Question for People Familiar with Palms and El Paso Landscape and soil. Do Canary Island Date Palms do OK here? (yard, palm trees)

[9162]

Those familiar with the soil, do Canary Island Date palms do well here? There are tons in FL, CA, AZ and NV but not so many here...?

[ZSP]

I see those here...in fact, there's one right across the street. There are several Master Gardner's here in the city and knowledgeable persons at most of the plant places like Sierra Vista Growers in La Union, NM and other non chain nurseries.

A little googling will yield lots more info for you as well. Good luck.

[SW Desert Dweller]

I have one in my back yard--established Canary Island date palms (also known as Phoenix palms) tend to do well here and withstand normal freezes. It may take a few years for the trees to get established, and may need a bit of protection once the temps drop to the teens (at least during those first few years). Good luck with the tree(s), we love ours...

[malamute]

El Paso isn't really tropical -- the East side of town lost a whole lot of expensive palm trees when it got cold those two days a few years ago. With a lot of plants, it depends on where you put them -- plants that do fine on the mountain might not make it in the valleys -- and vice versa.

[atrabilius]

Originally Posted by malamute

El Paso isn't really tropical -- the East side of town lost a whole lot of expensive palm trees when it got cold those two days a few years ago. With a lot of plants, it depends on where you put them -- plants that do fine on the mountain might not make it in the valleys -- and vice versa.

Yeah. I'm not much of a gardener, but I think I heard someplace that if it freezes and the palm leaves turn brown and die, you may not have to dig up the whole tree, just cut off the dead leaves. It doesn't get cold enough in my part of California for that to be an issue with palms, though travel a few miles into the mountains and you can forget about growing palms altogether, because it's too cold.

[Chuco]

I've seen a few of those here and there, in fact a neighbor of mine has one. I like em and hopefully more people can plant those throughout the city.

[SW Desert Dweller]

I agree, the Canary Island Date palms (Phoenix palms) are more cold hardy than the ubiquitous Mexican Fan Palms that are planted here. Those same Mexican Fan Palms were the ones that took the worst beating during the last deep freeze.

California Fan Palms (generally shorter, fatter, and slower growing) and established Phoenix palms held up surprisingly well. Others that generally held up well were European palms, windmill palms, and needle palms. Much depended on where the palms were positioned (i. e., protected from the wind, southern exposures, etc.).

[UTEPAlum]

I highly recommend the Pindo Palm if you are interested in a feather leaf palm. I noticed the Pindo is starting to gain traction in El Paso. I have three and not one leaf turned brown over the last two winters.

[SW Desert Dweller]

I forgot about Pindo palms. Another great choice...

[9162]

Every Canary Island Date palm I've seen in EP has been young, none over four feet. I think many specimens are actually the dactylifera, the cousin of the Canary Island, this is the variety you see in Iraqi war/Middle East news coverage.