Will your beautiful tropical plants survive this freeze? (Charleston, Summerville: house, live)

[Maryjane55us]

I'm worried that the palm trees and sago palms will be wiped out when I come to visit in the spring. Am I a nut? (I hope so)

[pokrplr]

Yep your a nut (kidding) ... The one's that may struggle are the newly planted one's that havent acclimated to the area. Every year I would kill my sago's cause they were too small and I didnt protect them (so i was told) ... Not a green thumb expert but it made sense

[Geechie North]

Cycas revoluta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From it:

"it [sago palm, cycas revoluta] is native to various areas of southern Japan and is thus tolerant of mild to somewhat cold temperatures, provided the ground is dry. Frond damage can occur at temperatures below −5 °C. It does however require hot summers with mean temperatures of 30 to 35 °C (86 to 95 F) for successful growth, making outdoor growing impossible in colder places such as northern Europe, even where winter temperatures are not too cold."

-5C corresponds to about 23F. Since Charleston is on the northerrn fringe of USDA Hardiness Zone 9 (annual minimums of 30-20F) the species is always touch and go there.

I know of no truly "tropical" plant species that can over-winter in SC.

[scjj]

Sago's should be fine. Mine die back every year. Just cut off all the dead fronds to where you have a bare cone and it will regrow fresh new beautiful shoots.

[OleTomCat]

SCJJ is correct, but if you want to protect your smaller flowers and stuff cover them with an old sheet that will keep the frost off of them and they will survive the cold weather, uncover them during the day when it warms up over 30 degrees to give them some sun and warmth. I have two green thumbs......

[pokrplr]

Originally Posted by scjj

Sago's should be fine. Mine die back every year. Just cut off all the dead fronds to where you have a bare cone and it will regrow fresh new beautiful shoots.

Serious? Dammit...I would pull mine outa the ground and toss em' every year

Thanks scjj - you may of saved me some money in the future!

[Geechie North]

Per NOAA, it got down to 27F there (guessing the AFB) last tonight.
18F predicted tonight.

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by pokrplr

Serious? Dammit...I would pull mine outa the ground and toss em' every year

Thanks scjj - you may of saved me some money in the future!

.

One of the largest sagos, and most long-lived, in the Chas area is located (at least as of 7/2007) in front of the Rectory of Blessed Sacrament Church West of the Ashley.

It survived the 14F freeze of 1977, but did lose most fonds.

There is another of considerable size (for the area) in the garden of a house on Tradd (?) St.

I suspect that an inland station such as Summerville is outside of zone 9 and therefore more precarious for sagos than is the Charleston area proper.

[scjj]

Originally Posted by pokrplr

Serious? Dammit...I would pull mine outa the ground and toss em' every year

Thanks scjj - you may of saved me some money in the future!

Oh no! They are too expensive to do that! They will come back, they might not look too pretty for a while, but they will come back and will be as gorgeous as ever & bigger.

[Maryjane55us]

I live east of I95 in NC and have my sago's potted and drag them into an unheated glassed in porch each winter. I was worried that our 14 degree temps would kill them.

But now, I'm wondering if they might could survive outside in the yard from what you've told me. Your temps usually average about 10 degrees above ours.

Thanks for the information that even if they do die, they will come back. I think I will try it.