And what this recent cold spell in Florida taught us was...

[ThunderSRQ]

I don't know if this has been stated yet in any of the (numerous) cold damage reports or not -- it seems that this cold event really reinforced the fact that the cold tolerance of a particular palm species cannot be determined by temperature alone (and this comes from someone who is "always asking" in the hopes that the cool/unusual palms I want to grow will make it in my yard).

You just can't determine how such a long cold spell (with very little warm-up during the days) will impact a palm as compared to a typical freeze event here (one or two nights and then temps in the 70's a couple days later). Although, since I planted a lot of stuff this past summer and was REALLY hoping for a good (aka freeze-free) winter this year to allow them a little size/strength before getting whacked (especially since we got hit hard by those unusual freeze events last year), at least, after this record-setting event, we should have a very clear picture about some marginal palms being totally OK (but, at the same time, really don't know for sure about some that end up not making it since this type of event most likely will not be repeated -- let me re-state that -- definitely will not be repeated... ).

I haven't posted pictures of my yard yet (since there's plenty of pictures of the destruction and it's depressing enough already...) but basically everything that wasn't under canopy protection was damaged (many/most quite severely) and many palms/plants under my huge live oak canopy also were impacted (in short, much worse than last year but most of the stuff out in the open was just planted this past summer). Since we're all now in the "just wait & see" mode re: what will come back OK, I'm mostly looking to things like when during the 12 day event that individual plants were impacted to help me decide if I try re-planting any favorites that end up not making it (please see previous note about how this will never happen again... ).

Most notable to me, although relatively few in number, were the unexpected cold tolerance success stories -- here is one (and I'm really hoping I don't jinx it by posting!). This Caryota ophiopellis (Snakeskin Fishtail Palm), which I thought was very marginal for my zone 9B, was just planted in June from a one gallon, uncovered during this event (but was under oak canopy), and I did pile mulch up around the base (pictures were taken today -- one week after the end of the cold event):

These two shots are the worst damage showing at this time

And here is the base with the mulch "blanket"

Tim

[mnorell]

Tim--

That's great news about this Caryota. I think we all assumed it was one of the most tender largely because it's so unique and beautiful. But do you know what temperature your garden experienced, and the duration on the worst days/nights? That would of course be very helpful. Were there any other surprises (successes or failures) you can determine at this early date?

[BeerPlant]

I don't know if this has been stated yet in any of the (numerous) cold damage reports or not -- it seems that this cold event really reinforced the fact that the cold tolerance of a particular palm species cannot be determined by temperature alone (and this comes from someone who is "always asking" in the hopes that the cool/unusual palms I want to grow will make it in my yard).

You just can't determine how such a long cold spell (with very little warm-up during the days) will impact a palm as compared to a typical freeze event here (one or two nights and then temps in the 70's a couple days later). Although, since I planted a lot of stuff this past summer and was REALLY hoping for a good (aka freeze-free) winter this year to allow them a little size/strength before getting whacked (especially since we got hit hard by those unusual freeze events last year), at least, after this record-setting event, we should have a very clear picture about some marginal palms being totally OK (but, at the same time, really don't know for sure about some that end up not making it since this type of event most likely will not be repeated -- let me re-state that -- definitely will not be repeated... ).

I haven't posted pictures of my yard yet (since there's plenty of pictures of the destruction and it's depressing enough already...) but basically everything that wasn't under canopy protection was damaged (many/most quite severely) and many palms/plants under my huge live oak canopy also were impacted (in short, much worse than last year but most of the stuff out in the open was just planted this past summer). Since we're all now in the "just wait & see" mode re: what will come back OK, I'm mostly looking to things like when during the 12 day event that individual plants were impacted to help me decide if I try re-planting any favorites that end up not making it (please see previous note about how this will never happen again... ).

Most notable to me, although relatively few in number, were the unexpected cold tolerance success stories -- here is one (and I'm really hoping I don't jinx it by posting!). This Caryota ophiopellis (Snakeskin Fishtail Palm), which I thought was very marginal for my zone 9B, was just planted in June from a one gallon, uncovered during this event (but was under oak canopy), and I did pile mulch up around the base (pictures were taken today -- one week after the end of the cold event):

These two shots are the worst damage showing at this time

And here is the base with the mulch "blanket"

Tim

Thats a nice moral victory!! Especially considering my one Caryota Obtusa (which was larger) completely burnt to a crisp and kicked it! Of course im a little colder near Brandon. Nice and surprising!

[happ]

I love caryota. Glad your ophiopellis nicely survived.

[ThunderSRQ]

Tim--

That's great news about this Caryota. I think we all assumed it was one of the most tender largely because it's so unique and beautiful. But do you know what temperature your garden experienced, and the duration on the worst days/nights? That would of course be very helpful. Were there any other surprises (successes or failures) you can determine at this early date?

Sorry -- should have included this information in my original post:

Here in my yard, the recent record 12 day cold event in Florida included 6 nights at or below freezing (one night with 10 hours, two nights with 8 hours, and one night with 5 hours at or below freezing), 6 frost events (2 heavy), one day that was in the mid 30's all day (the high temp was 45 at 12:01 AM and then it plummented very quickly), and two nights that the low temp was 29 degrees.

Other success stories (no damage showing at this time -- one week after the end of the cold event) include the following (all of which are small or very small and were recently planted):

All of these had the mulch "blanket" and were under the live oak canopy (some were covered, as well, but I don't know if the cover did any good with the almost complete lack of daytime warm-up)

Areca vestiaria - maroon leaf (single trunk) -- decent sized/robust 3 gallon planted last June

Areca vestiaria – orange (clumping) -- same as maroon

Basselinia Gracilis -- very small (planted from 4" pot last May), this one also was covered with a plastic pot

Calyptrocalyx 'yamutumune' -- 3 gallon size transplanted from cfkingfish's yard in July

Chelyocarpus chuco -- very small one gallon size planted in July (also covered with a pot)

Colpothrinax cookii -- 3 gallon size planted last June

Dypsis ambositrae -- very small (planted from a 4" pot last June), was covered with a pot

Dypsis Mananjarensis ‘mealy bug’ -- very small (planted from 4" pot last May -- did not appear to grow at all last summer), was covered with a pot

Dypsis pilulifera ‘orange crush’ -- 3 gallon size planted last June

Dypsis sp. ‘pink crownshaft’ (Neophloga pink crownshaft) -- TINY palm -- this little guy has been just barely hanging in there with only one partially brown leaf and one green spear ever since it was planted (as a strap seedling) last May. As far as I can tell, it still looks "good" (meaning no decline from it's previous condition) and it was covered with a pot.

Licuala ‘pre-ati’ -- 1 gallon size planted last June (also covered with a pot)

Licuala ramsayi -- 3 gallon planted in June

Pelagodoxa henryana -- large 3 gallon size planted last August (was covered by a plastic garbage can)

Pinanga caesia -- large 1 gallon or small 3 gallon size, planted last July (and was covered with a cardborad box)

Minor damage to:

Dypsis crinita -- 3 gallon planted in May

Dypsis utilis -- 3 gallon planted in June

The following were completely undamaged and were left out, uncovered, and still in pots (all were under tree canopy):

Crysophila stauracantha -- large 3 gallon

Cryosophila warscewiczii -- large 3 gallon

Dypsis arenarum (sand palm) -- 1 gallon

Dypsis baronii -- 1 gallon

As far as failures I didn't expect (although this is pretty hard to judge based upon the severity of this cold event), my small 3 gallon size Licuala spinosa took a pretty hard hit (I thought this was a relatively cold-hardy palm and could take several degrees of frost -- it was under high pine canopy and shouldn't have gotten frost, did look good until the end of the cold event, and then was still slow to turn but may end up almost completely brown), my large 3 gallon size Caryota gigas is the only palm that now has fairly "mushy" fronds (it was out in the open & exposed for one frost event and then covered for the rest -- Eric said the one at his Mom's in Orlando only had slight damage - ?), and my 7' tall Coccothrinax crinita old man palm hybrid (that I worked VERY hard to move from it's former location about 100 miles away) got bronzed in last year's freeze and took until the very end of the year to look decent agian and it's now all bronzed again...

Tim

[Gallop]

That's great news about this Caryota. I think we all assumed it was one of the most tender largely because it's so unique and beautiful. But do you know what temperature your garden experienced, and the duration on the worst days/nights? That would of course be very helpful. Were there any other surprises (successes or failures) you can determine at this early date?

[Central Floridave]

thanks for the info. I have five Caryota ophiopellis planted out that are much smaller than what is in the photo above. All five look to have survived but do have slight bronzing of the fronds. My low was around 30 or so with my bird bath frozen over. Some of them were under open sky and others under a little more oak protection. It looks like Caryota ophiopellis may have a little bit of freeze tolerance. (knock on wood).

[DoomsDave]

Thunder:

That Caryota Opie is gorgeous! Looks like it came through very well.

You have inspired me to experiment, muah ha ha . . . .

[Dave-Vero]

My back and side yards are bit shady from laurel oaks, so only a few palms have full exposure to the night sky. Our coldest night during the Cold Spell was 28 at 10:30, then up to 32 or 33, then back to 29 near dawn. The coldest other night was 30. Little or no frost, quite a lot of wind. Given all that wind, it turned out that even partial canopy was beneficial. I've been pretty conservative about what's planted in the yard.

Palms looking fine or only slightly fazed include:

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (2)

A. tuckeri (3) One has a bit of damage. It's in a position with lots of exposure to the night sky.

Syagrus schizophylla partly sheltered by Archontophoenix.

Carpentaria acuminata (2). One has moderate leaf browning on older leaves, but the browning doesn't seem to be worsening.

Dypsis carlsmithii (partial oak canopy overhead). This is about a 4' plant, not trunking yet.

Dypsis plumosa (D. "fine leaf" or "fakey ambositrae").

Dypsis cf. madagascarensis (need flowers for full identification. It has a few brown spots)

Coccothrinax crinita hybrid (young plant, no shelter)

Coccothrinax spissa (baby)

Coccothrinax cf. barbadensis. 4 ft. plant. Some browning/mottling of old leaves. Young leaves look fine. Partial oak canopy overhead

Coccothrinax x Zombia (looks like a Coccothrinax, silver leaves, vigorous 5' plant). No damage

Ptychosperma elegans (solitaire) (leaves are yellowing noticeably)

Chamaedorea metallica (several). Slight browning.

Chamaedorea seifritzii (2). Slight browning. In the ground only 2 years, doing well among small heliconas.

Crysophila warscewiczii

Sabal minor (of course)

Thrinax radiata. About 5', in a thicket with Sabal minor.

Allagoptera arenaria Looks as silvery, and happy, as the adoining saw palmetto

Acoelorraphe wrightii (Everglades palm)

Rhapis laosensis

Rhapis subtilis

Rhapis humilis

Damaged:

Browned, but likely to keep some green leaves: Satakentia liukiuensis, Satake palm. It has full exposure to the night sky, which may decrease as a young live oak and a nearby Archontophoenix grow. Damage isn't quite as bad as a neighbor's coconut.

Chamaedorea stonolifera. Moderate browning

Dypsis decaryi (triangle). Had a few brown spots immediately after the cold, which have grown into moderate browning, still increasing as of Jan 21. This shouldn't be a serious setback for this vigorous young plant, which is now maybe 12' tall.

Some other yard plants, for comparison:

Cycads Zamia variegata and Dioon merolae are looking fine. I was a bit surprised at the Zamia, a rainforest species.

Heliconias--browned to toasted

Jaboticaba fruit tree--looking fine, even new leaves look OK.

Mangos and avocados--unfazed

Chrysobalanus icaco, cocoplum. Young leaves killed, otherwise fine.

Panama rose (Rondeletia leucophylla) some toasted leaves and buds

Bromeliads (Vriesia imperialis, Aechmea blanchetiana, Neoregelia, etc.)--fine. Most were blanketed or frost-clothed. One Aechmea mariae-reginae, the one most exposed to wind, is badly browned. One in a shadier, less windy spot is unfazed, others in between.

Assorted begonias--fine (protected with frost cloth)

Flowering hippeastrum, cv. Floris Heckler--fine, despite being in flower (protected with frost cloth)

Simpson stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans)--fine

Helianthus debilis--beach sunflower)--fine

rouge plant (Rivina humilis) damaged in sun, OK in shade

[Eric in Orlando]

Tim, good to hear it did well. We have one similar sized under tree canopy and so far it is showing minimal damage.

[tikitiki]

every palm I have has some damage except for three. Licuala peltata entire leaf and the split leaf and Licuala paludosa. These three have no damage at all. The Licuala peltata sumawongii is planted under a decent canopy but still saw 10 days below freezing and several frosts. The other two are under a defoliated delonix regia so they got little protection and are perfect. My two Licuala grandis look burnt as they always do but looked perfect until the last night of heavy frost. My royal with about 10 feet of wood was burt about 50% to give you an idea of what these guys went through.

Edited January 24, 2010 by tikitiki

[ThunderSRQ]

I did want to add that the mulch blanket appears to have done a lot of good -- I'll post some pictures tomorrow of what was underneath mulch vs. the exposed plant areas.

Tim

[gsn]

every palm I have has some damage except for three. Licuala peltata entire leaf and the split leaf and Licuala paludosa. These three have no damage at all. The Licuala peltata sumawongii is planted under a decent canopy but still saw 10 days below freezing and several frosts. The other two are under a defoliated delonix regia so they got little protection and are perfect. My two Licuala grandis look burnt as they always do but looked perfect until the last night of heavy frost. My royal with about 10 feet of wood was burt about 50% to give you an idea of what these guys went through.

Like tikitiki every palm I have in the yard was damaged, alot severely,except for the usual suspects,queens,pindos,mules,phoenix sylvestris,without those I would have very little GREEN. Actually if you look real hard you can even see some slight bronzing on some queen fronds.

What I ultimately learned (was taught) from last years freeze and this years mega freeze,is that about half the stuff I have in my yard shouldn't be here!

Edited January 24, 2010 by gsn