Archontophoenix cunninghamiana

[elHoagie 275]

30F (night one) - no damage

27F (night two) - no damage to three of them, one with a few brown spots on the leaves.

All 4 specimens have some trunk, but are not mature.

[doubravsky 692]

24 degrees... around a dozen from 3 ft. tall to about 5 ft. of trunk. All showed some spotting but nothing major.

edit on 1/30/07... all of them ended up showing some damage... from 30-50% leaf browning/spotting. Nothing appears to be in danger of croaking.

[tropicalb 43]

22 degrees or below...unfortunately these 5 gal palms were located at the bottom of a vicious cold drain....

fried.

[doubravsky 692]

leaf shot typical of the damage to mine:

[doubravsky 692]

But overall they look pretty healthy still... for what they went through..

[Cycadcenter 24]

Fallbrook  

Lower level of property 15-16 degrees 2 nights

We had about 40 in 5 gal. containers in a shade house.

Very interesting 35 are brown mush the other 5, not a sign of any damage.  These were seeds from Montgomery so I wonder what was nearby that these five were crossed with.   They're in the keeper pile now.

[spockvr6 22]

Did these palms see frost or just cold temps?

[MattyB 2,015]

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana

Several planted around just starting to show clear trunk.  They're all about 8 feet tall.

24.1F, no frost, no overhead protection

No damage other than the normal minor leaf spots that show up during winter.

[DoomsDave 8,659]

Damage, though not as bad as the other Archies.

[Don Little 15]

a triple planting in front and a double in back that saw at least 29 with no damage except what they get from dry winds that we get every year

[Kathy 18]

(Cycadcenter @ Jan. 15 2007,20:49)

QUOTE

Fallbrook  

Lower level of property 15-16 degrees 2 nights

We had about 40 in 5 gal. containers in a shade house.

Very interesting 35 are brown mush the other 5, not a sign of any damage.  These were seeds from Montgomery so I wonder what was nearby that these five were crossed with.   They're in the keeper pile now.

Please keep those set aside!  Their seed will be gold, and I'd like some!  

Here, 24F low, no frost, minor spotting on several just-trunking (couple of inches) individuals.  

Edit:  Wrapped these, but no heat applied.  Burn on outside fronds and tips showing now, but still look good.  Maybe 15% burn.

[spockvr6 22]

(Kathy @ Jan. 16 2007,12:39)

QUOTE

Here, 24F low, no frost, minor spotting.

Minor spotting?!?!?!

Unreal!

I had three small ones that saw 34F with very light frost on the foliage last year and half the fronds looked like tropicalb's photo above.

Frost and these palms do not match, but it seems they will take some cold.

[Patrick 217]

23.4 degrees F

I think they're dead. Majorly brown. EVERYWHERE! Wilty. Really a sad sight

[JEFF IN MODESTO 339]

Several larger trunking palms in my garden... to 6 ft of clear trunk.... Most are severly damaged , but look like they will survive.

My Garden low temps... 26f... Official Modesto low temp 23f.

Jeff

[Jim in Los Altos 2,356]

Of my 40 A. cunninghamianas nearly half exibit at least some tip burn. It's been several days since that 26F night. Most damage is to fully exposed Illawaras, some with 50 to 60% leaf burn. Upper fronds of my oldest cunninghamianas are bronzing out some. These palms have eight to ten feet of fat trunk and are 20 years old. All understory Kings show no damage.

[iwan 207]

Still working on the temp numbers, but 16 out of 18 days below freezing.  Most days 12+ hours below freezing, rebounding to mid-40's.  Official lows in Madera, 20's.  Some frost every day, but nowhere near as heavy as normal 28-32F freezes.  

Heavily protected, no frost on most foliage.  Protected location about 3' from south wall of house.  Protected with rope lights and 9' umbrella to protect foliage.  Hung large tarp from the umbrella to help trap in heat from the house/ground.  Showed no damage to protected fronds in December 2006 freeze (~24F radiational, crown temp never dropped below 29F).  Showed immediate bronzing of 90% when crown temp got to 24F during advective freeze.  More damage with continued temps in low 20's .  Triple planting.  Largest has 4' trunk, two smallest, just trunking.  Pictures taken today.

One of the younger ones.  I didn't initially wrap the crownshafts with a blanket (only after 5 days of freeze).  Crownshaft, spear and petioles still look good.  

Crown of largest.  After continued freezing, I am seeing more yellowing of the petioles and some rachis have buckled.  After the first day of advective freeze, I added a couple of towels to the crownshaft to retain the heat from the rope light before the crown temp drops to freezing.

It will be interesting to compare the two younger palms to the larger one to see how they survive.

---------------------------------------------------

UPDATE 2/1/2007.  I think my protection was worthwile.  2.5" of new growth over the last two weeks, even with lows in the upper 20's during the preceeding week.

[happ 140]

Photos were taken last Sunday. Will update w' closeups tomorrow.  Overall, just usual winter burns.

[ghar41 201]

A.c. "Illawaras..." about 12 of them defined the cold drains in my yard.  Along with W. bifurcata, they were the most heavily damaged palms in my yard.

Those planted in the cold drains...chocolate brown.  There is a possibility they are still alive, but I doubt it.  Those planted in the less cold areas, major leaf damage, spears look ok...even green down close to where the spears emerge.

I had fires burning close to the larger ones and they are in much better shape, green on much of the leaves.

I had three days in the mid twenties...lowest recorded temp 24.9 F which was in a protected location close to my house.

[JEFF IN MODESTO 339]

Hey Glenn,

You know the W. bifurcata on the north side of my house... did pretty good. Lost a couple of leaves but is very healthy. The one under my Mac tree... DEAD.

Jeff

[gsn 20]

(happ @ Jan. 20 2007,11:30)

QUOTE

Photos were taken last Sunday. Will update w' closeups tomorrow.  Overall, just usual winter burns.

Happ

What were your LOW temps? Pics of palms in this thread are of little use without temps! ::

[freekypalmguy 10]

triple apx 6' tall completely black and the spear pulled out. Lows of 22F for a few nights  and many others below freezing. Also on the shady side of my house and did not get much sun throughout the day

[happ 140]

(gsn @ Jan. 24 2007,16:23)

QUOTE

(happ @ Jan. 20 2007,11:30)

QUOTE

Photos were taken last Sunday. Will update w' closeups tomorrow.  Overall, just usual winter burns.

Happ

What were your LOW temps? Pics of palms in this thread are of little use without temps! ::

Scott

Two nights in the 30's [39F & 37F] so not very close to freezing but mid-winter always shows some browning esp on kings/veitchia.

[JEFF IN MODESTO 339]

Here is a pic of one of my Kings... Official low in Modesto... 23f... Low on my garden thermometer 26f.

Kings are about the wimpiest palm in my garden.

Jeff

[Bayou Bob 2]

In spite of the severity of the recent Arctic assault, a narrow swath along the eastshore of the  Bay remains essentially frost-free. I had  5-6 nights at 30-32, no damage at all to Illawarras, both Howeas, or Pritchardia minor. All the KIngs around here, through  Berkeley and around the lake in Oakland are fine, and our Palmetum in Oakland had no damage to Lepidorrrachis, Kings, Nikaus, Hedyscepe, or Juanias, as well as the Parajubaeas or Ceroxylons, or Caryota gigas.

[bahia 8]

Bob,

Your description of freeze damage to King Palms and Kentia palms would seem to belie the effects to be seen at the Golden Gate Palms Nursery site in Richmond, where almost every King and Kentia palm show signs of freeze damage.  I would guess that the palms weren't covered with freeze fabric, but you may have used overhead watering to try and protect them?  If you have the time, it would be interesting to hear the lowest temps you got there, and what varied protection methods worked the best for protection?

If in fact it actually did get below 25F there at the nursery, the amount of damage would seem minimal for the amount of cold.  I had some 2 years planted out Howea forsteriana and A. cunninghamiana palms in nearby Albany completely wrapped in freeze fabric prior to the first night of cold, and even so they got some slight browning of leaf tips.  I would guess the lowest temps there were down about 27/28F, with actual leaf surfaces getting a few degrees lower where the foliage was touching the fabric...

[steve 9atx 2]

One 10' king with a brand new frond endured three consecutive days with 33F lows and another with an honest-to-goodness freeze of 30F or so for probably 4-6 hours.  Three smaller ones up to 4' tall.  No apparent damage.

Steve

[ghar41 201]

Four months later.... the 6 A. c "I's" (of various sizes) that are planted close to the southeast facing wall of my house have survived and are currently showing strong growth, after having about 50% leaf burn.  

All others...placed in various positions away from the house...have lost their spears and show NO signs of life.  Some that appeared to have a chance...deteriorated over the course of the successive 2-3 cold, foggy, damp months.

The "pooch pot" fires I burned through three successive nights did not create enough warmth to save plants that were planted away from the house.

[osideterry 84]

Like all my palms, saw 25-26F as a low, and experienced below freezing 5 nights in a row. This king has zero protection from the West, and takes a real beating from the wind. It's taken a long time to come back from being 100% defoliated.

Left photo - Jan 07, right photo - Sep 07.

[_Keith 746]

Reviving another old thread.  This is what is great about this board.  I was working in my plants today and discovered a tag on what I thought was a Archontophoenix alexandrae and found out I really had a Archontophoenix cunninghamiana.  I remembered a discussion on this board, and quickly found the cold hardiness info I was looking for.  This plant is a stretch here, but with global warming, maybe just maybe.  

Thanks folks,

Keith

[ruskinPalms 468]

Went below 32F at 330am, went back above 32F by 830am. 5 total hours of freezing temperatures. Ultimate low of 29.7F with 7.6 "freezing degree hours" calculated as discussed in the weather forum. Moderate winds varying from NNW to NNE all night, dewpoints in low teens, no frost. No overhead canopy in my yard. No protection provided. Photos from 4 days after the freeze event.

No damage from this event.

West side of house:

[STEVE IN SO CAL 14]

Three plants, 6' clear trunk

22f, multiple hours and nights below freezing

25% leaf burn

Fully recovered

[southlatropical 5]

(keiththibodeaux @ Dec. 29 2007,15:09)

QUOTE

Reviving another old thread.  This is what is great about this board.  I was working in my plants today and discovered a tag on what I thought was a Archontophoenix alexandrae and found out I really had a Archontophoenix cunninghamiana.  I remembered a discussion on this board, and quickly found the cold hardiness info I was looking for.  This plant is a stretch here, but with global warming, maybe just maybe.  

Thanks folks,

Keith

Keith,

How is it looking now???

[_Keith 746]

Through the hardest the poor thing is not only alive, but sending up a new shoot.   Winds ahead of a nasty front took it down during the winter.  I drove in a temporary t-post next to it, and thank goodness, because with the horrendous winds last week I literally had to mumify it to the post.  It looks good though.  This must be a fairly tough palm.  It looks pretty ratty right now, for the reasons stated above, but I'll try to snap a shot of it.

[giuseppe 0]

to Naples south-Italy,24 degrees no damage

[mppalms 5]

One of the interesting things here is that there seems to be some variability in hardiness.  I have previously heard that the A. c. 'Illawara' variety was the first of the A. c.'s to get torched.  They are from a southern coastal region.  Apparently, the northern higher-elevation forms from more inland areas take the cold better.

The eventual height of this palm has deterred me from planting it, even though it's a beautiful and commonly-available palm.  It's hard to protect (eventually), and the ones around here always seem to look a little ratty after most winters.  Has anyone made a concerted effort to separate some of the ones that survived freezes and breed them?  I think that would be a very useful effort.

Jason

[ghar41 201]

(mppalms @ Apr. 11 2008,12:20)

QUOTE

One of the interesting things here is that there seems to be some variability in hardiness.  I have previously heard that the A. c. 'Illawara' variety was the first of the A. c.'s to get torched.  They are from a southern coastal region.  Apparently, the northern higher-elevation forms from more inland areas take the cold better.

The eventual height of this palm has deterred me from planting it, even though it's a beautiful and commonly-available palm.  It's hard to protect (eventually), and the ones around here always seem to look a little ratty after most winters.  Has anyone made a concerted effort to separate some of the ones that survived freezes and breed them?  I think that would be a very useful effort.

Jason

Hi Jason,

There certainly is a lot of variation among cunninghamianas.  I can say that, for whatever reason, here in the valley, the "Illawara's" that I've gotten are far superior in growth rate.  The first one I planted (96? 97?) still grows at my previous residence.

I can't say that they are any more cold tolerant than any other A cunninghamiana that Ive tried.

This was planted from a 5 gallon pot 4-5 years ago.

[ghar41 201]

This is the same Illawara in my yard, planted 4-5 years ago from a 5g pot.  The wind and rain did more damage than the frost this year.

[ghar41 201]

Now on the subject of mutant survivors....Inge Hoffman's A cunninghamiana in San Leandro survived the 89-90 freeze, planted in the open some 25 feet+ from her house.  She collected the seed in the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia.  It is now producing its own seed....many seedlings have been available.  They have proven to be for me, so far, slower growing.

[mppalms 5]

Now on the subject of mutant survivors....Inge Hoffman's A cunninghamiana in San Leandro survived the 89-90 freeze, planted in the open some 25 feet+ from her house.  She collected the seed in the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia.  It is now producing its own seed....many seedlings have been available.  They have proven to be for me, so far, slower growing.

I would love to get my hands on seeds or seedlings from a survivor palm like this one. I've heard that some of the higher-elevation A. c.'s from the north are hardier, and it sounds like this palm might be an example. I like the "look" of this palm but I've been afraid of having to remove a fried one after a good freeze. I generally follow the rule that if it's going to grow out of a protected area, it needs to be able to handle low 20s (with some non-lethal damage). Smaller palms can be a bit less freeze-tolerant.

Jason

[ghar41 201]

I would love to get my hands on seeds or seedlings from a survivor palm like this one.

Jason

If you come to the palm society meeting tomorrow, I'll give you one!

Glenn