Cold Hardy Palms

[Jerry]

This link is excellent.  You may be very surprized

http://www.junglemusic.net/palmadvice/palms-coldhardy1.htm

[Esther]

Thanks Jerry. That was interesting.

[gander]

Thanks Jerry.

[CT]

I've seen some type of small fan palm grown up this far but most of them are wrapped for the winter. Interesting site. Thanks Jerry 

[Jerry]

Years ago on a visit to Vancouver BC I saw fan palms, Chamerops humillis.  I was startled, but sice then I have learned that many palms thrive in Ireland.

Vancouver has a relatively mild climate.  It is also a beautiful place.
Joyce overwinters bananas in LI New York!  I hope to overwinter a Royal Ponciana tree.

[karen J]

That was very educational- thanks for posting it.

I was shocked to learn this:    

"Chamaerops humilis:  A green to silver-green fan leafed, suckering palm that gets to about 15 feet.  It tolerates dry, arid conditions and temperatures to about 5 degrees.  Common name is Mediterranean Fan Palm."
   
If I were only in a slightly warmer zone, I could actually grow it. 

I wonder if I could winter it over in my garage? 

[Jerry]

 a tough one for Northern IL  maybe near a hot water heater and some light?
If you can pull it off ,when spring comes you will be the talk of the town!

[Joyce]

I am growing one in the ground, and it has survived 2 winters now.

Karen, yup, it would survive the garage.

Or you could do what I do with my inground tropicals...
I put big black bags or lawn leaves over them, about 3 feet deep or more.
Gives us something to do with our bagged leaves.
And the tropicals come back.
And them in the spring, we empty the bags behind our property line trees.
It's pretty broken down after fall through winter in the bags...and makes a nice mulch.

[Jerry]

Joyce you answered my question that was yet to be asked.
How do I mulch my Roya Ponciana this winter?
My plan was to use lots of straw.  I have 3 big bales.  I think the black plastic is for the heat holding properties?  Do advise, please

[Teresa]

Great link, but it didn't cover my sago palms.  I've read that they are hardy enough to take a freeze, but I've never seen any in Atlanta, so I don't know if they are hardy here.  I have a buncha seedlings, so I was wondering . . . .

[LilithFair]

Jerry,
I have utilized the Jungle Music site for about 6 years now. Its nice that you brought it to the attention of everyone. I grow many "rare" and "endangered" palms in my greenhouse. (I have about 70 different palms). I also have palms in my yard. I would NEVER buy from Jungle Music (they are WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too expensive) but they are a great guideline to use if you are interested in Palms.
If you want to BUY, try Kapoho Palms or Floribunda Palms and Exotics in Hawaii. They both have about a $100 minimum, but well worth it. If you believe you have "time on your side" and don't feel you have to get huge specimen plants, you can get many rare and endangered palm seedlings from these 2 superlative nurseries for mere pennies. All you have to have is a commitment to grow the plants to maturity.

[Joyce]

Teresa, I think Sago Palms would do just fine there.
Mine took quite a few winters in NC where it got down into the upper teens a few nights.
Would turn COMPLETELY brown and look DEAD, then in mid April, brand new 'fronds' would emerge.
We rarely got below 25 on our coldest nights.
Most nights hovered around freezing.
But they did survived several nights in the upper teens, for years.
They were not protected at all.

Jerry, the black plastic just happens to be the color of most lawn bags around here.
They are absorb heat, which in turn heats up the leaves inside, which then start composting, making their own heat.
The bags, on the winter mornings, if you turned them over, would steam.
And I could always find an earthworm or two underneath them to treat my indoor fish.
It's also how I overwintered my Gunnera too.

Also that variegated ginger that I posted a pic of last week, stayed in the ground all winter,
mulched with big lawn bags full of leaves.

[Teresa]

Think I'll just bring them indoors till they are a bit bigger then plant them in Florida.  I found a link where it said they are common in Houston and can take freezing weather, but haven't seen anyone use them here, so not sure.  Since I have a bunch, maybe I'll try one or two . . . .

[Jerry]

Lillith I will look them up.  Sounds good.  I am getting "
long in the tooth" but I am an optimist.

Thanks Joyce

[GAJen]

My Sago's have done fine but we stay warmer down here Teresa than you and Shae does. I have two planted at the end of the walkway.

[Jerry]

Lilith I have seen the sites and bookmarked them.  Very good!  i am a patient guy!