SYLVESTER PALM

 We offer Free Delivery Within a 50-mile radius of Lakeland, Florida (All other delivery fees will be quoted at time of purchase), and a One-Year Guarantee on every tree planted by The Tree Planters.

Note From Joel

“At one time the Sylvester Palm was a great replacement for the much more expensive Canary Island Date Palm. Because of a disease that has infected the Phoenix Canariensis we no longer sell them with a guarantee. We do however offer our usual one year guarantee for these Sylvesters. We have found a farm that has been enoculated very early in growth and has not shown any disease in the field or what has been transplanted. These are magnificent specimens, with big fat trunks and large dark green heads. It has the same general look, although not nearly as grand as the Canary Island Date Palm. The Sylvester is easy to handle and grows fairly fast. You want to always have us put a ‘diamond cut’ or a ‘spiral cut’ on your tree. The pictures provided show the difference.”

Scientific name: Phoenix sylvestris
Common names: The Sylvester Date Palm is also known as Sugar Date Palm, India Date Palm, Silver Date Palm, and Wild Date Palm.

Family: Arecaceae

Origin: It is native to India.

Appearance: It has a lot of similar characteristics with True Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera). It has a solitary robust trunk, with interesting diamond pattern created by leaf scars. The Sylvester Date Palm requires some maintenance trimming old dead leaves that tend to make “skirt”. Trunk is swollen at the base, about 13-18 inches in diameter.

Without crown shaft 90-100 large pinnate, feather-shaped, leaves emerge at the top of the trunk. Leaves are about 10-15ft long, silver or blue-green color, slightly curved, with 100-120 sharply pointed at the end leaflets. Leaflets are 1-1.5ft long by 1-2 inches wide and arranged in groups of 2 or 3, often cross-crossing. Petioles have are about 3ft long, armed with long spines.

Growth Rate: Moderate. Phoenix Sylvestris is a fast growing palm that can get up to 50-60 ft tall and 10-15 ft wide.

Cold Tolerance: Phoenix Slvestris is a cold hardy palm that can tolerate cold down to 15F. It grows best in the USDA Zones 8b (15 to 20 F) to 11 (above 40 F).

Light Req: Full sun to Partial shade.

Water Req: Moderate. The Sylvester Date Palm can withstand a drought for a short period of time. Grows best in moist but well drained soil.

Maintenance: Easy. The only thing this palm requires is some trimming to avoid “skirt” of old dead leaves. To prevent nutritional deficiency, apply good quality palm fertilizer that has continuous release formula twice a year during growing season.