Installed Pricing & Spacing · Updated 2026
Areca Palm Privacy Hedge
The tallest living privacy wall in SW Florida — a soft, tropical screen that grows past 20 feet. Here is what it costs installed, from starter rows to instant 8-foot walls.
When the problem is a two-story house looking down into your pool, no shrub fixes it — you need height, and that means arecas. An areca screen is a row of clumping palms that knits into a feathery golden-green wall 15, 20, even 30 feet tall. No fence permit, no flowers to clean up, no roots heaving your deck.
We install areca screens every week across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Naples, and the pricing below is exactly what we charge: per plant, delivered and planted, at 4 feet on center. The per-foot column does the math for your lot line. Buy small and wait, or buy the field-grown 8-footers and be private before dinner.
Areca Screen Pricing by Size — Installed
Per-foot figures assume 4-ft on-center spacing (7-gallon and up). All prices are delivered & planted.
| Size | Installed / Plant | ≈ Per Linear Ft | Privacy Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Gallon (~2–3' tall)Budget rows (plant at 3' o.c.) | $52 | ~$13/ft | Screen in ~3 years |
| 7 Gallon (~4–5' tall)The value standard | $128 | ~$32/ft | Screen in 18–24 months |
| 15 Gallon (~6–7' tall)Fast privacy | $245 | ~$61/ft | Screens in about a season |
| 25 Gallon (~8' tall)Resort-style walls | $455 | ~$114/ft | Near-instant |
| Field Grown 8'Private the day we leave | $450 | ~$113/ft | Instant screen |
Delivery & install orders carry a $1,500 plant minimum — any real screen clears it. Volume discounts start at 10 plants; trade pricing for contractors.
Example: 80-Foot Rear Lot Line
An 80-foot rear line at 4 feet on center takes 20 palms. In 15-gallon — tall enough to matter on day one — that is 20 × $245 = $4,900 installed, before the volume discount a 20-plant row earns. In one growing season the gaps close; in two, the neighbor's second story is gone.
What to Know Before Planting an Areca Screen
Give the row room: arecas grow 5-8 feet deep at maturity, so set the line at least 4 feet off a fence or cage and expect it to fill. Water is the whole game the first 90 days on our sand — new rows need irrigation reach or a hose commitment, and reclaimed-water schedules handle them fine after establishment. Feed spring and fall with a proper palm blend; yellowing arecas in Cape Coral are almost always hungry, not sick (see the fertilizer schedule, including the Lee County summer blackout).
Salt exposure is the one honest limit: arecas take canal-lot conditions well but burn in direct open-water spray — that is clusia territory. If you are between the two, read the clusia vs areca vs podocarpus comparison or send us a photo of the line.
Areca Hedge FAQ
How much does an areca palm privacy hedge cost per foot?+
At 4 feet on center, installed arecas work out to roughly $32 per linear foot in 7-gallon, about $61/ft in 15-gallon, and about $113/ft for an instant field-grown 8-foot wall. Delivered and planted — plant, truck, crew, and cleanup included.
How many areca palms do I need per foot of fence line?+
One plant per 4 feet for 7-gallon and larger (a 60-foot line takes about 15). Small 3-gallon starters go tighter at 3 feet on center. We confirm counts with a free on-site measurement.
How tall does an areca screen get?+
Twenty to thirty feet if you let it — the tallest soft screen you can plant in SW Florida short of bamboo. Most owners hold them at 12-15 feet with a once-a-year trim, which still clears any two-story window next door.
Are arecas messy or invasive near pools and fences?+
No invasive roots — arecas are clumping palms, safe along pool cages, fences, and seawalls. Maintenance is pulling dead canes and cutting seed strands once or twice a year. They do drop some leaflet litter, so we set them a few feet back from screen enclosures.
Clusia or areca — which privacy hedge is better?+
Areca if you want height and a soft tropical wall fast; clusia if you want a dense, formal-ish, salt-proof hedge with the least maintenance. We compare them line-by-line (with podocarpus) in our comparison guide — and honestly steer people on site based on the lot.
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Send your lot-line length or just your address — free measurement, plant count, and a written installed price within 48 hours.