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Hi ya'll!!!, I'm not ignoring ya'll; I'm just giving my palms the three years indoor treatment before puting them out the Spring of the fourth year. I'm also growing a peach tree for the second year here outdoors, and it's florishing. It's the red leaved peach; I put the other peach tree in the ground this Spring, and it's taking off. They're slated for zone4-8; me happen to be in zone4 as of year before last. People told me my red leaved peach would just dry up and die, due to the cold, but it just bounced right back like it always belonged here. I plan to put in a Reliance, and Contender peach trees in the not too many years to come; they're not just perfect for my area, but can take -30 below zero Winters, and maybe colder Winters than that and keep on smiling; and flower, and fruit in time to enjoy. To be continued....... God Bless everyone, and happy gardening, Palmlover
What zone are you?
I am z zone 6 in CT- actually the last several winters have been closer to a zone 7. I have two palms Trachycarpus fortunei- one the stiff leaf 'Wagnerianus'. I do cover these palms in the winter. They are both growing again- the Fortunei did suffer a spear pull- but it has a new spear coming up.
Have fun! Also try and keep those palms out as late as possible to harden them off- the transition into the ground over the winter might be easier.
I just added two Needle Palms and two Sabal Louisianas to the mix. The Needle Palms are already assimilating. But the Sabals arrived in a distressed state and I think one of them is a goner.
Hello there!!! I'm in zone4, I have the book Palms Won't Grow Here and Other Myths, and in the book mentions someone in zone3 Wisconsin, which sounds crazy; growing scrub palms, I beleive it's the Needle palm; and they've been doing this for a few years now successfully with no problems; although they cover and protect them as needed. During each Spring they come back as if they belonged there. In my zone4 around my house it's equivilant to zone5a, or the lower end of 5b. I have rocks around my house, and some of it has been converted into a rock garden where I have hardy Lavender growing, in fact it came back with greater vigor then when it was in the pot last year. I have two Adam's Needle Yuccas as well, and one is hanging on, while the other one is thriving. I think both will be in top notch by this time next year; being every part of the country has had a crapy Spring, while stupid Winter didn't want to release it's nasty grip; and let Spring be Spring, LOL. Plus I have a few boulders in my rock garden in the front, but I have a question if you can devulge any info for me, would be great, my rock garden up front is in a due South to South Southeast location facing North; with minimal to no West to Northwest winds; if any from that direction at all, plus abundant snow cover during the Winters, plus I have a couple of Dianthus growing there as well. All of the above mentioned plants were put there last year; and are doing successfully well <--no play on words I promise you. I guess the question I have for you is that I have a Sable minor,McCurtain palm; and the Rhapidophyllum hystrix, Needle palm, and with the boulders there is abundant sunshine all year; (except when cloudy) and the mini boulders soak up a lot of sun so there is a microclimate there, except when inundated with snow; I'm wondering being the location of my rock garden and the boulders in them, the heat of the sun is radiated off of them Spring through Fall (depending on when in the fall we get any snow or not) I'm wondering if my palms will do well, or okay there, or should I plant them in the rocks up against my house; which is South? also I heard that the roots of the Sable minor McCurtain are pretty agressive (being if that's the case, would the rock garden be best? behind the big rocks that is? And if not certain, could you please send my letter here to someone that would know for sure, if you know that'll be great as well. Thank's in advance. Also I planted a red leaved peach tree last year and it's coming back as well; it's a miniture peach, I planted it in the Southwest part of my back yard; the top growth took a hit, but there's vigorus growth at the trunks bottom. I also planted a peach tree in the South of my back yard away from West and Northwest winds. I also have a Peach and Nectarine tree growing in an 18" inch diamter pots, (I over wintered them in my garage this past winter, when it was -30F to -45F below 0 and colder outside, my garage got no lower than single digitsF to -lower teens below zero F; which is normal for peach growing areas of MI, at night in Winter, this I know, I used to live there and pick them too; during the Summer which I miss doing.) and not to mention my Nectarine is flowering in the pot as well, very pretty; the Peach seems a little slower to come out, but it's starting to catch up some. All of the Peach and Nectarine trees I mentioned are miniatures and should get no more than 6' feet, I'm guessing in the ground it should get maybe a bit taller, but not by much, I'm guessing 7'-10' feet where it should top off there; maybe??? I have two Stark Sensation Peach, and one Stark Honey Glow Nectarine; from Stark Bro's; and the Red leaf Peach they accidently sent me, when it was suppossed to be the Sensation Peach. They're slated for zone4-8. If my Stark Sensation Peach does well coming back next Spring, I'll put my other peach and nectarine in the ground as well. Well there's a little extra for you to chew on, LOL. I hail from Long Island,NY; of 5 years or so, then lived in Detroit,MI; finally growing up in Mt, Clemens,MI, both of which are zone6, so I know what to grow and what I could get away with there, but zone4; quite a bit different, so it's touch and go, trial and error where I'm at now. Well thanks for any info you can provide, Palmlover. So much for a quick reply, Eh?
In my experience, southern exposure/location is the optimal variable. Your house will shield the palms from winds and, if its brick, store and radiate heat from the sunshine. The house also serves as part of the protection structure that must be built in winter.
Now, I have read that rocks do exactly what you say, so that would be fine. But given the choice between southern location and northern with rocks, I would pick the former.
I live in northeast Tennessee (zone 7a/6b border where I am) and I have had a Windmill Palm for about 5 years now. Its growing good, but this winter has been one of the coldest we have had in YEARS! Our lows dropped to 5° twice a couple of weeks ago when the eastern US was under that bitterly cold air. I did not protect it at all and now alot of it looks damaged. Its a dingy green, rather than the nice dark green it was in December. It got like that a little a couple of years ago and it recovered nicely in the spring. This year though it looks worse than ever in the 4 years I had have it.
I have a Sabal Birmingham and as always, its totally fine (but extremely, extremely slow growing) and my Needle palms are fine. I have some Sabal Minors (first year with those) and so far, they have frozen about 1/2 way down, or at least browned up alot. I hope they recover.
My Southern Live Oaks I worried about, but they took the 5° temps with stride!
For anyone zone 6 and lower, I would recommend the Needle Palm and Sabal Birmingham. Its still up in the air about the Sabal Minors (maybe some protection after year #1), but they should be OK, as well as the Windmill palm, but I would not go with a Windmill unless you are at least in zone 6b.
i kept a sago palm and a few chinese fan palms outside this winter, and they all are pretty much brown, im keeping my fingers crossed for this spring. it got cold here in kentucky (0 degrees). i am keeping a rubber tree and a pygmy date palm in my garage for the winter for added protection, but i think it got too cold for them because the palm's leaves are all dry and a pale green, and the rubber tree lost about all its leaves.
i kept a sago palm and a few chinese fan palms outside this winter, and they all are pretty much brown, im keeping my fingers crossed for this spring. it got cold here in kentucky (0 degrees). i am keeping a rubber tree and a pygmy date palm in my garage for the winter for added protection, but i think it got too cold for them because the palm's leaves are all dry and a pale green, and the rubber tree lost about all its leaves.
I tried a Sago here in Maryland. It "survived" the first winter, that is it survived the way someone survives a direct hit with a flamethrower. The second winter destroyed what little life it had left.
I did give it too much northern exposure in retrospective. But I am hesitant to try another as they are too nice (and expensive) to sacrifice.
I tried a Sago here in Maryland. It "survived" the first winter, that is it survived the way someone survives a direct hit with a flamethrower. The second winter destroyed what little life it had left.
I did give it too much northern exposure in retrospective. But I am hesitant to try another as they are too nice (and expensive) to sacrifice.
how cold did it get during those 2 winters? and did you protect it at all?
how cold did it get during those 2 winters? and did you protect it at all?
Normal for here. I read they are fine until 22 Degrees F and we inevitably dip below that several times at least.
I did not protect it much beyond throwing some leaves on top. I would think you could make it work if you protected it every winter, but I like plants that will adapt and stand on their own after a few winters. The Sago does not quite reach that status.
I would try again if I had an atrium or courtyard.
I posted this in response to someone in the South Carolina forums, who was very unsure about weather not they they could grow palms. I believe they were in upstate, north and west a bit from columbia. Anyway...
Here in the Washington D.C. Area, especially down town, and northern Virginia inside of the beltway, they not only can be grown year round, but also THRIVE, mostly with little to NO protection. Traditionally, the Washington metro area has been a zone 7B, but according to the 2003 Arbor Day (in conjunction with the USDA) hardiness zone map, which was never officially released by the USDA, down town Washington D.C. and inner sections of Northern Virginia are now a zone 8. Yellow is zone 6, pinks is zone 7, and brown(??) is zone 8.
Here is the proof.
Quote:
Originally Posted by United_Caps_Skins_Fan
You should be able to grow palms where youa re just fine. Sabal Palmetto's, while not native to VA, are very common in the Virginia Beach area, as are Windmills, and Butia Capitata (pindo / jelly palms). There are hundreds of Sabal Palmetto in Va Beach, VA. Keep in mind that VA. Beach is a zone 8B for the most part. Va Beach also has the northern most natural occurance of Spanish Moss in the trees ( see first landing state park).
Palms even are not that uncommon here in Norhtern VA / Washington D.C. Granted, the area in and around DC is basically a 7B/8A now. The urban heat island affect, along with the river (unless it freezes over which it does not anymore) tend to keep most places inside the beltway here fairly warm. I have 1 needle palm, and 2 sabal minor (trunkless) growing in ground here and they have withstood 14F so far. It RARELY gets down that low here in the city anymore. Its been quite a few years since temps in the city have gone below about the 12-15F range. I also have two windmills, a small one, and a larger one thats about 4 to 5 feet tall. The larger one has stayed outside, and its not even in ground, its in a pot, and it has taken 14F as well no problem. depending on the siting, some may need protection here, but there are plenty that dont get much, if any protection that do just fine. In front of the National Air and Space museum there is a windmill thats about 15' tall, and about 30 or so Sabal Minors.
Here are a few pics from places in and around D.C. that have palms.
Windmill Palm Growing in front of an apartment building, unprotected for about 8 years now.
This Windmill is in Sterling VA, about 25 miles WNW of Washington D.C. Its been there since 1994, and that is a zone 7A. Its a COLD suburb.
This next photo is from a private home in Alexandria, Virgina (directly across the potomac river from downtown Washington D.C.)
Also in Alexandria, VA.. Windmills, large Needle palm, and Sabal Minors, and looks to be a Butia Capiatata in a pot on the left.
And finally, a couple of venerable LARGE Needle palms on a residential street in Washington, D.C. in the snow.
If they can be grown in Northern VA / Washington D.C., then SC should be a cake walk! GOOD LUCK!!!!
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Wasington D.C. Metro Area Palms
