Coconut Palm Not for Las Vegas Permanently

Q. My son gave me a small coconut tree in a pot for Mother’s Day. I waited about 2 weeks before I planted it in a bigger pot. I’ve put it on the patio that faces west so it’s hot in that location. How can I help this coconut thrive in the desert?

A palm is a nice Mothers Day gift but you cant keep it unless you are in south Florida or live in the tropics.

A. You can’t. This isn’t the tropics. It can handle our heat but not our cold temperatures.  It can’t thrive here even if it survives the freezing temperatures of our winter. The biggest problem it faces, besides surviving the winter, are the cool spring and fall months. Extended periods of cold below 45° F causes permanent damage to a coconut palm.

This coconut fell from a palm into this water in the Philippines. It germinates easily if temps are warm enough.

            Coconut palm is truly one of the tropical palm trees. You will find coconut palms in Hawaii and southern Florida but it’s even too cool for coconut palms in Southern California so we seldom see them there.