
Are you looking to add a tropical vibe to your backyard? Palm trees are definitely at the top of your list to achieve this aesthetic.
However, the reality is that palm trees may not be accessible where you are. In this case, a more feasible alternative is to look for plants that look like palm trees.
In this article, we compiled 23 plants that look like palm trees for you to choose from.
23 Palm Tree-Looking Plants
Let’s get to know each of them in more detail. Read on below!
1. Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta)
Scientific Name | Cycas revoluta |
Common Name | CycadJapanese sago palmKing sago palmLiving fossilSago cycad |
Height | 0.5 to 2 meters |
Soil Type | Loam (Silt)SandGood DrainageMoist |
Maturity Period | 10 to 12 years |
Climate | Temperate Tropical |
Watering | Every 2 or 3 days |
Country of Origin | Japan |
Landscape Location | CoastalContainerHouseplantsPatioDrought Tolerant GardenRock Garden |
The Sago Palm is a native Japanese plant belonging to the cycad family. This shrub has a long lifespan of over 200 years.
It is also called the “Living fossil” because it dominated the earth for over 100 million years. It has been used as an ornamental plant ever since ancient times.
Although it looks like a palm tree, it is a cone-bearing plant. These grow slowly from 0.5 to 2 meters tall and spread to 1.5 meters.
The Sago Palm has a short thick trunk with a rosette of large arching glossy green and feather-like leaves. Its leaves are feathery with light green spikes and are 0.9 meters long.
It is also dioecious, or either male or female. Male cycads produce a cone, while female cycads produce flowers.
2. Traveler’s Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis)
Scientific Name | Ravenala madagascariensis |
Common Name | Traveler’s treeTraveler’s palmEast-west palm |
Height | 30 to 50 feet tall |
Soil Type | High Organic MatterLoam (Silt)Good DrainageMoist |
Maturity Period | 10 years |
Climate | Sub-TropicalMonsoonal |
Watering | Every two days |
Country of Origin | Madagascar |
Landscape Location | ContainerWinter Garden |
The traveler’s palm is a flowering plant from the family Strelitziaceae. It is easily recognizable with its paddle-shaped leaves arranged like a fan on the top of its trunk.
It is widely cultivated due to its exotic foliage, especially in tropical and subtropical areas.
3. Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
Scientific Name | Chamaedorea elegans |
Common Name | ChamaedoreaCollinia ElegansDwarf PalmGood Luck PalmMiniature Fish Tail Dwarf PalmNeanthebellaNeanthe Bella PalmNeanthe PalmParlor PalmParlour PalmReed Palm |
Height | 2 to 7 feet |
Soil Type | Loam (Silt)High Organic MatterGood DrainageMoistOccasionally Dry |
Maturity Period | 5 to 10 years |
Climate | Tropical Temperate |
Watering | Once or twice a week |
Country of Origin | MexicoHonduras |
Landscape Location | ContainerHouseplantsPatio |
The Parlor Palm is an upright subtropical palm that grows up to 7 feet in indoor environments.
The leaves of the Parlor Palm plant spread out in a drooping form, each having fused terminal pinnae. On the other hand, the base of the leaf’s petiole is thick and fleshy.
The Parlor Palm has a smooth green stem, similar to bamboo, which becomes woody as it matures. Its stem is erect and slender, 3 to 4 inches in diameter.
It’s one of the most sought-after indoor plants because it can tolerate low-light conditions, less watering, and low to medium humidity.
Another great benefit of having the Parlor Palm inside your house is that is can remove indoor air pollutants.
4. Paradise Palm (Howea belmoreana)
Scientific Name | Howea belmoreana |
Common Name | Belmore Sentry PalmCurly PalmKentia PalmParadise PalmSentry PalmThatch Palm |
Height | 10 to 40 feet |
Soil Type | High Organic MatterGood DrainageMoist |
Maturity Period | 2 to 4 years |
Climate | Subtropical |
Watering | Once a week |
Country of Origin | Australia |
Landscape Location | ContainerPatioVertical Spaces |
The Paradise Palm is a flowering tree indigenous to Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands of Australia. It is usually found in hilly rainforests, unlike palm trees that grow along coastal areas.
This plant has prominent fronds that are divided in the midrib into leaflets. Its severe curve leaves give a narrow overall shape to the Paradise Palm, making it fit well in small spaces.
The Paradise Palm grows best in indirect light and fast-draining soil. It can be used in drought-tolerant gardens as a container plant or to cover vertical spaces.
5. Madagascar Palm (Pachypodium lamerei)
Scientific Name | Pachypodium lamerei |
Common Name | Madagascar palmClub foot |
Height | 4 to 20 feet |
Soil Type | ChalkLoamSand |
Maturity Period | 10 years |
Climate | Subtropical Mild temperate |
Watering | Once or twice a month |
Country of Origin | Madagascar |
Landscape Location | ContainersPatiosMediterranean Garden |
The Madagascar palm is a succulent from the family Apocynaceae. This plant thrives in various types of soil and is drought-tolerant.
It has a tall silver trunk with sharp spikes. As a stem succulent, its photosynthesis process occurs through its trunk.
At the top, you will see shiny dark green leaves that grow in clusters. It also produces fragrant white flowers.
6. Chinese Fan Palm (Livistona chinensis)
Scientific Name | Livistona chinensis |
Common Name | Chinese Fan PalmChinese Fountain PalmFountain palmSerdang |
Height | 10 to 30 feet |
Soil Type | MoistWell-drained |
Maturity Period | 3 to 10 years |
Climate | Tropical |
Watering | Once a week |
Country of Origin | JapanTaiwanChina |
Landscape Location | Specimen plantContainer plant |
The Chinese Fan Palm is an evergreen plant native to Japan, Taiwan and China.
The leaves of the Chinese Fan Palm are divided into 75 segments that droop downward, giving a fountain effect to the whole plant.
Its dense canopy of emerald green cascading leaves grows from a smooth brown trunk that reaches between 10 to 30 feet tall.
The Chinese Fan Palm grows best in moist, well-drained soil and full sun. It makes a great specimen plant or container plant in landscapes.
7. Cascade Palm (Chamaedorea cataractarum)
Scientific Name | Chamaedorea cataractarum |
Common Name | Cat palmCascade palmCataract palmMexico Cat palmMexico Hat palm |
Height | 3 to 6 feet |
Soil Type | Loose potting soilHigh Organic MatterWell-drained |
Maturity Period | 2 to 5 years |
Climate | TropicalSub-tropical |
Watering | Once every 5 to 7 days |
Country of Origin | Mexico |
Landscape Location | Container plantSpecimen plant |
The Cascade Palm is usually found in areas with flowing water, originating from Mexico.
This plant is a trunkless clumping palm that can grow up to 6 feet tall, while the glossy leaves of the Cascade Palm form a large dense clump with long thin leaflets.
Its flexible think leaflets and trunkless habit allow the Cascade palm to resist being washed away by flowering water.
The Cascade Palm is best used as a pot plant indoors or in shaded areas in your garden and as a stabilizer for garden banks or ponds.
8. Banana Palm (Musa acuminata)
Scientific Name | Musa acuminata |
Common Name | Banana palmCavendish bananaBanana plantDessert bananaEdible banana |
Height | 12 to 20 feet |
Soil Type | MoistWell-drained |
Maturity Period | 4 months |
Climate | Tropical |
Watering | Once a week |
Region of Origin | Southeast Asia |
Landscape Location | ContainersParksGardens |
The banana palm is a perennial herb indigenous to Southeast Asia.
This plant has a trunk with short stems. Attached to these stems are large, paddle-shaped leaves.
During the blooming season, it produces yellow-green flowers that later turn into yellow banana fruit.
This plant is widely cultivated for banana production and ornamental decoration because of its distinct foliage.
9. Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)
Scientific Name | Dracaena marginata |
Common Name | Dragon treeMadagascar dragon treeMalaysian DracaenaPleomeleRed-marginated DracaenaSong of IndiaStraight-marginated Dracaena |
Height | 6 feet |
Soil Type | High Organic MatterLoam (Silt)Good DrainageOccasionally Dry |
Maturity Period | 10 years |
Climate | Tropical |
Watering | Once every 10 to 14 days |
Country of Origin | MauritiusMadagascar |
Landscape Location | ContainerHouseplant |
The dragon tree is a tropical plant native to Madagascar. It has a single trunk with leaves that grow spirally, and green sword-like leaves that have red edges.
Dragon trees are common indoor houseplants that can survive in low light conditions and do not need constant watering. They are also helpful in purifying indoor air.
10. Bamboo Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
Scientific Name | Dypsis lutescens |
Common Name | Areca PalmBamboo PalmButterfly PalmCane PalmGolden Butterfly PalmGolden Feather PalmYellow Palm |
Height | 20 to 40 feet |
Soil Type | Well-drained |
Maturity Period | 10 years |
Climate | TropicalTemperate |
Watering | Once a week |
Country of Origin | Madagascar |
Landscape Location | Container plant |
The Bamboo Palm is a common tropical plant the originated from Madagascar. It is easily recognizable for its arching compound and pinnate glossy green fronds that arise from its fleshy base.
This plant is also called the “Butterfly Palm” because its leaves curve upwards in various stems, spreading like a butterfly’s wings.
The Bamboo Palm can tolerate high humidity and reduce indoor air pollution as an indoor plant.
11. Cardboard Palm (Zamia furfuracea)
Scientific Name | Zamia furfuracea |
Common Name | Cardboard CycadCardboard PlantCardboard SagoJamaican SagoMexican Cycad |
Height | 0.5 to 1 meter |
Soil Type | Loam (Silt)SandGood DrainageMoist |
Maturity Period | 1 to 3 years |
Climate | Sub-tropical |
Watering | Once a week |
Country of Origin | Mexico |
Landscape Location | CoastalContainerHouseplantsDrought Tolerant Garden |
The Cardboard Palm is a cycad from the family Zamiaceae. It is indigenous to Mexico and Central America’s humid and dry areas.
This plant has a cylindrical trunk with leaves growing from the center. It has compound, round, and pinnate leaves with fuzzy leaflets and serrated margins.
As an indoor plant, the Cardboard Palm is low maintenance and can survive in full sunlight or partial shade.
12. Majesty Palm (Ravenea rivularis)
Scientific Name | Ravenea rivularis |
Common Name | Majestic PalmMajesty Palm |
Height | 10 to 12 feet |
Soil Type | MoistWell-drained |
Maturity Period | 8 years |
Climate | TropicalTemperate |
Watering | Once or twice a week |
Country of Origin | Madagascar |
Landscape Location | HouseplantLawn plant |
The Majesty Palm is endemic to the riverbanks and forests of Madagascar.
The foliage of the Majesty Palm forms a crown of arching leaves divided into long thin fingers. It has a cylindrical brown, grey trunk slightly inflated in the middle.
The Majesty Palm is a great choice for a house or lawn plant. To keep the plant healthy, apply fertilizer with magnesium or a pinch of Epsom salt.
13. Spineless Yucca (Yucca gigantea)
Scientific Name | Yucca gigantea |
Common Name | Spineless yuccaGiant yuccaSoft tip yuccaBue stem yucca |
Height | 30 feet |
Soil Type | LoamWell-drained |
Maturity Period | 7 years |
Climate | Semi-arid |
Watering | Once a week |
Country of Origin | Mexico |
Landscape Location | ContainerHouseplant |
The spineless Yucca is a large succulent indigenous to Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Belize. It thrives in an arid and sandy environment.
This plant is also not part of the palm tree family. It’s actually part of the Asparagaceae family.
The spineless Yucca is a succulent with a single trunk that grows up to 30 feet tall. It has spineless leaves that span up to 4 feet long.
It produces white flowers that turn into fleshy oval brown fruits in summer.
It has become a common ornamental plant because of its tolerance to different environmental conditions and minimal need for care and attention.
Other Yucca plants that also resemble palm trees are the beaked yucca (Yucca rostrata), aloe yucca (Yucca aloifolia), and Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera).
14. Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)
Scientific Name | Rhapis excelsa |
Common Name | Braodleaf Lady PalmFan Tufted PalmLady Palm |
Height | 6 to 15 feet |
Soil Type | Loam (Silt)Good DrainageMoist |
Maturity Period | 4 years |
Climate | TropicalSubtropical |
Watering | Once a week |
Country of Origin | ChinaVietnam |
Landscape Location | ContainerHouseplantShrub border |
The Lady Palm is another evergreen plant that resembles a palm tree, originating from China and Vietnam. It is recognizable for its bamboo cane-like trunk, where its shiny fan-shaped leaves emerge.
During summer, small yellow flowers bloom among its foliage from the Lady Palm.
The Lady Palm is a reliable indoor plant, requiring only indirect light, deep shade, and low humidity. It also thrives in well-drained soil and once a week watering.
This plant can also be used as an accent plant or shrub border in outdoor gardens.
15. Gum palm (Dioon spinulosum)
Scientific Name | Dioon spinulosum |
Common Name | Giant dioonGum palmMexican dioon |
Height | 12 meters |
Soil Type | MoistWell-drained |
Maturity Period | 10 to 20 years |
Climate | TropicalSub-tropicalMonsoonal |
Watering | Once every 3 to 4 days |
Country of Origin | Mexico |
Landscape Location | Indoor plantFocal plantParksGardens |
The gum palm is another palm-tree-looking cycad belonging to family Zamiaceae. It is indigenous to the tropical rainforests of Mexico and Central America.
It’s one of the tallest cycad plants in the world. However, it was recently declared endangered due to the destruction of its natural habitat.
It has a short, stout trunk with feather-like leaves arranged like a rosette. It also produces a 15- centimeter red berry as a fruit.
The gum palm is an outdoor ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical regions.
16. Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis)
Scientific Name | Elaeis guineensis |
Common Name | Oil PalmAfrican Oil PalmMacaw FatObe PalmWild Oil Palm |
Height | 26 to 66 feet |
Soil Type | Loam (Silt)SandClay |
Maturity Period | 2 to 3 years |
Climate | TropicalSub-tropical |
Watering | Once or twice a month |
Country of Origin | AngolaGambia |
Landscape Location | Roadside Tree |
The Oil Palm is a tropical plant native to Angola and Gambia. It is widely cultivated for being the main source of palm oil worldwide.
Upon maturity, the Oil Palm develops a single stem that reaches up to 66 feet tall. It has long pinnate leaves that make up its prominent palm-like fronds.
This tree grows well in tropical and subtropical areas and is best used as a roadside tree in landscapes.
17. Vulcan Palm (Brighamia insignis)
Scientific Name | Brighamia insignis |
Common Name | ŌluluAlulaVulcan palmCabbage on a stickFalse kamaniPalila lokelani |
Height | 16 feet |
Soil Type | LoamSandPotting soilWell-aeratedWell-drained |
Maturity Period | 2 to 3 years |
Climate | Tropical |
Watering | 2 to 3 times a week |
Country of Origin | Hawaii |
Landscape Location | ContainerHouseplantRock Gardens |
The Vulcan palm is a perennial flower plant native to Hawaii. It comes from the family Campanulaceae.
This plant is commonly found in the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau in Hawaii, with dry forests.
The Vulcan palm has a swollen base that is a succulent stem. It develops into a smooth gray bark.
At the top of this plant are rosettes of light green cabbage-like leaves – hence its nickname “cabbage on a stick.”
Unfortunately, the Vulcan palm is endangered due to the loss of its natural habitat, which has been converted into pastureland for raising cattle.
18. Christmas Palm (Adonidia merrillii)
Scientific Name | Adonidia merrillii |
Common Name | Christmas PalmDwarf Royal PalmManila Palm |
Height | 15 to 25 feet |
Soil Type | Loam (Silt)ClaySand |
Maturity Period | 10 to 20 years |
Climate | Tropical |
Watering | Once every 9 days |
Country of Origin | BorneoPhilippinesMalaysia |
Landscape Location | ContainerPatioVertical SpacesWinter Garden |
The Christmas Palm is a broadleaf evergreen plant native to Borneo, Philippines, and Malaysia.
This palm-looking tree has a slender gray trunk that grows up to 25 feet. Its solitary trunk supports the arching shiny green leaves of the Christmas Palm that are 4 to 5 feet long.
During summer, the Christmas Palm blooms small cream-colored flowers in its canopy. These flowers later turn to red fruits during Christmas, hence its name.
Christmas Palms are best used in residential areas as street trees.
19. Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Scientific Name | Beaucarnea recurvata |
Common Name | Elephant foot treePonytail palmBottle palmPonytail plant |
Height | 30 feet tall |
Soil Type | SandGood Drainage |
Maturity Period | 10 years |
Climate | TropicalSub-tropicalMonsoonal |
Watering | Once every 1 to 2 weeks |
Country of Origin | Mexico |
Landscape Location | ContainerHouseplantsPatio |
The Ponytail Palm is an evergreen caudiciform tree native to semi-desert areas of Guatemala, Belize, and southeastern Mexico.
Despite the resemblance, it belongs not to the palm family but to the asparagus (Asparagaceae) family.
The ponytail palm has a swollen trunk that stores water to survive long periods of drought. It also has long green curly, and thin leaves growing on the trunk.
This plant also does not require much care and attention, so it is a common houseplant in Europe.
20. Triangle Palm (Dypsis decaryi)
Scientific Name | Dypsis decaryi |
Common Name | Triangle PalmThree-Ranked PalmTriangular PalmThree-Cornered PalmThree-Sided Palm |
Height | 25 to 35 feet |
Soil Type | ChalkSandLoam (Silt)DryWell-drained |
Maturity Period | 20 to 50 years |
Climate | TemperateTropical |
Watering | Once a week |
Country of Origin | Madagascar |
Landscape Location | Roadside TreeSpecimen plantContainer plant |
The Triangle Palm is a medium-sized tree with a prominent solitary trunk and a three-pointed crown of feather-like fronds. This plant is native to Madagascar.
The name of this plant came from the triangle shape formed towards the top of its trunk, from which its evergreen fronds emerge.
The Tringle Palm grows best in well-drained soil. It can be used as a roadside tree, specimen, or container plant in landscaping.
21. Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
Scientific Name | Strelitzia reginae |
Common Name | Bird of ParadiseBird of Paradise FlowerBird’s Tongue FlowerCrane Flower |
Height | 3 to 5 feet |
Soil Type | Loam (Silt)High Organic MatterGood DrainageMoist |
Maturity Period | 4 to 5 years |
Climate | Tropical |
Watering | Once a week |
Region of Origin | South Africa |
Landscape Location | ContainerPatio |
The Bird of Paradise is a flowering plant indigenous to South Africa. It thrives in warm climates.
It has stiff oblong green leaves with a red-colored rib. These leaves are arranged in two levels, resembling a fan-shaped crown.
This plant is widely cultivated for its crane-looking flowers. It is also low-maintenance, making it a popular ornamental plant.
22. Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta)
Scientific Name | Washingtonia robusta |
Common Name | Mexican Fan Palm |
Height | 50 to 100 feet |
Soil Type | Loam (Silt)SandGood DrainageOccasionally Dry |
Maturity Period | 4 to 12 years |
Climate | TropicalSub-tropical |
Watering | Once a week |
Country of Origin | Mexico |
Landscape Location | Specimen PlantRoadside TreeDrought Tolerant Garden |
The Mexican Fan Palm is a broadleaf evergreen tree which originated in Mexico but has now been naturalized in Texas, Hawaii, California, and Florida.
This tree has a columnar trunk that grows between 50 to 100 feet. A crown of fan-shaped fronds grows from these trunks, reaching 3 to 5 feet long.
Mexican Fan Palms are wind-tolerant, making them a great choice of street tree for lawns with tall houses, buildings, and large parking lots.
23. Royal Palm Tree (Roystonea regia)
Scientific Name | Roystonea regia |
Common Name | Cuban Royal PalmFlorida Royal PalmRoyal Palm |
Height | 66 to 98 feet |
Soil Type | Loam (Silt)SandMoistWell-drained |
Maturity Period | 5 years |
Climate | TropicalSubtropical |
Watering | Once a week |
Country of Origin | Mexico |
Landscape Location | Ornamental treeRoadside tree |
The Royal Palm Tree is an evergreen tree native to Mexico. It has a smooth silver-gray trunk with large glossy deep green fronds.
The trunk of this tree bulges slightly towards the middle, marked with closely spaced rings. The feathery fronds emerge from its smooth green crown shaft, which spreads 10 to 15 feet long.
Royal Palms are ideal as roadside trees or ornamental plants in streets and parks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cycads and palm trees differ in their leaves. Cycads generally have flat blue-green or green leaves, while palms have small and narrow yellow-green leaves.
Yuccas and palm trees are not related. Yuccas come from the Agave family, while palm trees come from the Arecaceae family.
A yucca plant is a cactus that looks like a palm tree. They have stiff and narrow leaves resembling a palm tree’s leafy crown.
These plants often get confused with palm trees: cycads, yuccas, beaucarnias, cordylines, and tree ferns.
Which of these palm tree look-alikes have you seen? Share your photos with us in the comment box below!