Do palms give a false impression of Temperate Climates? (South, winter, cold)

[nei]

The photo of a palm tree in Eureka, CA always struck me; in a place with one of the coldest summer highs in the US outside of Alaska with the warmest summer high 64°F (maybe even slightly cooler by the coast)

[tom77falcons]

Originally Posted by nei

The photo of a palm tree in Eureka, CA always struck me; in a place with one of the coldest summer highs in the US outside of Alaska with the warmest summer high 64°F (maybe even slightly cooler by the coast)

To me it is not the summer that makes them out of place, it is the winter. Eureka, CA has mild winters, especially compared to where I live.

[Tennesseestorm]

My palms.... I had this one until about 20 minutes ago, my dad cut it down by mistake (he said) with the lawn mower! I had this for 6 years.... it was a Sabal Birmingham... now its a nub that will die.



My Needle palm... I purchased this at a Lowes in upstate South Carolina last summer.



My Windmill palm...

[Stoney63]

Tennessee must really be pushing the limits, but out of control lawnmowers don't help either.(did you do a breath test?)

Is your Windmill palm not planted under the protection of a bigger( conifer or evergreen) tree?

[Stoney63]

Originally Posted by nei

The photo of a palm tree in Eureka, CA always struck me; in a place with one of the coldest summer highs in the US outside of Alaska with the warmest summer high 64°F (maybe even slightly cooler by the coast)

I remember how impressive some of the historic building were in that area. I kept watching out for gathering flocks of birds

[nei]

I like the idea of a place that could grow tropical / subtropical vegetation together with more temperate vegetation. perhaps i'd Tennessee or south carolina.

I'd rather try to grow a redwood than a palm, though.

[Tennesseestorm]

Originally Posted by Stoney63

Tennessee must really be pushing the limits, but out of control lawnmowers don't help either.(did you do a breath test?)

Is your Windmill palm not planted under the protection of a bigger( conifer or evergreen) tree?

lol, no, that honor goes to my dad... he was the one that cut it down... he said it was an accident. Dont know how he didnt see it. Moms forcing his credit card on me telling me to order a new one, but I think its too late in the year to plant a new one now? I have had this tree about 6-7 years.

No, the windmill palm is under a Mimosa (sp?) tree and at the southwest corner of the house. My last Windmill lived for 8 years and was huge... then we had an usually harsh cold morning when the temperature dropped to 5° (which was a record in January) and then it started to brown and never recovered. I thought after 8 years it would have been able to withstand a 5° temperature (I have heard they are OK down to about 0°), but not this one. I was crushed when it perished.

I bought this one in the pic last summer, it did well, but this winter took a toll on it, we had an unusally cold winter this past year, but you can see new growth coming out.

[Stoney63]

Originally Posted by Tennesseestorm

lol, no, that honor goes to my dad... he was the one that cut it down... he said it was an accident. Dont know how he didnt see it. Moms forcing his credit card on me telling me to order a new one, but I think its too late in the year to plant a new one now? I have had this tree about 6-7 years.

No, the windmill palm is under a Mimosa (sp?) tree and at the southwest corner of the house. My last Windmill lived for 8 years and was huge... then we had an usually harsh cold morning when the temperature dropped to 5° (which was a record in January) and then it started to brown and never recovered. I thought after 8 years it would have been able to withstand a 5° temperature (I have heard they are OK down to about 0°), but not this one. I was crushed when it perished.

I bought this one in the pic last summer, it did well, but this winter took a toll on it, we had an unusally cold winter this past year, but you can see new growth coming out.

Mid spring is a perfect time to plant a palm, use that credit card!

I grow all my Windmills in shade to keep the sun off them, I prefer the different look they have to sun exposed ones.

[deneb78]

I wonder how strange a palm would look in a place like the Faroe Islands or coastal Norway at 60-62N. Imagine seeing a palm tree while watching the aurora borealis

[Stumbler.]

Originally Posted by deneb78

I wonder how strange a palm would look in a place like the Faroe Islands or coastal Norway at 60-62N. Imagine seeing a palm tree while watching the aurora borealis

It is indeed strange to think that a palm could be there, considering that the Faroe Islands' summers are too cool to even natively have trees or forests (according to what I've read about and seen pics of, it seems the vegetation is a sort of subarctic grassland).

The imagery of the palms against a backdrop of northern lights on those long winter nights and ice-covered fjords and glaciers in the background is rather surreal to imagine.