Naples • Collier County
Palm Installation in Naples, FL
Palms define the look of Gordon Drive and Gulf Shore Boulevard, and setting one well is mostly about depth and support. UF/IFAS research on transplanting palms is clear that a palm should go in at the depth it grew in the nursery; too deep and the roots suffocate, too shallow and it never anchors. Hodges braces new palms without driving nails into the trunk, and the bracing typically comes off after about a year, once new roots hold. Species choice carries extra weight here. Lethal bronzing, a fatal palm disease, is present in Collier County, according to Naples Botanical Garden, and the native sabal palm is among its hosts, so a yard full of a single susceptible species is a gamble. Ian's surge in 2022 set a record at the Naples Pier gauge before it failed, a reminder that palms near the water need to tolerate salt-soaked soil as well as wind.
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Where it comes up in Naples
Old Naples
Park Shore
Pelican Bay
Plants and materials that suit it in Naples
Questions
Does lethal bronzing affect what palms I should plant in Naples?
It is a reason to mix species. Naples Botanical Garden reports the disease in Collier County, and UF/IFAS lists sabal among its hosts. Spreading the planting across several kinds of palm limits the loss if one becomes infected.
How long do the braces stay on a new palm?
UF/IFAS says bracing on most species can come off about 12 months after transplanting, once the palm has rooted. Hodges attaches braces with wood pads strapped to the trunk, never with nails driven into it, because palm trunks do not heal over wounds.
How much water does a newly planted palm need?
The root ball should not be allowed to dry out completely until the palm is established, according to UF/IFAS. In practice that means regular deep watering for the first months, adjusted for rain and for your current irrigation schedule.