Palm trees are ubiquitous in California and other states with a warm climate. Although they are beautiful trees, some homeowners find them to be a nuisance because they require routine maintenance when they get too large. The good news for these homeowners is that it is possible that their trees could be sold for hundreds to thousands of dollars.
If you want to sell your large palm trees, first you need to figure out if it is feasible to remove the tree. Some neighborhoods and cities have ordinances against removing large trees so it may not be worthwhile to sell your tree and be slapped with a large fine. You need to find out if there are any such rules where you live. If the tree is in an area that is not very accessible to a crane then it would be impossible to remove. Also if the tree is too close to any structures or power lines then it may be hazardous.
Next you should find out if your trees are worth anything. Take a photo of the trees and figure out what species of palm they belong to. Phil Bergman of Jungle Music Palms & Cycads has a great guide to the various palm species of Southern California and their values. Most people have the common variety of Mexican Fan Palm, and they usually do not have resale value because a digger's labor in removing such a tree outweighs the value of the tree.
If you do have a possibly valuable palm tree that you have the right to remove, start searching for a reputable nursery or palm digger in your area and get some quotes on how much you can get. You could also post photos of your trees on a site like Craigslist to see if there are any offers. Chances are you will not get the retail price for your palm tree since the digger needs to remove the tree, market it, sell it, and also transport it. You should get references from the nursery or digger to see that they are experienced in palm removal and that they are insured since there could be accidents in removing a large tree.
Unfortunately, palm trees are not selling extremely well now since they are part of landscaping and the real estate industry is currently not so hot. However, large trees take years to grow and there is still a market for them. If you are tired of maintaining your palm trees, it does not hurt to see if they are worth anything. You could end up a little richer and save much more in future tree trimming costs.
There are often many overlooked items people own that may be very valuable to others. Ebay comes to mind for this very purpose. We have to constantly rethink our corner of the world and the things in it, complacency is the enemy. If you don't want it, or need it, see if someone else does.
Now that being said, I'm still trying to find a buyer for the dandelions in my front yard.
This is very common to see in the area I live in (Bay Area)
Some people who build large houses want immediate landscaping.
Palm trees are popular as well as very old olive trees!
We have a neighbor who paid $10,000 per palm. Wow.
I HAVE 4 MEXICAN FAN PLAM TREES. 2 ARE ABOUT 9FT TALL AND TWO MORE 20FT TALL. MUST MOVE! SELL FOR GOOD PRICE CALL ME ONA GILMORE 510-943-2274
hotels and golf courses also buy them. retail prices for some of the canary palms can be several hundred dollars per foot so if you have a good 20 foot palm it could be worth several thousand.
We have lovely palms in our front garden, and we got offered in the region of $1500 if my memory is right. They are the only good think about our front yard so I'm glad we kept them, but it was interesting to know!
My company is Palm Professionals and we actually make our living buying and selling palms from homeowners. Alot of people list them online in websites like www.ips.com and www.sellapalm.com . There is also a good article on whether your palm tree is worth money and tips on selling it at www.sellapalm.com/sellmypersonalpalmtreehelp.aspxd
So, if your laughing about selling your tree, you could be missing out on extra cash
I have several very exotic palms I would like to sell please contact me on the email or my cell phone 562-243-6131 thank you
