windmill palms

Other plants we have or landscape elements like ponds.

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yard e
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Location: michigan

windmill palms

Post by yard e »

Have been growing bamboo for several years,and although i will continue,im looking for something more tropical. Looking at the windmill palms, and hardiness rates at zone 6. I'm in metro detroit, and am wondering if anybody in zone 6 has grown these. Would love to have one ,but am skeptical. I've seen the needle palms, but not exactly what i'm looking for. If anybody's got any feedback i would be grateful.
johnw
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Re: windmill palms

Post by johnw »

A couple of weeks ago a fellow sent me this note on hardy palms;

"In extensive tests over the last ten years here in the middle Atlantic states the claim that the ‘Bulgaria’ strain is hardier has proven to be false. In our lab tests all Trachycarpus leaves suffer massive intracellular freezing at about +5°F except the strain sold by Kathy Denton of Pungo Palms Nursery in Virginia Beach Virginia as T. takil. It seems to be the general consensus that her strain is in fact T. fortunei var. ‘Nainital’. Our lab tests indicate intracellular freezing in this strain at slightly below 0°F. The hardiest palms by far are Rhapidophyllum hystrix and northern strains of Sabal minor. In our tests R. hystrix suffers massive intracellular freezing at -15°F and the eastern North Carolina strains of S. minor at -6°F."

Some people manage to get the T. fortunei through the winter here but that involves surrounding the trunk and tops with bales of 6 cu.ft. peat. I suspect they will give up if the palms make it to 6-10ft! As well they don't look very nice after repeated snowload damage before the cold even arrives; then there's wind. For me they are suicidal plants - one solitary growing tip which, if it freezes out, is dead as a nit.

Maybe if you found a very protected courtyard in the centre of downtown a Naintal just might make it. The Rhaps and Sabals are hopelss here as we do not have enough heat for them to replace damaged foliage. Maybe Paul in Ontario will chime in, he's the palm guru.

Here's one that wintered in the province, our low last year -12c.

johnw
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Trachycarpus fortunei RB.jpg
johnw coastal Nova Scotia
utahraptor
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windmill palms

Post by utahraptor »

I am in 6b. I planted 3 types of cold hearty palms a few years ago. One of the. Was the windmill. The only one o the three that has thrived is the Sabal minor. The wind mill died the first winter. The other one is small and spiky. I am no sure what kind it is, but it is just sort of hanging on with little net growth.
yard e
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Re: windmill palms

Post by yard e »

Thanks for the info. Maybe someone out there has a success story?
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needmore
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Re: windmill palms

Post by needmore »

Success with needle palms but have killed every trachycarpus I've tried...
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
tncry
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Location: Prince Edward Island Canada - Zone 5

windmill palms

Post by tncry »

I'm trying to overwinter a needle palm for the first time this year. Not at the cottage in PEI but at my house in New Brunswick (zone 4b). I don't have high hopes. By I obviously do have zone denial. I lost my Musa basjoo last year. I guess that's why I bought another one? Zone denial at it's finest.

TC in PEI
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needmore
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Re: windmill palms

Post by needmore »

Here'z a photo that won't show much..a couple of needle palms, the larger on the left (just in front of a native yucca) has maybe doubled or more in size over 2 years, the smaller one on the right hiding by the Sasaella bitchuensis not so much. ..
nplm.jpg
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
Alan_L
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Re: windmill palms

Post by Alan_L »

Brad -- what species is that Yucca? It's so hard to tell the species apart.
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needmore
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Re: windmill palms

Post by needmore »

Dunno...it is whichever one is native here, they are quite common never heard which 'tis.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
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JD_z7a_NJ
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Re: windmill palms

Post by JD_z7a_NJ »

Here is a link to my Flickr page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndiorio/

I have some shots in there of some South Jersey, zone 7a palms. The key for Trachycarpus is to plant them as close to a foundation or southern exposure wall as possible with at least a few hours of direct sun. I would protect anything under 3' tall overwinter. My dad has a Trachy on the south side of his house that has been there for about 20 years now. I have about 15 in the ground here. Sabals MUST have full sun and shelter from winter winds north of zone 7b. The key for sabals is summer heat and moisture. I mix crushed shells into the soil when planting, this is what the giant coastal NC and variety 'Louisiana' grow in and they seem to do very well with it. Rhapidophyllum hystrix does very well up into maybe at least zone 6a. It can take shade and actually looks better when grown in shade, but it will slow down the growth rate. Also does needs some wind protection. Again my dad has a huge clump that he has had in the ground for about 20 years which has never been protected. I highly recommend "pushing" all with fert. as much as possible and protecting for the first few winters until they become established. I do grow a few others too but they probably wouldn't make it north of here.
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