Deer Resistant
Drought Tolerant
Cold Hardy
| Hardy Zone: | 6b-11 |
| Cold Hardy: | Yes, 0°F with short drops to -5°F |
| Mature Height: | 4-6' in USDA zone 6-8 |
| Spread: | 4-6' in USDA zone 6-8 |
| Shape: | Shrub |
| Growth Rate: | Slow, approximately 5" a year |
| Sun Preference: | Full Sun to Partial Shade |
| Maintenance: | Easy |
| Water Needs: | Average |
| Soil Preference: | Well Drained |
| Drought Tolerant: | Yes |
| Deer Resistant: | Yes |
The slow growing, multi-trunked, Georgia native that conveniently withstands temperatures down to 0 degrees gives any yard glossy year-round greenery with its full bushy look.
Why Choose a Needle Palm?
If you’ve always desired to have a bit of your own tropical oasis but feel your climate is too cold – meet the Needle Palm. Where many types of palms will wither and die in colder temperatures, Needle Palms continue producing healthy growth and good looks even in temperatures as low as 0°F, and for short periods, -5 degrees.
The palm has a clumping habit, slowly reaching a mature height of 6 to 8 feet wide in hotter climates, however, they are rarely seen getting larger than 6ft tall and wide in USDA zone 6b-8. The large, fan-shaped fronds are glossy dark green on top and silvery on the undersides. Adding to their beauty, the fronds are split into 20 inches long deeply divided segments. The short, stubby trunks are wrapped in brown fiber.
Needle palms make eye-catching specimens, accent plants, ground covers, and even perform well in containers. They survive in moist soils, making them great near pools. Their low-maintenance and problem-free qualities make them great choices for novice or lazy gardeners.
Is it Cold-Hardy in My Area?
Needle Palms hold the distinction of being one of the cold hardiest palms out there. They grow well planted outdoors in USDA zones 6b through 11. These palms are known to withstand winter lows of 0, and in some cases, -5°F.
Of course, if you are expecting an especially brutal cold snap, it’s best to add a little protection to your Needle Palm. Water the palm deeply before the cold weather arrives, which helps insulate the root system keeping it warm. You should also apply a thick layer of mulch over the planting site, which also helps keep the root system warm.
How Big Does It Get?
This slow-grower has a clumping habit and usually grows as wide as it’s growing tall. Needle Palms grow approximately 5" a year and mature to around 4-6 feet tall and wide. This makes them good choices for landscapes smaller in size or reduced areas within the landscape.
How Much Sun Does It Require?
Another bonus about Needle Palms is that it tolerates growing in full sun to partial shade. If your location is hot and dry, especially during summer, the palm will appreciate a location where it receives some shade during the hottest portion of the afternoon.
What About Soil and Water?
Needle Palms grow naturally as understory plants in wet woodland areas, so it tolerates soils that are occasionally wet. However, it will thrive in well-drained soils that are rich in organic nutrients.
Although drought-tolerant once established, water newly planted palms several times weekly for the first couple of months while it establishes itself. Thereafter, you can water weekly. However, the palm is very forgiving if you forget to irrigate.
Is It Easy to Maintain?
You can’t ask for an easier tree to maintain than the Needle Palm. It holds its green fronds longer than the vast majority of palms. This means you might not have to prune off a dead frond other than every couple of years. However, when you do prune wear gloves because of the long, needle-like, blackthorns located at the frond’s base, from which the palm get’s its common name.
If you’re searching for a mess-free, low-maintenance plant then the Needle Palm is right for you. Even pests and diseases don’t pose a problem.
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?
Another bonus about Needle Palms is they aren’t big feeders. You can feed them in early spring and again in summer with a general-purpose blend specific to palms. Always follow label directions on amounts and water in well after applying.
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
United StatesKnowledgeable and friendly staff
Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Love my new Patio Palm (Needle Palm).
United StatesReally happy with the service provided by April.
I was looking to buy a Needle Palm on the internet and was excited to find a company, Atlanta Palms, right in my home town of Atlanta had them for sale. Made a trip to their nursery and was even more excited to find a large asortment of healthy palms in a variety of sizes. Bought 2 of the needle palms, one Silver Saw Palmetto, and three Coonties. Really happy with the service provided by April.
United StatesVery reasonable prices
Very reasonable prices, but the best thing about this place is their knowledge on all things palms. They don’t try to sell you, they educate you on your options based on what you are looking for and provide solutions. Purchased a large mule palm and 2 needle palms- extremely happy and will be buying more palms again.
United StatesRicky and everyone at Atlanta Palms were terrific
Ricky and everyone at Atlanta Palms were terrific from start to finish of our purchase process. They were knowledgeable and asked just the right questions. We are so happy with our new palm and intend to return to get some smaller accent palms!
United StatesTremendous selection, knowledgeable staff!
Tremendous selection, knowledgeable staff! I love my palm trees! I am already thinking about where to put more palms in my yard.
United States10 stars
If I could give this palm nursery 10 stars I would!!! I was searching for a nursery with a variety of palms in Atlanta area since most of the places carry only windmills, their web showed some beautiful palm trees and when I called Ricky was beyond helpful, he is very knowledgeable and took his time patiently explaining me about each tree and what would best work for my landscaping ideas, I even sent him pictures of the yard. When I came over he again took his time showing me around, I never felt rushed, his palms are absolutely beautiful, the prices are affordable and they even offer delivery and installation services. I purchased 4 trees and they were delivered two days later in perfect condition with a very nice crew. Ricky kept me informed every step of the way and even called after the delivery to see if I’m happy with the trees! We are still in a process of changing the landscaping but as soon as we are done I’m definitely going back to get more of those beauties!!!
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.