Boy my Palm trees have taken a beating this year (Tampa: condo, how much)

[1970pelle]

This cold winter we are having has really has my palm trees looking bad.The big ones that are to big to cover are brown.And the ones I have been able to cover,I fear my have been dealt a deadly blow.Besides all my other stuff that couldn't be brought in.I have talked with my neighbors who have lived here all there lives.They could remember a cold spell like we have had and are having.Any ideas if I'm buying new trees??

[housingcrashsurvivor]

Condolence on your palms. To help avoid future carnage, plant in accordance with USDA Plant Hardiness Zones USNA - USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: South-East US. I'm relocating from south Florida zone 10/11 to Tampa zone 9a so I will be following such guidelines in planting the new garden here. Also it means I can only bring certain plants with me but must leave most behind. Otherwise you have stuff that might grow great for 5 or 15 years but then a cold snap is gonna get them.

Looks like you are 8b/9a depending on where in Jax you might be.

No affiliation to the following site but just to suggest ideas of what palms are suitable for north Florida...

http://www.northfloridapalms.com/index.html

[FLPL75]

1970pelle
The palms around our neighborhood also took a hit even the ones that were wrapped
What is going to determine if they come back or not is did the heart/head froze
If the bigger Palms have been in the ground for several years they will be able to handle the cold better than one you just planted
The ones you can reach you want to look in the middle of the fronds to see if you see any green

You do not want to cut off the brown fronds just yet. Also when pruning back palms do not remove any frond that still has some green.
I would wait until March.
You are not going to be able to tell how much damage there is on the other plants until they start to put out new growth.
This will let you know how far down the plant the freeze damaged and how much you will have to remove.
The reason I suggest waiting until March is if you prune now and we get a few warm days the plant may put out new growth and if we get another freeze not only could the new growth freeze but it could kill the plant.
The nasty brown freeze damage will actually provide some bit of protection from new freezes

[BlueWillowPlate]

My condolences, 1970.
My tree fern took a hit, too. It is in a protected spot, and we covered it, but night after night of cold took a toll.
Same thing happened last year, but it came back with a vengeance.
With luck it will do the same this year. As Karla says, I am leaving the sad brown fronds for now.
Everything else we grow is pretty much native.
But I love my tree fern and feel sad for it.

[Keith-n-Jax]

I think Queens and pygmy dates took the greatest hits. I lost one pygmy date in 08 and the other one may have seen its last days this yr. Both pygmys were 10 feet tall and beautiful. The queens that I have in my yard I think will be ok. Those who are old enough will know we have had a low of 7 degrees before here in Jax. As the others have said I usually dont prune til mid or late March. I hope this week is the last week of freezes. Spring get here NOW!!!

[grsPAFL]

In my neighborhood, those that did well in the last freeze:

Canary Island Date Palms - almost without exception, just got a little tip burn - even recently planted.

Washingtonia Robusta / Washingtonia filifera Palms - cheap and fast growers.

Queen Palms were hit or miss, but these are also cheap and fast growers.

The state tree, Sabal Palmetto (Cabbage Palm) must be transplanted here in Jax with several feet of trunk. They keep telling me it's too cold to start them as young palms (w/out trunk), despite the fact that I do see immature specimens here and there in natural landscapes.

My best: Sabal Texana (Texas Sabal) VERY cold hardy from ACE Hardware. To test this, I planted it this summer, didn't cover it and it is unblemished. Just have to wait 10 years until it makes some trunk.

You can consult the USDA hardiness map, but you really need to go out and about because lots of stuff grows here that shouldn't. And if it can't grow here, you'll soon find out.

BTW, everybody please stop hacking off your crepe myrtles. How many times does this need to be said? I swear, the zombie like pruning just takes my breath away. They look like arthritic knuckles. Just leave them alone, they are supposed to go dormant and bud in the spring. Seriously!