than giving it a seasonal feeding, you’ll only have to trim off any fronds once they become brown and are completely dead. Wait until the frond completely dies before removing it as the palm is still gaining nutrients from it.
Although palms are relatively easy to care for yourself, we encourage our professional maintenance service 3 times a year. We offer the Perfect Palm Maintenance Service with only the best products and professionals for your palms.
What About Fertilizing?
You can prevent any nutritional deficiencies by fertilizing the Mule Palm in spring and again in late summer with a well-balanced blend specific to palm trees. Follow label directions on amounts and always water the product into the soil after applying.
Mule Palm Trees for Sale Near Me
If you are looking for a fast-growing, cold-hardy palm tree, the mule palm is a great option. You can find mule palms for sale near you from Atlanta Palms. We are a leading provider of palm trees in the Atlanta area. Contact us today to learn more about our mule palm trees for sale.
Q: Do you deliver?
A: We deliver within a 60 mile radius of our Alpharetta, GA nursery location. We offer two pricing tiers for delivery. For delivery up to 30 miles from our Alpharetta, GA nursery location the cost is $95. For delivery 31-60 miles of our Alpharetta, GA nursery the cost is $195. For potential delivery beyond 60 miles, please call us at (770) 400-9897.
Q: Do you install?
A: Yes. However, we currently only install in the greater Atlanta area. Installation cost varies by product. Once you place your products in the cart, it will display delivery and installation costs. We only install AtlantaPalms.com palm trees and plants. Installation requires delivery by us.
Q: Do you offer a warranty?
A: Yes
Perfect Palm Guarantee™: We guarantee you will receive healthy, high quality palm trees and plants. If you're not satisfied with the health or quality of your purchase within the first seven (7) days of receiving your plants, please give us a call at (770) 400-9897 or email us at support@atlantapalms.com so we can make things right!
60-Day Warranty: Atlanta Palms offers a free 60 day warranty on all plants and trees. If your plant dies during the 60 day warranty, please give us a call so we can discuss a one-time replacement. Replacement plant shipping cost, taxes, delivery, and installation is at the customer's expense.
Purchase a 2-Year Extended Warranty
We also have an extended warranty option on most items available at checkout.
Plants and trees are subject to the forces of nature and may not survive due to extreme drought or temperature extremes. We offer a two-year warranty to ease the worry of these acts of God and protect you from loss. At checkout, you can easily add a two-year warranty to any or all of your plants for an additional fee (determined at checkout).
This is a two-year, one-time replacement warranty. Shipping costs, taxes, delivery, and installation are at the customer’s expense. We do require you to submit a photo to verify that your plant has not survived. Once we have verified your claim, we will issue a store credit to order your replacement.
In order for our trees and plants to thrive they require adequate watering, fertilization, and suitable planting conditions. Neglect or purchasing plants that are not suitable for your growing zone void our warranty guarantee. Submitting a warranty claim is easy. Simply give us a call at (770) 400-9897 or email us at support@atlantapalms.com.
Want to add our 2-Year Warranty to an existing order?
Contact us within 7 days of receiving your order and we will get you set up!
Q: Do you accept returns?
A: All sales are final. We do not accept returns of plants and trees.
We do accept returns of non plant and tree products within 60 days of receipt. Shipping and delivery fees are non-refundable.
Q: What payment methods do you accept?
A: We accept all major credit cards and cash.
Q: What are your hours of operation?
A: Monday - Friday: 8:30-5:00 / Saturday: 9:00-2:00
Q: How often should I water my palms?
A: Newly planted palms should be watered 3-4 times a week for the first month or until the root system is established. The amount of water used depends on the size of the palm. Make sure you water thoroughly to make sure the bottom roots receive water at every watering. The amount of water per palm may range from 2 gallons for small containerized material to 15 gallons for larger palms. Make sure the soil is draining correctly, adding sand to the soil mixture allows water to drain more effectively. Overwatering or bad drainage can cause permanent damage to the roots over time. Placing mulch over the roots can help with water retention. Use caution not to allow the mulch to touch the base of the palm, otherwise it can cause it to rot.
Watering varies depending on the time of year and the outside temperature and weather. Here is a guideline for how much to water in any given season:
Winter: (60 degrees or less) no need to water, except for the first 30 days after installation.
Spring: (75 degrees or less) water palm once a week.
Beginning of summer: (90 degrees or less) 2-3 times a week.
Heat of summer: (90 degrees and above) 4-5 times a week.
Palms in a container or Pot: Palms in a container or pot need more frequent watering than those in the ground. 1-3 times a week depending on the season and weather.
Q: When do I apply fertilizer to my palm tree?
A: Newly planted palms should not be fertilized until they put out a new spear. Apply fertilizer only during the growth season (between April 1 and August 1).
Q: It is a good idea to correctly support larger, newly planted palms?
A: Some large palms will require bracing to maintain stability during the first eight months after installation. Three equidistantly-spaced braces are used to support the palm. If Atlanta Palms installs your palm tree, we will handle the bracing.
Q: When should I prune my palm tree?
A:The only time you should prune your palm tree is when the fronds are discolored, broken or pointing to the ground at more than a 90 degree angle with respect to the trunk. Palms get most of their energy from their fronds, so it’s important to be careful not to remove too many, especially if they are still partially green.
Q: Why are drip irrigation systems preferable to sprinklers?
A: Both drip irrigation and sprinklers are good irrigation systems for your palm trees. Drip irrigation is designed to have deeper saturation into a specific area. Sprinklers (spray irrigation) will only saturate the top 3-5 inches per watering cycle whereas Palms root balls are 2-3 feet deep and require a deeper water saturation to develop new roots. Newly planted palms can suffer root loss in deep water saturation especially during the hotter and drier summer months.
Customer Reviews
Excellent trees and service.
Atlanta Palms has the best, healthiest Palm tress I’ve seen. They were easy to do business with and the installation was excellent. I highly recommend them.
United StatesGreat Company, Great Trees
We are thrilled with our new 20' Mule Palm. We shopped around and are so glad we chose Atlanta Palms. Ownership (Ricky) and staff (Ethan, Willie, etc.) all genuinely put the customer first and are knowledgeable and passionate about palms. Excellent communication beginning to end - and gorgeous trees. 2 of our neighbors have already asked for referrals!
United StatesExcellent Experience
We bought a 12-ft Mule palm, two European palms, and three Sago palms from Atlanta Palm. The entire experience from our initial visit with Ethan to our return/purchase visit with Ricky, to the installation was all great. We had a minor issue with one of the Sagos and they came out immediately and resolved it. Great service.
United StatesBeautiful Palm Trees
The trees are beautiful and adds a lot of architecture beauty to the landscaping. Excellent Customer Service! JR.
United StatesBeautiful
Very beautiful tree! Great customer service!
United StatesEnjoying my Palms
Atlanta Palms delivered and installed 2 Mule palms by our pool. They look fantastic. The service from Atlanta palms was great. they delivered and installed when expected, and were very respectful of the property, cleaning up everything before they left, and explaining in follow up emails what I need to do for the first few months to ensure the health of the trees
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