Sylvester Palm (Phoenix sylvestris)

The Sylvester Palm, also known as Toddy Palm, Sugar Date Palm, and India Date Palm, is a tropical flowering Palm Tree native to southern Pakistan, most of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. It is a compact version of the Canary Island Date Palm and boasts gorgeous, deep green to silver-blue tinted palm fronds worthy of any tropical backdrop. 

Its leaf-base can be “diamond cut” all the way up the trunk to form its signature, attractive geometrical pattern. The Sylvester Palm grows flower stalks of sweet sap which is fermented into a “Toddy Palm” alcoholic drink in India. Its fruit is a sweet, rich purple drupe which starts growing rather fast, as far as date trees go.

The Sylvester Palm is high in attractive growth characteristics as well. Cold hardy for a palm, but not quite taking the prize when compared to the snow-loving Windmill Palm, the Sylvester Palm can be grown in zone 8b so long as it is protected from frost. Not only cold tolerant, it is also salt-tolerant in small amounts, and drought tolerant when established. So many reasons to love the Sylvester Palm!