palms in louisville (growing, Hibiscus, violet, south)

[mdawg]

i live in Louisville (kentucky) and i was wondering what kind of palms and other tropical plants i could plant outside and keep them outside all year round.(if any) Louisville is located in zone 6 but on the newest map i looked at it says Louisville is in zone 7. So if anyone could help me out and give me some tips thatd be great

[Ohiogirl81]

Gosh, you're right ... Every map is different! Good grief ...

There's a hardy banana palm (inedible fruit) that you can get from catalogues -- my neighbor in Cincinnati had one, and she didn't plant it in a protected area, either. It was about 12 feet tall. I think there are some hibiscus varieties that you can plant in Zone 6 as well. The more protected the area, and the more you mulch it in the winter, the more likely the plant will survive.

Did you try the extension service? They know everything ...

Good luck!

[Cattknap]

I was at a plant show at Locust Grove (historic site in Louisville) in May. There were vendors there selling elephant ears - really wonderful ones there - they can be grown in Louisville...not sure if they die back in the winter and come back in the warm months, but they are perennials in Louisville.

The way to find out what grows in Louisville is to talk to a garden expert that actually lives there. Usually master garden programs are run through college extensions....I'd do a search and make a few phone calls. I'll bet they would have lists of tropicals or sub-tropicals that may do well in Louisville.

[skytrekker]

Louisville is a zone 6/7

If you like palms there are several you can try. These plants will give your garden a temperate/sub tropical look and wow your friends and guests.

1. Trachycarpus Fortunei- a fan palm from Asia- can be bought on line from e bay. Tough cold tolerant to about 0-5 degrees. Should be protected the first several winters. Plant in an optimum situation. These palms can tolerate cold and a covering of snow.

Trachycarpus Takil and TrachycarpusWagnerianus (stiff leaf form-very attractive) and The 'Taylor' form are variations and perhaps a few degrees more cold hardy. I grow the Fortunei and 'Waggie' in CT- and they have survived winters here in the ground. I am a zone 6/7 also.

hardiestpalms.com :: Trachycarpus fortunei (http://www.hardiestpalms.com/Tfortunei/index.html - broken link)
Trachycarpus fortunei - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2.Sabal Minor and Sabal McCurtain- the dwarf blue fan leafed palm native to the American SE- cold hardy to zero (the minor) and below zero the 'McCurtain'. Very slow growing, needs lots of heat in the summer. Forms 'Louisiana' and 'Birmingham' grow a little larger and develop a small trunk-but are a wee less cold hardy.

hardiestpalms.com :: Sabal minor (http://www.hardiestpalms.com/Sminor/index.html - broken link)
Dwarf Palmetto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

3. 'Needle Palm' from the American southeast- clumping green leafed fan palm, trunk less- slow growing- hardy to zero or below.
Rhapidophyllum hystrix - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
hardiestpalms.com

All these palms can be bought on line- many from e bay.

[mdawg]

thanks a lot ill have to look into them on e-bay or maybe they will have some at a greenhouse around here

[cjsammons]

I set out 3 Sabal Mccurtains last summer in south central Kentucky about two hours drive from the Ville. I didn't protect them any over the winter. I wanted them to sink or swim. All three of them survived the winter and they look pretty good right now. I set one of them on the wind-protected side of the house and two on the windward side of the house. The wind-protected side looks just a touch bit better than the other two (which still looks pretty good).