cold hardy palms

Other plants we have or landscape elements like ponds.

Moderator: needmore

Post Reply
stevelau1911
Posts: 3088
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 9:15 pm
Location info: 42
Location: upstate NY zone 6B
Contact:

cold hardy palms

Post by stevelau1911 »

I've found this palm Trachycarpus Fortunei which is supposed to be cold hardy to 5F.

It can get a little bit below that here, but with good protection, I think I can grow this here. Has anyone in cooler climates grown this plant with success?

I'm not sure If I should get a larger plants or some seeds.
JakeK
Posts: 155
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:53 pm
Location info: 0
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by JakeK »

Cold hardy to +5*F if you keep the crown dry, out of the wind, and feet in quick draining soil. Also, your average high temperature in winter needs to be around 40*F at a minimum, if you are expecting it to weather dips to the single digits. It really is a 7b palm. Soil freeze depth is also important to keep in mind. Here in Cincinnati in really bad winters the ground will freeze 12-18 inches deep during the cold spells but always thaws quickly. I'd recommend Sabal minor which are almost bullet-proof in Cincinnati. From my experience needle palm isn't that hardy when exposed to prolonged cold. It'll survive here, but be killed without protection in a zone 6a winter.

I overwintered a Trachycarpus fortunei outside in a half buried pot in the warmest spot at my parents house about 7 years for two winters. It had a small shelter built around it to keep moisture out of the crown and away from cold dessicating winds. I sold it to a dude from Tennessee when it was pushing eight feet tall. It's better off down there.
Bamboo Outlaw
Posts: 484
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:27 pm
Location info: 0
Location: We are less than one hour south of downtown Houston. We are located in Wild Peach, Texas located half way between Brazoria and West Columbia. Exit hwy 36 onto County Road 354. Take County Road 353 west . Go approximately 2.4 miles. We are on the left.
Contact:

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by Bamboo Outlaw »

http://www.amazinggardens.com/

I have ordered from these folks before. The site has some interesting things.

FYI I got my needle palms from here. They weren't as slow as I was expecting.
Steve Carter
Carter Bamboo
http://www.carterbamboo.com

cell (979)665-1897
Brazoria, Texas
User avatar
foxd
Posts: 3221
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 7:30 pm
Location info: 21
Bamboo Society Membership: ABS - America
Location: Zone 5b/6a Bloomington, INElevation: 770-790 feet

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by foxd »

I have a number of small palms I got in a trade, mostly Sabal minor of various types. I am trying to decide if I should plant some of them outside this Spring or wait until they are larger. How large should they be before I should consider planting them out?
Southern Indiana.
My Bamboo List.

The legal issues that will arise when the undead walk the earth are legion, and addressing them all is well beyond what could reasonably be accomplished in this brief Essay. Indeed, a complete treatment of the tax issues alone would require several volumes.
JakeK
Posts: 155
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:53 pm
Location info: 0
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by JakeK »

foxd wrote:I have a number of small palms I got in a trade, mostly Sabal minor of various types. I am trying to decide if I should plant some of them outside this Spring or wait until they are larger. How large should they be before I should consider planting them out?
How small? Strap-leaf seedlings, or have they started to go palmate yet? If they are 1 gallon size or larger you should be fine planting them this Spring, but later, like in early-mid May. Come this Fall, I would mulch them heavily and bury them in dried leaves. That is what worked best for me. Sabal minor is IMO, the best palm for zone 6'ers to plant. I have found them reliably more hardy than the needle palm. Whatever you do, don't use Freeze-Pruf. Palm enthusiasts in California and Florida used it on recent cold snaps and damage was actually worse on the palms with the application than those that didn't receive the application despite it being applied properly.
User avatar
foxd
Posts: 3221
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 7:30 pm
Location info: 21
Bamboo Society Membership: ABS - America
Location: Zone 5b/6a Bloomington, INElevation: 770-790 feet

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by foxd »

JakeK wrote:How small? Strap-leaf seedlings, or have they started to go palmate yet?
Some strap-leaf, some palmate. Right now they are in the basement under growlights. It's actually gotten rather crowded down there with the bamboo, Bananas, Palms, Fig tree, Pineapple, Ficus, Surinam Cherries, Passion Flower, Papaya, Cardamom, etc.

Due to replacing the garage door with an insulated one, diverting dryer exhaust inside during the Winter and installing a vent from the furnace, I have managed to keep the temperature 5-10 degrees warmer in the basement area.
Southern Indiana.
My Bamboo List.

The legal issues that will arise when the undead walk the earth are legion, and addressing them all is well beyond what could reasonably be accomplished in this brief Essay. Indeed, a complete treatment of the tax issues alone would require several volumes.
User avatar
roscoe
Posts: 87
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 1:01 am
Location info: 74
Location: mississippi, 100 miles south of memphis

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by roscoe »

stevelau1911 wrote:Has anyone in cooler climates grown this plant with success?
I grow windmill, pindo, needle, and med. fan palm. They have seen temps. of 10 degrees for a brief while with very little noticable damage. Although I did wrap a string of christmas lights around the pindo. The others are left to fend for themselves.

This is about as small of a palm that I will plant with no protection, the exception being the pindo palm. 20-30 dollars for something this size in the south.

Image

Image
marcat
Posts: 838
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:11 pm
Location info: 28
Location: Seadrift, Texas

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by marcat »

If you can do Pindo's you might want to try Jubea chilienses. A couple nights of mid teens and no sign of damage. My pindos have a slight touch of burn (<5%).
Sable minors have subterranian trunks. Once palmate I would recomend planting them. One draw back is they have very sensitive roots and once established it is hard to dig and move them. Near immpossible.
MarCat
Bamboo Outlaw
Posts: 484
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:27 pm
Location info: 0
Location: We are less than one hour south of downtown Houston. We are located in Wild Peach, Texas located half way between Brazoria and West Columbia. Exit hwy 36 onto County Road 354. Take County Road 353 west . Go approximately 2.4 miles. We are on the left.
Contact:

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by Bamboo Outlaw »

Marcat, near is an understatement! :cry:
Steve Carter
Carter Bamboo
http://www.carterbamboo.com

cell (979)665-1897
Brazoria, Texas
marcat
Posts: 838
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:11 pm
Location info: 28
Location: Seadrift, Texas

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by marcat »

Outlaw under the right conditions (mainly soil type) you can I did a bunch from the lavaca river and stupidly ignored them and now they have rooted in the ground. I am going to have to move them and I am crossing my fingers they will accept being put in larger pots and survive. Also there is my ' S.minor rescue plan' of which you have two from remember. You need to come down and we can go see if there is any that need rescueing. Been raining so there might be some. I have one with three plus feet of trunk on my drive way from the 'S.minor rescue plan'. And if you know S.minors any trunk is a miracle.
MarCat
mantis
Posts: 2099
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:46 pm
Location info: 22
Location: Houston, TX

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by mantis »

Mark, I'm very sad to say that the triangle that you gave me 2 years ago got damaged in the freeze at the beginning of December, and I think is dead. It's been in the greenhouse for 6 weeks, but after looking at the plants last weekend the center spike of the triangle was a white puff ball of mealy web, and pulled out easily. There are still some green frawns, but I think it is done for. :( Sorry :oops:
marcat
Posts: 838
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:11 pm
Location info: 28
Location: Seadrift, Texas

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by marcat »

Sorry to hear that Mantis. The T-palms in Port Oconnor got burned but apear to have come thru the freeze better than I would have guessed. Alot better than the Foxtail's did. My Triangle I keep potted but may put in the ground when it gets a little bigger. Oh if you want to try again I can bring you another one next time I am up that way.
Oh go ahead and put the Jubea in the ground when you find a spot for it. No sign of burn at all on mine. Tough bugger but slow.
MarCat
Bamboo Outlaw
Posts: 484
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:27 pm
Location info: 0
Location: We are less than one hour south of downtown Houston. We are located in Wild Peach, Texas located half way between Brazoria and West Columbia. Exit hwy 36 onto County Road 354. Take County Road 353 west . Go approximately 2.4 miles. We are on the left.
Contact:

Re: cold hardy palms

Post by Bamboo Outlaw »

I will go out and take a look at mine and report back tonight.

update-looks good.
Steve Carter
Carter Bamboo
http://www.carterbamboo.com

cell (979)665-1897
Brazoria, Texas
Post Reply