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I know they grow in Brownsville and Tampa, which lightly freeze in about 1/3 or 1/2 of years respectively. Although both have warmer winter means, only very slightly: 2.5F warmer for Brownsville and 2.15F warmer for Tampa. Even nearby Phoenix, which has lower winter means and freezes as often as Brownsville, is still suitable for many drought-tolerant tropical plants like lemons, saguaros, aloes, dragonfruits, acacias, etc.
While Yuma is noticeably further north, it's still further south than Newport Beach, CA (which had one for years) and at quite a low overall latitude. Also, Yuma is EXTREMELY sunny year-round compared to almost anywhere else, even when you consider that U.S. sunshine hours probably read a few hundred too high, so that could counteract some of the usual effect lower winter sun has on coconut palms in Bermuda and Southern California.
Of course, I know they wouldn't grow without some serious irrigation. That would be difficult anyways, as the Colorado River doesn't usually flow that far, and it'd probably be illegal even if it did. However, I mean theoretically, if there was enough water and it could be legally obtained, could they?
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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No, soil temp gets too low in southern AZ here, we don't have the warm spells that the RGV or Central Florida do in the winter with 60°F to 70°F lows. Even on days in winter that hit 80°F, lows are usually 50°F to maybe 55°F. And vast majority of nights are in the 40's, which is below optimum for Coco's (which don't like temps below 50°F)
Even in cent FL they get killed back whenever we get below 28f for a few hours. Over the last 30 years they have been growing more north on the coast. They can do great and then one nite of 20's and it's over. Back in the 1980's with the super freezes they were killed south of Sarasota.
Yuma? Highly unlikely they’re viable even there. As other members have alluded to, coconuts aren’t even reliably winter hardy in Tampa Florida or extreme southern Texas.
Yes, Yuma is doable in theory. There a few specimens (unicorns really) in and around the Coachella Valley area in ideal air drained slopes (thermal belts). Look much better than the one in Newport ever did (rip).
However, it looks like Yuma is prone to long stretches of highs in the 60s that aren't as common in central FL or southern Tx. Cold weather/freeze in those areas is usually followed by a rapid warmup into the 70s and 80s (warm nights too) that help to mitigate some of the effect of cold/chill.
By the way, comparing coconuts to lemons and saguaros is a meaningless comparison.
Once upon a time, (2009) I lived in Zone 9A. South Florida.
A cold front came through... I had a 3 year old coconut palm. It hit frost for about 3 hrs. It burned my coconut palm.
I dug it up next morning and moved it to my friends' house, 20 miles below me, and in Zone 10.
Next year, the Federal government declared me Zone 9B. Started a new coconut palm. It's been living here ever since.
They. hate. frost. It burns them. Too heavy, it's dead. At the roots.
*The palm I gave my friend made it. In Zone 10A.
It wasn't so much irrigation, as temperature, imho.
Once upon a time, (2009) I lived in Zone 9A. South Florida.
A cold front came through... I had a 3 year old coconut palm. It hit frost for about 3 hrs. It burned my coconut palm.
I dug it up next morning and moved it to my friends' house, 20 miles below me, and in Zone 10.
Next year, the Federal government declared me Zone 9B. Started a new coconut palm. It's been living here ever since.
They. hate. frost. It burns them. Too heavy, it's dead. At the roots.
*The palm I gave my friend made it. In Zone 10A.
It wasn't so much irrigation, as temperature, imho.
I had one in Tampa for many years when i lived by the airport. Anytime it got below 32f i used a electro blanket. After i moved in 04 it got killed in 2010. Once they get too tall there is no way to cover them.
With less and less temps below 32f they will keep growing more north until that one nite that kills them if ever gets in the 20's again. No 30's at all last winter and looks like none this year as well as it keeps warming up year after year.
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