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Rhopalostylis Sapida Cold Tolerance/Hardiness - Any info appreciated!


palmsnbananas

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On 11 May 2016 8:26:22 am, Dave-Vero said:

It amazes me to see photos (including Google Street View) of Rhopalostylis around New Zealand, including South Island at the same latitude as central Oregon (Cape Foulweather and Cape Foulwinds are both at nearly the same latitude, and both named by Capt. Cook).   My part of Florida seems to have some overlap in cultivated plants with Auckland and Northland, notably bromeliads, but a nice recent book on vegetable gardening from Auckland really underlines the differences.  They just don't have our heat, except on those black sand beaches.   

I wonder if Nikau palms thrive at Brookings, Oregon.  The local coastal climate keeps them somewhere around 50 F all year.  

Appart from the isolated population on banks peninsula near Christchurch the population on the west coast of the SI in NZ lives in and incredibly different climate. Where the east coast might get 500-600mm of rain a year the west coast gets rainfall up to 12m in parts and rarely sees snowfall (none at coast). Nikau grow in understory areas of the rainforest which is incredibly sheltered (we are talking about a complex multilevel forest with epiphytes, canopy, and emergent layers) and neither hot nor very cold. Even though coastal Oregon is a comparable in one respect, it isn't nececarily comparable n others. 

 

It it is hard to explain the contrast in climate and landscape across NZ. I guess it's the reason for all these movies being filmed here, but it also makes it difficult to explain why latitude is not the most important factor. I live only 1 hr South of auckland and whilst auckland rarely ever gets below freezing at night, where I live it regularly does. In fact the record overnight temp here in Hamilton (NZs largest inland city) is colder than any other NZ city (even Dunedin) due to the lack of a large waterbody to regulate the night and daytime temperatures. Nonetheless we easily grow the likes of Nikau (all types), dypsis baronii, queen palms, bangalow palms  (I have a 10m or 30ft tall bangalow that grows in an exposed location). But being on an island there is still an overall moderating effect of the ocean and freezing duration is short and not often for more than a couple of nights in a row whilst daytime temps are always well above freezing and rainfall is regular across the year with over 1200mm/yr and over 2000 hrs sunshine. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was impressed to see incredibly fast-growing Syagrus at Kerikeri, just up the street from rhododendrons and Chinese Cunninghamia trees.  Didn't spot bungalows, but they'd obviously be happy.  I have one in my yard, another having taken ill and never quite recovered, so it got removed last month.  We will see leaf damage from severe freezes, a bane of eastern North America, where average low temperatures mean little.  It's the Arctic winter outbreaks with cold air flooding straight across the continent that determine native plant distributions, along with snow (the more northern pines have flexible branches that bend under snow loads; southern ones break).  

Along with lots of rain, Paparoa National Park is largely limestone terrain, which likely has something to do with what's growing there.  The wet versus dry side of the South Island was obvious.  

I'm booked for another visit to NZ in early May next year, so gotta figure out where to visit.  

I would certainly expect Nikau to do well along parts of the California coast, mostly with irrigation.  Our climate, impossible.  

Photo is Pororari River, Paparoa National Park.  Amazing.  

Pororari_River_Track,_Paparoa_national_Park.__big_tree_and_nikau_(1_of_1).jpg

  • Upvote 1

Fla. climate center: 100-119 days>85 F
USDA 1990 hardiness zone 9B
Current USDA hardiness zone 10a
4 km inland from Indian River; 27º N (equivalent to Brisbane)

Central Orlando's urban heat island may be warmer than us

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11 hours ago, Dave-Vero said:

I was impressed to see incredibly fast-growing Syagrus at Kerikeri, just up the street from rhododendrons and Chinese Cunninghamia trees.  Didn't spot bungalows, but they'd obviously be happy.  I have one in my yard, another having taken ill and never quite recovered, so it got removed last month.  We will see leaf damage from severe freezes, a bane of eastern North America, where average low temperatures mean little.  It's the Arctic winter outbreaks with cold air flooding straight across the continent that determine native plant distributions, along with snow (the more northern pines have flexible branches that bend under snow loads; southern ones break).  

Along with lots of rain, Paparoa National Park is largely limestone terrain, which likely has something to do with what's growing there.  The wet versus dry side of the South Island was obvious.  

I'm booked for another visit to NZ in early May next year, so gotta figure out where to visit.  

I would certainly expect Nikau to do well along parts of the California coast, mostly with irrigation.  Our climate, impossible.  

Photo is Pororari River, Paparoa National Park.  Amazing.  

Pororari_River_Track,_Paparoa_national_Park.__big_tree_and_nikau_(1_of_1).jpg

I'm surprised to see Nikau growing in the wild that far south.  I had assumed they were more of a north island deal...great pic!

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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Their range extends south past Greymouth.  There seems to be considerable geographic variation in Nikau, with those from the Banks Peninsula (outside of Christchurch) and Chatham Islands perhaps being extra-tough.  New Zealanders will have information, and I suspect it should be fairly easy to find out where they are growing in California.  I'd expect Golden Gate Park to have some.  I hope to have an NZ photo/travel feature up soon.  

Fla. climate center: 100-119 days>85 F
USDA 1990 hardiness zone 9B
Current USDA hardiness zone 10a
4 km inland from Indian River; 27º N (equivalent to Brisbane)

Central Orlando's urban heat island may be warmer than us

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1 hour ago, Dave-Vero said:

Their range extends south past Greymouth.  There seems to be considerable geographic variation in Nikau, with those from the Banks Peninsula (outside of Christchurch) and Chatham Islands perhaps being extra-tough.  New Zealanders will have information, and I suspect it should be fairly easy to find out where they are growing in California.  I'd expect Golden Gate Park to have some.  I hope to have an NZ photo/travel feature up soon.  

Golden Gate Park has some nice trunking Rhopies.  My garden (very different climate) has some nice non-trunking ones. :D  They need basically total shade here.

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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On April 25, 2016 1:20:29 AM, palmsnbananas said:

My poor Rhopie survived the winter fine and got burnt to a crisp in the summer, it was in 60% sun. 

I will try a more heat tolerant Rhopie in 100% shade this year we will see how that works!

I'd try R. bauerii "cheesemanii" if you could get one.   Or R. sapida "oceana".  My cheesemanii thrives here in mostly shade, but I hear oceana is a pretty robust palm as well.  Plus, I hear oceana is much faster than sapida - not sure about the heat tolerance though.  Word is that cheesemanii is the most heat tolerant.

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The US east coast, Cuba, etc. are so utterly different to New Zealand and southeastern Australia.  Good to know I guessed right about Golden Gate Park.  It's an amazing place.  

Fla. climate center: 100-119 days>85 F
USDA 1990 hardiness zone 9B
Current USDA hardiness zone 10a
4 km inland from Indian River; 27º N (equivalent to Brisbane)

Central Orlando's urban heat island may be warmer than us

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On 17 July 2016 12:36:12 pm, Ben in Norcal said:

Golden Gate Park has some nice trunking Rhopies.  My garden (very different climate) has some nice non-trunking ones. :D  They need basically total shade here.

Yeah I would have guess San Fran (coastal not inland) would be very similar to where I am in the North Island. 

Like I think I mentioned earlier, geography in NZ means more than latitude as climate profiles vary considerably over comparably short distances. In the north island soil type plays a role as the upper north island is dominated by fertile volcanic alophanic soils with stable high rainfall compared to the drier East coasts of both islands where sedimentary greywacke soils dominate. I have always found the regional differences in Nikau (Rhopies) interesting. In the north nikau are typically understory palms alongside streams or in gully areas. Where very old mature palms do penetrate the canopy their growth habit changes and the open nature changes to shaving brush. The front length dramatically shortens and colder temperatures and higher winds and solar burning do their damage. When in this form the palms in the north do look rather ugly compare to their counterparts elsewhere but they do maintain their rugged beauty.

If you want to see an interesting picture of some growing in the South Island I suggest you google search "kaihoka Nikau"

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Crazy sand due pics of those north island Nikau!

Max High. (°C) 39         Av Days >= 30 degC 5    
Min Low. (°C) -5         Av Days <= 0 degC 26    
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1 hour ago, john_tas said:

Crazy sand due pics of those north island Nikau!

Awesome aye, the dunes have encroached mature Nikau rather than them growing from seed of course but crazy they survive ok.

they are found at the top of the South island

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  • 3 weeks later...

http://growingontheedge.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9543&hilit=Nikau

interesting from the growing on the edge forum, it seems that the Pitt island form can take -4degC  and maybe less without any damage...

Max High. (°C) 39         Av Days >= 30 degC 5    
Min Low. (°C) -5         Av Days <= 0 degC 26    
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