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One of the reasons Niagara has the highest hardiness zone in Ontario (with no urban heating) is because of the shielding effects of Lake Ontario. It's deeper waters allow it to rarely freeze-over during winter and keeps temps milder year-round. The best place to experiment would be right on the coast imo
South of Niagara is less likely to hold such plants due to Lake Erie's shallow waters. The lake often freezes during winter - but also has the warmest water of all the great lakes during summer (great for swimming)
As interesting as it would be to experiment with hardy plants, I like the Carolinian forests we have here natively (plants seen nowhere else in Canada such as the pawpaw tree). A lot of stuff 'appears' tropical enough for my liking:
I found this on wiki, not sure if completely true.
It is estimated that 90 per cent of Canada's Carolinian forest has already been destroyed.[1] The remaining portions, mostly scattered and disconnected, continue to be threatened by human development. One of the best preserved areas of Canada's Carolinian forest is located at Rondeau Provincial Park near Morpeth, Ontario and the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve near Niagara Falls, Ontario.[2]
^ Most of what has been destroyed is filled with fruit fields and wineries now (there was not much of the Carolinian forests here to begin with). Niagara has huge reserves though - I still get lost in the gorge
Regardless, every tree/plant I posted in those pics (expect pawpaw) exist as far north as Ottawa
Last edited by Humid Subtropical; 01-12-2013 at 12:47 PM..
The Pawpaw in the photo isn't the one native to Ontario. It's a mountain pawpaw (actually a Papaya) and comes from tropical high altitude regions in South America. It wouldn't take much frost to kill them outright. I've got a few here and they crop heavily, but the rats and possums get most of them.
I wouldn't mind trying a Mazari palm if I could get one. I've got a Sabal minor that grows well - it doesn't need to be as hot for them as the other Sabals.
I would like to see the forest in your area during summer.
The species of Paw paw that is native to Ontario is Asmina Triloba
It ranges from east Texas to extreme SW Ontario,
in Ontario it is found mainly in Sarnia area.
Mori Nursery in Niagara on the Lake is very good. Staff very knowledgeable.
I bought a few plants there a few years ago.
I'll stiop by this spring, see if they have any paw paws,
check out the windmill palms too.
Humber Nursery in NW Toronto area is good too. They might also have windmill palms for sale.
Please check to see if there are windmill palms planted on ground, BIG ones according to one poster. Please ask how the protect them (burlap, light bulps etc or nothing at all).
I will be surprised that these BIG windmill palms are planted in Niagara On The Lake without anyone posting their pictures online !? The biggest I have seen posted online was someone in Hamilton, the trunk is about 3 foot tall, plus leaves about 1-2 foot tall, about 5 feet in height with lots of snow in his backyard.
If I go to Niagara Falls, it will probably be in the fall, can't wait to see pictures or info about these BIG windmill palms in the spring as it's still a myth (BIG ones) so far !
OK, after this post:
Just as a bit of information....I saw Trachycarpus fortunei....BIG ones....at Mori nursery outside Niagara on the Lake last August......
Then someone asked:
Really...how big? Niagara-On-
The-Lake is closer to zone 7A, but a Trachy should do fine here too. Given the right protection they should be fine
Then the poster replied:
If I remember correctly, they had a couple of HUGE (15 foot plus) palms, but also smaller ones in the nursery. You should be able to find something in one of the Toronto nurseries, or order from Tropic to Tropic plants in BC. I've always been happy with what I get from them.
Then someone asked:
Hey Don, were they outside and planted in the ground? Thats soo cool!!
There are established Southern Magnolia and Monkey Puzzle Trees in the Niagara on the Lake area, I've seen them. One Southern Magnolia in Niagara on the Lake is visible on Google Earth streetview at 43°15'25.91" N 79°04'48.63" W
Needle Palms and Sabal Minor are certainly possible because they are Zone 6B plants and Niagara on the Lake is solidly Zone 6B.
Trachycarpus Fortunei is very unlikely unprotected because they are Zone 7B plants. I'm in Zone 7A on Long Island, NY and I've planted them twice. Both times they lived about 5 years before surcoming to a bad winter (Below 5F). I never protected them. They tend to get leaf damage at 10F and die at 5F. Niagara on the Lake hits those temps a little too often.
A subtropical climate should NOT have winter highs going below 19C (66F) for at least two months, if not one.
Sorry - That means Sydney, Perth, Newcastle, Sochi, southern Europe, parts of LA, USA's east coast and Buenos Ares are not subtropical but 'warm temperate' (except, NYC should be humid continental though). Btw, true subtropical climates are experienced in cities like Brisbane, Orlando, Tampa, Taipei, Ho Chi Minh City, Porto Alegre, Durban and Grafton.
A subtropical climate should NOT have winter highs going below 19C (66F) for at least two months, if not one.
Sorry - That means Sydney, Perth, Newcastle, Sochi, southern Europe, parts of LA, USA's east coast and Buenos Ares are not subtropical but 'warm temperate' (except, NYC should be humid continental though). Btw, true subtropical climates are experienced in cities like Brisbane, Orlando, Tampa, Taipei, Ho Chi Minh City, Porto Alegre, Durban and Grafton.
Warm temperate isn't a climate type though, rather just a broad description that says nothing about a climate, except that it gets warm summers.
You're trying to create a new climate group by mixing up Mediterranean climates, with summer rainfall maximum climates. It's really just a temperature grouping, and won't provide much of an understanding of the inherent nature of the climates involved.
Remember that subtropical climates are transitional, and should show strong aspects of seasonality.
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