Why no palm trees? (Oklahoma City, May: military, travel, sick)

[Jammie]

Palm Tree Advice and Pictures of Palms from Sun Palm Trees

I was given this website several months ago by AustinTraveler. (I can't thank her enough for it) Anyway, I love palm trees and am just curious as to why there are none in OK. I realize that many types wouldn't be able to surivive there, but wouldn't some of the hardier ones make it in OK?

[peggydavis]

That was an interesting web site, Jammie. I have never heard of cold hardy palms before, so maybe this is something new. As for growing them in OK, I would think it would be more successful in zone 8. Most of OK is in zone 7. We get some pretty cold weather here not often but once in a while, but I think if you took the precautions listed it could be done. If someone grew a palm in MI, it could happen anywhere.

[Jammie]

Yes, that's the same thing I was thinking. It does seem that some of them will survive temps nearly down to zero. It also showed that if it got too cold, you could just wrap them so I was just wondering why there were none in OK.

Isn't the site just precious if you're a palm tree lover? It looks like there are a couple of types that could be grown there. I have no idea whether they're just coming out with hardier types of if it's always been that way.

By "gets pretty cold" what temps do you mean? I do follow the weather in eastern OK and have seen it down to about 22, but does it get colder then that?

[jessaka]

Palm trees are okay for Florida and CA but I hope I never see any around here. This is Ozark Country. They would look out of place. And I would be hoping, if I did see one, that an ice storm would come along and snap in it two.

[peggydavis]

The coldest temps I remember were a few degrees below zero, but that was about 20 years ago. Most winters we will have lows in the teens a few times. Some winters we barely get below freezing. Usually the low temps are accompanied by vicious north winds, so it really feels much colder. Last winter seemed particularly cold, not because the temps were so low, but because the cold lasted so much longer than normal. I was shocked because I had to wait for the soil to thaw before I could plant my peas last Feb.

Nothing like the Dakotas, though. I remember my uncle had to tie a rope from the house to the barn so he wouldn't get lost in the blizzards.

I think if you were really dedicated you could grow a palm in your yard in OK. It would have to be in a sheltered area so the wind wouldn't blow on it too much and you would have to wrap it up if cold weather did come.

As Jessaka said, the possibility of an ice storm might be death to the palm. They might be springy enough to withstand ice though. I had pine trees bent over all the way to the ground by ice a few years ago, but they finally recovered and now are standing straight again.

I have to be off to town soon. I have tomatoes coming out my ears so I have to find more people to give them away to. People are starting to run away when they see me with my plastic sacks.

[cindycat]

Hey! If you gotta see palm trees, go take a look at the lighted orange ones at Super Cao Nugyen market on N. Military in Oklahoma City. Kitchy. Tacky, maybe, but oh, so cute!

[jessaka]

They used to wrap strings of Christmas tree lights around the ones in Del Mar, CA. IT was rather pretty. They are really useless though for shade. I remember being in Mexico one year and being stranded due to a boat breaking down, and then trying to sit under one in order to not get sunburned. After 5 hours in the sun I was baked and sick the following day, and to top it off I had been on doxaclycline for preventing a bacteria infection by drinking their water, and it causes your body to burn more easily. I should have covered my face and arms with mud.

[happytown]

Originally Posted by cindycat

Hey! If you gotta see palm trees, go take a look at the lighted orange ones at Super Cao Nugyen market on N. Military in Oklahoma City. Kitchy. Tacky, maybe, but oh, so cute!

I think it shows the wealth and pure power of the asian district- funny/kitch...I know all the terms. OKC is very eccentric and that is what makes it different from any place in Oklahoma. The facility looks like something out of San Diego.....I love it.
Across the street sits a huge beautiful gothic church...close by is The Paseo....near is the landmark milk bottle triangle building and OCU.

Lake Hefner had real palm trees for Bahama Breeze....of course they died.

[Jammie]

Planting peas in Feb??? We plant ours in May. But seriously, thank you all for the input of palms in OK. It's been a rough personal day for me so I don't have much to say.

[peggydavis]

Sorry to hear you had a rough day, Jammie.