Growing Tropicals / Palm trees in Houston (Victoria, Bellaire: new home, gated, live)

[bmglab]

I discovered shortly after moving to Houston that it is an excellent place to grow some really awesome plants. Because of Houston’s proximity to the gulf of Mexico, the climate in Houston is tropical nearly year round. Similar climates (humid subtropical) are usually only seen at much lower latitudes <25, but with the buffering from gulf water, like Florida, winters here are nearly non-existent. The Houston area gets around 40-50 inches annually of precipitation allowing for rapid growth of palms and Texas natives such as live oaks. The climate is mild enough to grow tropicals common in Florida, California (USDA hardiness zones 9 and even10 (with care)). Houston (zone 9a) does have microclimates limiting the potential for growing some tender plants north of the 10 (zone 8b). Detailed hardiness maps can be found at http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-sm1.html
Of course hardy Palm trees and sub-tropical plants can be grown in Houston (Windmill Palm, Canary Island, Mexican Fan Palms) with little effort, but it is possible to grow less hardy tropical palms such as the Queen Palm, Pygmy date Palm, Fishtail Palm and even with careful care the majestic Royal Palms found throughout the tropics. Growing Cycads such as Sago Palms (not a true palm) is also very common to the area. Growing more tender tropicals found in Florida, California and Hawaii such as Philodendrons, Variegated gingers, Elephant ears, Banana tress/plants, Plumarias is easily accomplished with a little care and a little winter protection. Growing tropical flowers/flowering plants such as Ixora, bugoneus, impatiens and hibiscus are common to the area although some will freeze back in the winter. Ixora are a great plant I recently discovered in Mexico and Hawaii. They are available in Houston, have the most amazing clumps of flowers (bright red, orange) and are easy to grow in our climate.
The biggest limiting factors for growing palms and other tropicals in Houston are occasional cold weather (freezes), soil management, and fertilization. Growing Queen Palms throughout Houston is new to many people including myself and you coud see evidence of this throughout the city by the presence of yellow palm trees. Most palms and tropicals like well drained acidic soil. Houston’s soil is generally alkaline and is a clay that has terrible drainage. It is important that plants and palms are planted above the ground a high quality soil and fertilized with a good time release Palm/Ixora fertilizer, never use a liquid fertilizer. Good palm fertilizers (usually 5-5-5,7-7-7, etc.) can be expensive, but have the necessary minor trace elements such as manganese which is necessary for the plant. Regular light mulching 1-2 a year helps acidify the soil and provide other nutrients the plants will need to thrive. Unfertilized palms in poor soil have fronds that range from light green to bright yellow. Such treatment will eventually kill Palms (especially Queen and Royal Palms). A condition known as frizzle top is common among these palms and once they have it, they are dead. These conditions can be totally avoided by regular fertilization regimens in the spring-summer, early fall. All the advice I have received with regards to growing plants in Houston comes from Teas nursery, the international Palm society (internet web pages) and the numerous tropical nurseries in Florida. Good luck!

[Redrover]

Wow, who knew? I am not a big horticulturalist and in fact can't grow much of anything but you have obviously done your research. This is great information for someone who would like to grow palms.

[TootsieWootsie]

I had a bungalow in Bellaire, and a friend planted a baby split leaf philodendum in the front yard. It go so BIG (8 feet or so) and protruded out so far that I would take a Ginzu knife every year at the beginning of summer and the end of summer and cut maybe a dozen leafs off from the stem. No kidding Houston is fantastic for plants...I loved it.
Lived there 21 years, and I really don't think anything in my yard died due to freeze. And I just love plants, so my yard was just A plus with a front yard garden.
By the way, I did cover some of my plants with sheets--do not use plastic--on the really bad and rare ice freezing nights.
One of the only things I miss about Houston--other than walking/running Memorial Park--are the mindblowing flora and fauna. This city is a real plant lover paradise!!!!

[bmglab]

Below are some helpful websites for growing tropicals in Houston:


http://www.junglemusic.net/ (great Palm info, but very expensive and small plants)

http://www.zone9tropicals.com/ (growing plants in zone 9)

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.htm
(local gulf coast gardening topics)

http://mgonline.com/index.html

[ColdCanadian]

What about Chinese Fan Palms?

That's my most favorite fan palm so far. They have very bright green leaves with green-yellow stalks covered in large brown saw teeth. I believe they grow slowly and don't get very tall, but I love their look. They are also quite cold hardy. I've seen a fair number of photos with them as far north as Charleston, SC.

I also have a picture of one on my MSN from Ft. Lauderdale.

[bmglab]

I agree, Chinese Fan Pan palms are really spetacular. You know them by their characteristic 'windmill like' distribution of the leaves and hairy trunk. The great thing is that many species are hardy to 8a (or even 7b). You have to be careful (if you live North of Houston) though because some Chinese Fan Palms are less hardy to zones 9ab. The most common variety, I think, in our area is called, Trachycarpus fortunei and is usually sold as a Windmill/Chinese Fan palm. These Palms are really easy to take care of and grow. They never need any protection in our area and growing them is very easy. Fan palms in general are more cold hardy than the feather, pinnate palms. If you notice most of the native palms in California and Texas are fan palms. They actually have fan palms growing as far north as Victoria Island, B.C.

[ColdCanadian]

I've heard of a totally different palm called the "windmill palm." It's Latin name starts with "Tra... something" It's hardier than the Chinese fan palm and have seen it much further inland in South Carolina, but it's not as interesting looking to me.

It has leaves of maybe only one shade of green and it could be a dull green. It still has saw teeth, but they're green too. It's trunk is all brown, often furry and it's narrower at it's base so it looks strangely top heavy. From a distance it only has two distinct colours; green and brown.

Do you know of this palm too?

Oh, what about "Pindo Palms?"

It is like a date palm, but not related to the date palm family. It's also fairly cold hardy and it's the only date-like palm I've seen around coastal SC and NC. I heard it's from South America and that it's fruit, which is bright orange to yellow-ornage, it ripens in summer is possibly edible.

[bmglab]

You are absolutely correct. My error for lumping the two together (Windmill and Chinese Palm)! The elegant Chinese fan palm (Livistona chinensis) is similar but much more interesting than the common Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei).
Pindo Palms are very cold tolerant, but I find them boring and have not planted any. They are pinnate as opposed to fanned and the fronds are a cool blueish color. The fronds also curve in on themselves in a bizzare kind of way. If there were such thing as an arctic or Yukon Territories Palm the Pindo is how I would imagine it! I guess it would be a good option if I lived in zone 7. The Canary Island (we have two) and the true date palms that I find way more interesting could not survive the cold the Pindo can. I'll get back to you this weekend on some of those other palms.

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by bmglab

The Canary Island (we have two) and the true date palms that I find way more interesting could not survive the cold the Pindo can.

I'll get back to you this weekend on some of those other palms.

I don't know if I've ever seen a Canary Island date palm in person. I've seen pictures in books and they look regal and HUGE; like 20-30 feet across. (HUGE being good, if you have the space.)

I did see some large date palms (unlabelled of course) in south Florida so maybe I have seen one.

[bmglab]

Originally Posted by ColdCanadian

I don't know if I've ever seen a Canary Island date palm in person. I've seen pictures in books and they look regal and HUGE; like 20-30 feet across. (HUGE being good, if you have the space.)

I did see some large date palms (unlabelled of course) in south Florida so maybe I have seen one.

My wife and I moved to our new home in Houston about 2.5 years ago. With .65 agres, I proceeded to plant several palms, but not the amazing Canary island. Queen Palms, Pigmy date palms, fan palms, cheap tropicals that grow fast, but not the Canary Island. My wife, not an avid gardener or palm freak like myself somehow fell in love with the Canary Island Palm. She became obsessed. I was surprised, yet strangely understood her fascination (I am sure the 'Cold Canadian' understands this too). Now we have two Canary Islands. The Canary Island is considered by many the most magnificent palm on the earth. They are probably also the most expensive palm, but can be grown easily in zones 7-10. The major limiting factor for growing this palm is not soil or temperature. Not disease prone. The difficultly my friends is the astronomical price. This palm is so popular, easy to grow and crazy amazing in its full glory. Las Vegas has swallowed them all. I spent $400 for both of my Canary Islands. They are only babies at about 4-5 ft trunk tall. You can get smaller Canary Islands though for $100-300. They are worth it. Get them, grow them, wait.... they are slooowww growers (do not even think about growing them from seeds). One thing to consider with growing these monsters is that they get to be huge. You need at least a 20 sq ft. free growing area for them. Supposedly they do well in dry climates, however, I have noticed that they do extremely well in Houston and north of this city to zone 7b. The only reason there are not more around town is Nevada!