Washingtonia Robusta in Virginia Zone 7a/7b?

[PalmTreeDude]

I was thinking in March that I would plant a Washingtonia robusta here in Virginia (zone 7a/7b). Do you think I should do it? Of course, every winter (starting in early November, when tempature start getting below freezing) I would protect it. I heard they are a good palm to protect in this zone because every spring, since they are so fast growing, they come back nicely and look great in summer. That would really be an eye catcher here. What do you think?

Edited January 6, 2017 by PalmTreeDude

[DCA_Palm_Fan]

5 minutes ago, PalmTreeDude said:

I was thinking in March that I would plant a Washingtonia robusta here in Virginia (zone 7a/7b). Do you think I should do it? Of course, every winter (starting in early November, when tempature start getting below freezing) I would protect it. I heard they are a good palm to protect in this zone because every spring, since they are so fast growing, they come back nicely and look great in summer. That would really be an eye catcher here. What do you think?

They are nothing more than annuals even in VA Beach. Just gets too cold still.  So just as a palm in general, no, but you know that already.

 You could protected it yes, and it may grow a little sower in these zones, but at some point it will become too big to protect and it would die.  That said, they are very cheap so maybe it would be a good experiment to see how large you can get it before you cant protect it, and see if once its larger it  will survive with minimal or no protection.  So why not?  The worst you have to lose is the cost of the palm, and in the end you will have either developed a good protection system for larger palms, or will have built something big and light enough it an be used on others long after its gone.   IF you do do it please make a thread and keep it updated year in and year out.  Def would be an interesting item to follow over time! 

[PalmTreeDude]

56 minutes ago, DCA_Palm_Fan said:

They are nothing more than annuals even in VA Beach. Just gets too cold still.  So just as a palm in general, no, but you know that already.

 You could protected it yes, and it may grow a little sower in these zones, but at some point it will become too big to protect and it would die.  That said, they are very cheap so maybe it would be a good experiment to see how large you can get it before you cant protect it, and see if once its larger it  will survive with minimal or no protection.  So why not?  The worst you have to lose is the cost of the palm, and in the end you will have either developed a good protection system for larger palms, or will have built something big and light enough it an be used on others long after its gone.   IF you do do it please make a thread and keep it updated year in and year out.  Def would be an interesting item to follow over time! 

Yes, once it gets big to the point where I can't protect it, I know it would die, I am fine with that though, it will still be awesome! Look at the links below, they are great.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/local/for-some-washington-area-gardeners-paradise-lost/2015/04/19/5f323b76-e226-11e4-905f-cc896d379a32_story.html?client=safari

 

https://youtu.be/oT0H6IzsOQc

 

 

[Ponds & Palms]

12 minutes ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Yes, once it gets big to the point where I can't protect it, I know it would die, I am fine with that though, it will still be awesome! Look at the links below, they are great.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/local/for-some-washington-area-gardeners-paradise-lost/2015/04/19/5f323b76-e226-11e4-905f-cc896d379a32_story.html?client=safari

 

https://youtu.be/oT0H6IzsOQc

 

 

I had two Mexican fan palms in NC zone 7b they both died a few years back... they were nice, but even when protected they still lost all fronds in the winter, come spring they looked awful...lol.

[NorCalKing]

2 hours ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Yes, once it gets big to the point where I can't protect it, I know it would die, I am fine with that though, it will still be awesome! Look at the links below, they are great.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/local/for-some-washington-area-gardeners-paradise-lost/2015/04/19/5f323b76-e226-11e4-905f-cc896d379a32_story.html?client=safari

 

https://youtu.be/oT0H6IzsOQc

 

 

That first story was hilarious!

[Joe NC]

I'm in zone 8a and I have been protecting my Washy each year with Christmas lights, a thermo-cube, and a wrap temporary when it is forecast to go below 20.  I have been doing this with the intentions of getting it well established and then letting it go unprotected once it is big enough (and to much of a pain in the butt to protect) to hopefully not die.  It's a "fillabusta" so I think it should live here in 8a, just defoliate?  I was going to put it to the test with this weekend's terrible forecast (ice storm then low of 14-17 depending on what website you believe).  I thought the previous winter would be the last time I would be able to actually wrap up this palm due to it's size now...then this morning I chickened out and managed to get it wrapped up with lights one more time...  It was a bloody battle, and I ended up sacrificing the lower 2/3 of the fronds.  I had to use the fully extended 10' pole saw to lift the frost cloths over the top of of the tallest fronds (I'm 6').  My scheme has worked to keep it green through each winter, and I just can't bring myself to let it get defoliated when I know an hour of work, two or three nights a year will keep it green.  Next year I am really going to have to just let it just freeze and loose it's fronds.. It's been a lot of work to come this far, and I will be sad to have to chansaw it's dead carcass out of there if it turns out to not handle the winter unprotected.

 

Pic of last year's "pretty" protection.  This year it has grown so much more, and the wrap is way more ugly, but I will snap a pic.

   

 

Pre-protection and looking great this fall.

[DCA_Palm_Fan]

19 hours ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Yes, once it gets big to the point where I can't protect it, I know it would die, I am fine with that though, it will still be awesome! Look at the links below, they are great.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/local/for-some-washington-area-gardeners-paradise-lost/2015/04/19/5f323b76-e226-11e4-905f-cc896d379a32_story.html?client=safari

 

https://youtu.be/oT0H6IzsOQc

 

 

Never said DONT do it.  Just gave my opinion.  From the WaPo article (many of the comments on that article are from some hateful people / deniers)  we see that it did in fact die.  Still cool though. A labour of love for sure.  Me, well I might do it with some windmills, but my solution is to move to a more palm friendly climate which will be happening. .   Just protect that puppy and maybe youll have one just as large!   It will be interesting to watch over time for sure! 

[sashaeffer]

Try it. When you cover it up at the end of the season give it a hurricane cut so In the spring it will spend most of the summer growing back fronds and not increasing in height..as fast.

Few years ago saw on here a guy in Michigan that did exactly this and his was bout 10ft tall.

[PalmTreeDude]

3 hours ago, DCA_Palm_Fan said:

Never said DONT do it.  Just gave my opinion.  From the WaPo article (many of the comments on that article are from some hateful people / deniers)  we see that it did in fact die.  Still cool though. A labour of love for sure.  Me, well I might do it with some windmills, but my solution is to move to a more palm friendly climate which will be happening. .   Just protect that puppy and maybe youll have one just as large!   It will be interesting to watch over time for sure! 

The video is actually of a different palm than the article. Just in case anyone is confused. 

[PalmTreeDude]

3 hours ago, DCA_Palm_Fan said:

Never said DONT do it.  Just gave my opinion.  From the WaPo article (many of the comments on that article are from some hateful people / deniers)  we see that it did in fact die.  Still cool though. A labour of love for sure.  Me, well I might do it with some windmills, but my solution is to move to a more palm friendly climate which will be happening. .   Just protect that puppy and maybe youll have one just as large!   It will be interesting to watch over time for sure! 

Sorry for quoting on that last reply, that one was for everyone.

[Jhonny]

There are several in Virginia Beach

[Alex High]

On 1/5/2017 at 9:03 PM, PalmTreeDude said:

Yes, once it gets big to the point where I can't protect it, I know it would die, I am fine with that though, it will still be awesome! Look at the links below, they are great.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/local/for-some-washington-area-gardeners-paradise-lost/2015/04/19/5f323b76-e226-11e4-905f-cc896d379a32_story.html?client=safari

 

https://youtu.be/oT0H6IzsOQc

 

 

I actually visited the garden mentioned in the first article a couple of days ago and spoke with the owner. His Washy got about 20 feet tall and then died, and all of his big windmills died, but he still has two needle palms one of which is at least 8 or 9 feet tall and of course lots of bananas. He also has a massive sago palm which is over 40 years old and 10 feet tall and was completely protected and covered when I was there. He also said he has a 500-600 pound pindo palm that he brings out from his greenhouse every summer. I have videos of his garden in winter on my YouTube channel, PalmsUSA, and I will return in the warmer months to make videos of the pindo and other exotics. Thanks and take care!

PalmsUSA

[Alex High]

1 hour ago, Jhonny said:

There are several in Virginia Beach

Thank you so much for sharing this, it is quite interesting because I went on Google Maps and saw that most of these have been there for a few years, at least since 2007 when the older Street View was. The question is: do all of these really receive protection and if so to what kind? I am rather doubtful that all of these receive protection, but it is certainly possible. If they do not, then that would be quite surprising, because they all look pretty good. Either way it is awesome to see some big Washingtonia that far north! They are all located in the southern part of Virginia Beach which maybe has a warmer microclimate than the northern part. Thanks and take care!

PalmsUSA

I also found two other large Washys at a different home on Willowlawn Trail, near the Washy you found:

[WSimpson]

On 1/5/2017 at 7:53 PM, PalmTreeDude said:

I was thinking in March that I would plant a Washingtonia robusta here in Virginia (zone 7a/7b). Do you think I should do it? Of course, every winter (starting in early November, when tempature start getting below freezing) I would protect it. I heard they are a good palm to protect in this zone because every spring, since they are so fast growing, they come back nicely and look great in summer. That would really be an eye catcher here. What do you think?

I would go with Filibustas . They are hardier and some winters you wouldn't need to protect it because Filibustas are  hardy to 15F . Below is my Filibusta .

[Sudgary]

These finds are amazing! Would there be anyone close enough to verify they are still alive??

[climate change virginia]

watch james palms he grows mexican fan palms in ontario

[Jhonny]

I would think they would be harder to protect due to the leaves being so stiff in my opinion. And if they’re not that would open the door to more palms. I remember one of the restaurants planting queens every year and by the end of the winter, they were mostly dead but still looked like they had a bit of life in them so maybe in the future those can be grown too. I’m still surprised how they manage to grow in the part of the state even though it does still get cold. Check out my post on how sabal and pindo is reproducing everywhere. 
 

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/65455-sabal-palmetto-range-officially-extended-into-virginia-beach/

[Jhonny]

[Virginia Palmetto]

On 1/10/2021 at 1:14 PM, Sudgary said:

These finds are amazing! Would there be anyone close enough to verify they are still alive??

The three Washingtonias at 1848 Fury Way are still thriving as of Spring 2020. My friend took a picture while doing a delivery. What a coincidence that I'd see these very palms in this forum! 

Washingtonia filibusta seems to be the best bet in this area if you're looking to grow a Washingtonia. The combined moisture tolerance of robusta with the cold hardiness of filifera make for a palm that can (usually) handle our cool, rainy winters. Most years they defoliate, but recover quickly by summer. Mine defoliate in the mid teens, but start pushing up new fronds by February.  By far the biggest test for Filibustas (and all subtropicals in this area) in recent years was the 2018 freeze/blizzard. Several areas in SE Virginia had close to record amounts of snow. Temperatures near the coast stayed just above 10 degrees, although I suspect it dropped well into the single digits at my house. None of my palms died, but by the following spring many palms in my area were severely damaged or killed, including Washingtonias, Butias, Sabal palmettos, Chamaerops, and even a few Trachys. Most of these deaths seemed to be a cumulative result of bad pruning practices, bad siting, plastic wrap, and other stress factors in addition to the unusually cold weather. As expected, established palms fared much better than those that were recently planted, and Sabals fared much better than Washingtonias. That said, even "bulletproof" palms like Windmills died that winter if they were over-pruned, and Sabals that were wrapped in plastic for "protection" rotted from the trapped moisture. 
 

[Virginia Palmetto]

On 1/5/2017 at 7:53 PM, PalmTreeDude said:

I was thinking in March that I would plant a Washingtonia robusta here in Virginia (zone 7a/7b). Do you think I should do it? Of course, every winter (starting in early November, when tempature start getting below freezing) I would protect it. I heard they are a good palm to protect in this zone because every spring, since they are so fast growing, they come back nicely and look great in summer. That would really be an eye catcher here. What do you think?

It's been a few years since your original post, but I decided to plant some Washingtonias here in Virginia (edge of zone 8a) in 2017. I found them at Home Depot labeled as Washintonia robusta, but I have a feeling they are Washingtonia filibusta hybrids based on appearance (Washingtonia hybrids occur frequently in the nursery trade).  I recommend Washingtonia filibusta because they are a little hardier than robusta here in VA. I usually wrap mine in pine straw and burlap (not plastic wrap like the VB ocean front does to their poor Sabals and Butias). Most years are so mild that wrapping my Washingtonias isn't necessary, but I do it as a precaution if I know I wont be in the area for winter. The first winter was rough though, and protection was absolutely necessary.  The temperature dropped to the single digits (possibly 6 or 7 degrees). Thankfully my palms were small enough that I was able to completely cover them in pine straw and construct makeshift cold frames over them using tomato supports and trash bags to keep snow and ice off of them. Since then, winters have been mild, and this winter I don't plan on doing anything to protect them. Below is a photo of my Washingtonia duo as well as two other photos to demonstrate the growth of one Washingtonia after a single growing season (all those fronds were lost after that snow and replaced the following summer).

.

[climate change virginia]

a filibusta should be fine if you live in seva and get 8b winters a good amount of the time(which you do)

[Virginia Palmetto]

Some snowy Washingtonias. Thankfully it hasn't been cold enough to cause any real damage.