Palm Trees (Las Cruces: for sale, house, purchase)

[martinthezonepusher]

Ok, first let me just start of by saying, Ive lived in ABQ most of my life and have seen palms of various verieties and guess what, most dont get that much protection from cold. And well, they do fine! as long as they are the desert verieties. I speak from personal experience. Let me say I live in Placitas-close to the valley of bernalillo, and well hope your all sitting reading this one. Here it goes.
Ive been growing Palms! mediteranean, robusta, filifera (3) large 6' tall, palmetto, various eucalyptus (7) different species to be exact. Oleander, Olive, Lowquat, bottlebrush, banana! yes cold hardy banana I said that right. And not to mention my pride and joy a 7 yr old suguaro and golden barel. Both side by side under my overhang south side. Palo verde and verious mesquite, magnolia's again all different and evergreen and last but lot least mimosa-summer cocolate, which I highly recomend! Its amazingly beutiful it has deep marroon leaves and pink puffy flowers but expensive if you can find it. Im only mentioning a few I really do have a small jungle up here in my zone 7. So for those who doubt write me and I will simply have to show you.
My recomendation for those who want to try palms. Get older mature palms they are expesive but MUCH hardier to all that is tossed at them in our high zone climate we call home. I rarely cover my plants and palms only if I see 5 degrees coming or below. And Im happy to say if it comes it does not last long. I beleive this is partially why Im sucessful in my experaments. PS dont water in winter! otherwise water and fertilize your exotics all summer and they will love you. By the way there is a 10 foot suguaro that has been here for at least 15yrs. Its on Rio Bravo and 2nd in the south valley/west side of street next to an old home. Go to web shots you see a picture. No protection that Ive seen. This will show you even though our winters are nippy they only get trully cold in the earliest of AM for a brief spell before the sun comes up and warms up enough to melt the ice on your plants. This deffinetly has something to do to there success, remember most of these palms are no strangers to extreame winter or high mountain nights and day extreams were they are native. Especially the washingtonias and windmill palms these are native to snowy cold mountains. not to mention at least 10 eucalyptus grow in the high snowy desert mountains of australia. Ok, thats my speal. take care all and good luck!

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by martinthezonepusher

Ok, first let me just start of by saying, Ive lived in ABQ most of my life and have seen palms of various verieties and guess what, most dont get that much protection from cold. And well, they do fine! as long as they are the desert verieties. I speak from personal experience. Let me say I live in Placitas-close to the valley of bernalillo, and well hope your all sitting reading this one. Here it goes.
Ive been growing Palms! mediteranean, robusta, filifera (3) large 6' tall, palmetto, various eucalyptus (7) different species to be exact. Oleander, Olive, Lowquat, bottlebrush, banana! yes cold hardy banana I said that right. And not to mention my pride and joy a 7 yr old suguaro and golden barel. Both side by side under my overhang south side. Palo verde and verious mesquite, magnolia's again all different and evergreen and last but lot least mimosa-summer cocolate, which I highly recomend! Its amazingly beutiful it has deep marroon leaves and pink puffy flowers but expensive if you can find it. Im only mentioning a few I really do have a small jungle up here in my zone 7. So for those who doubt write me and I will simply have to show you.
My recomendation for those who want to try palms. Get older mature palms they are expesive but MUCH hardier to all that is tossed at them in our high zone climate we call home. I rarely cover my plants and palms only if I see 5 degrees coming or below. And Im happy to say if it comes it does not last long. I beleive this is partially why Im sucessful in my experaments. PS dont water in winter! otherwise water and fertilize your exotics all summer and they will love you. By the way there is a 10 foot suguaro that has been here for at least 15yrs. Its on Rio Bravo and 2nd in the south valley/west side of street next to an old home. Go to web shots you see a picture. No protection that Ive seen. This will show you even though our winters are nippy they only get trully cold in the earliest of AM for a brief spell before the sun comes up and warms up enough to melt the ice on your plants. This deffinetly has something to do to there success, remember most of these palms are no strangers to extreame winter or high mountain nights and day extreams were they are native. Especially the washingtonias and windmill palms these are native to snowy cold mountains. not to mention at least 10 eucalyptus grow in the high snowy desert mountains of australia. Ok, thats my speal. take care all and good luck!

Really exciting to hear of your successes! I have seen the saguaro on 2nd and Rio Bravo and indeed, that big, beautiful cactus seems to just chug along year after year, and it is in the Valley (the colder part of the city)!

Would love to see some photos if you would have some and wouldn't mind posting!

[Dragondog]

Up here in Connecticut

really. Sabal Mc Curtain from southeastern Oklahoma is hardy here in CT zone 6 and up- so it would surely be hardy in many areas of New Mexico- it is a very beautiful fan balm with bluish green leaves, that is mostly trunk less.

Sabal 'Louisiana' is semi hardy here (zone 7 and up) and could be grown in NM-

Chamerops Humilis- a clumping fan palm from southern Europe and North Africa could be tried in NM because it like dry conditions.

In my temperate garden here in Connecticut I have trachycarpus Fortunei, Trachycarpus Wagnerianus, and Trachycarpus Takil (all are covered and mulched heavily in the winter. I also have Sabal Louisiana and Sabal Mc Curtain (being hardened off before planting in the spring).

[domino]

You are annoying.

[sexy_v_red]

there r palm trees in el paso and juarez and they r very beautiful.

[dracul]

LUV Palms!!! Great ideas!

[6 FOOT 3]

I love them also as i seen alot in Las Cruces a few weeks back.

[dracul]

Everywhere I've ever purchased property I've attempted to convert it into a jungle. Even in temperate Denver, where I currently reluctantly reside, my domicle is surrounded with foliage. When I purchased this place eight years ago there was nothing. It's alive with color now and I love it! Likewise my desert acres in TorC will eventually host palms and desert adapted trees to the limit of my inventiveness and resources. Guess it derives from having been raised in Hawai'i; possibly the most verdant and lovely of any American state!

[LRUA]

I luv all those palms growing in Las Cruces and El Paso too
The following palms are thriving in Las Cruces ...

California Fan Palm (Washingtonia Filifera) ....cold hardy to 10 degrees it is native to SW and is the dominant palm in NM

Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia Robusta) a close cousin it is taller and more slender but less cold hardy to approx 15 degrees ...quite a few growing in LC and some really tall ones in EP

Texas Fan Palm (Sabal Mexicana) native to south Texas ...it's the palm you most see in Austin and San Antonio ...there are a few in the LC /EP area
it is hardy to 10 degrees but prefers more humid conditions

Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix Canariensis) a really beautiful big palm , there are a some in LC and very large old ones in EP, surprisingly hardy to 12 degrees (even saw one in the T or C area)

Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera) Las Cruces has some nice large ones , also El Paso too, however more seen in southern AZ

Mediterranean Fan Palm (Chamaerops Humilis) very hardy to 5 degrees , there are a number of them in the LC area. This palm is perfect for Socorro and ABQ (Roswell too)

Jelly Palm (Capita Butia) native to the mountains in southern Brazil it can handle temps as low as 8 degrees, I've seen a couple in LC (you see alot of these in southern Georgia /northern Florida)

Windmill Fan Palm (Trachycarpus Fortunei) this one is great in ABQ This palm is so hardy it's amazing. It is grown literally around the world ..you name it England ...Scotland ...Ireland ....Bulgaria ...Canada (west coast) ..Japan ...Norway (coast) ....Switzerland ....even Hungary were they have survived -5 degrees ...you could even try one in a sheltered area in Santa Fe !!

Those all currently grow in NM ...here are other hardy palms that can you also try ....

Needle Palm (Rhapidophylum) native to SE ...very hardy to possibly -10 degrees ...but better suited to more humid conditions

Mazari Palm (Nannorrhops Ritchiana) native to Afghanistan it is super hardy ....possibly -15 degrees ...it thrives in very dry winters and hot summers (perfect for NM)

Windamere Palm (Trachycarpus Latisetus) native to Himalayas in Sikkim, it is extremely hardy and is very tall and slender (but rare)

Bolivian Coconut Palm (Parajubaea Sunkha) ....not a true coconut palm but looks like one .... you can even buy it on Ebay ...aparently quite hardy it is native to the Andes Mountains in Bolivia (definitely worth trying in southern NM or EP)

Chilean Wine Palm (Jubaea Chilensis) very good looking palm , even better looking than a date palm. Native to Chilean Andes it is hardy to 10 degrees and it is huge, it grows to 80 ft , the down side: slow growing and doesn't do well in temps over 100 degrees (in NM it would be good in Silver City and highest areas in ABQ east of Tramway)

Plenty of choices for palm lovers in NM ....all these palms can be grown in zone 8 areas and most in zone 7 too

In New Mexico that means ...

Las Cruces ....zone 8b
Deming ..........zone 8a
Alamogordo ....zone 8a
Carlsbad ........zone 8a
Hobbs ...........zone 8a
T or C ..........zone 8a
Lordsburg ......zone 8a
Columbus ......zone 8b
Santa Teresa ...zone 8b
Jal..................zone 8a
Tularosa ........zone 8a
La Luz ...........zone 8a
Whites City ....zone 8b
Hatch ...........zone 8a
Glenwood ......zone 8a
Eunice ..........zone 8a
Albuquerque ...zone 7b/8a
Silver City ......zone 7b
Carrizozo .......zone 7b
Roswell .........zone 7b
Artesia .........zone 7b
Lovington .....zone 7b
Socorro ........zone 7b
Clovis ...........zone 7a
Portales ........zone 7a
Logan ...........zone 7a
Santa Rosa ....zone 7a
Belen ............zone 7a
Los Lunas .......zone 7a
Shiprock ........zone 7a
Farmington .....zone 6b/7a

[dracul]

Highly informative and entertaining post LRUA! Are most/any of these selections available at regional landscapers/nursery outlets? Can hardly wait to get down to TorC, rent a small back hoe, dig lots of holes, purchase palms-a-plenty and get them started.