Coccothrinax argentata aka Biscayne Palm

Coccothrinax argentata is a palm in the Arecaceae family. It keeps its leaves all year. Its names include silver palm and Florida silver palm. Kew lists its native range in parts of tropical America. It includes southern Florida and the Bahamas. It also takes in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The range reaches southeastern Mexico and Colombia too. PACSOA notes wild coastal stands in Florida and the Bahamas.

This small palm grows at a slow pace. Most plants have just one stem. Some grow more stems as they age. Useful Tropical Plants gives a height of 16 feet [5 metres]. It also notes that plants can reach 20 feet [6 metres] or more in time. The slim trunk does not branch. It holds a crown of leaves at the top. Woven fibres wrap the trunk just below the crown. The crown has gaps between its deeply split leaves. Each leaf has narrow parts with tips that droop. The top of each leaf is dark green. The silvery white underside gives the palm its common name.

In the wild, this palm grows in open woods and scrub. Many sites lie near the coast, close to sea level. It grows on dunes and sand over limestone too. Some plants grow farther inland, above the low coastal sites. Its wild soils can be rocky and rich in lime. These sites help show its worth for exposed coastal gardens. PACSOA and Useful Tropical Plants both say it copes with coastal exposure. Its slim trunk and two-toned leaves are its main points of visual interest.

In gardens, give this palm sun and moist soil that drains well. Both growing guides agree on these basic needs. Useful Tropical Plants says it grows in alkaline soil too. Its slow growth is a clear trait in gardens. The accounts give no firm limits for cold hardiness. They do not say what the flowers look like or when they bloom. They give no fruit details and name no specific pest problems.

People weave the tough young leaves into useful goods. They make hats, baskets, and thatch for roofs. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known use for food or medicine. It lists no known hazards either. This does not mean the palm is safe for people or pets.