Damage Control

[willials]

I wanted to start a thread with pics of burned leaves, ruined palms/tropicals, etc. so those of us that are in colder climates can hopefully know what to avoid, what damage looks like on specific plants, and also as a resource to classify how bad the damage is on particular plants.

Obviously, the goal is to never have this happen to any of our palms, but realistically speaking there will be damage at times when pushing the envelope of a particular plant's climate zone.

I'm starting here by posting some pics of the (dracaena's I think) in my neighborhood that have been here for a couple years, but were left unprotected by neighbors this winter. Finally, the week we had here in Seattle where night temps got down into the teens for several days in a row finally did these plants in. They looked fine for a few days afterward, then all of a sudden, looked like this a few days after the cold snap. I'm curious if they will come back in Spring, but by the looks of it, am doubtful. A local palm grower told me never to plant these in my area because they would most likely die and turns out he was right.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Looks like cordylinea australis, good to -10C but not for extended time. I've seen seattle folks post about protecting these through cold spells. Maybe not the best idea to just let them fend for themselves in this recent arctic outbreak.

[Palm crazy]

Cut them back till you see good wood, then wait till summer and they will grow back as double or triple spears. Give fish fertilizer to help them grow back faster in spring.

The green ones are a lot more hardier they don’t died back unless it reaches 15F. My neighbor has a purple leaf one in a container up against his house and it survived 15F without damage.

Just be patient in the spring they sometimes take awhile sense they are growing back from the roots….They grow long tap roots that makes them perennials in PNW.

I have one clumps that 17 years old.

Edited December 25, 2013 by Palm crazy

[willials]

Interesting. I think you're right Axel about this being a cordylinea australis. Thanks for the input and the suggestions on how to keep them going. I don't have any of these myself yet, but am thinking about adding some to my garden.

On another note, I ran across a photo of a Sabal Palm about 20 ft. tall in a Pacific NW garden. I have always wondered about these and if they'd survive in the Seattle area. Any experience with Sabals in Seattle area Palm Crazy? If so, what version is the hardiest for our area? I have heard there is a Louisiana version that may be hardier than the ones you see in Florida, etc.

[Palm crazy]

I only have tried Sabal Burmudana and it a slow grower here. The best sabal would be S. minor for sure, but there may be other that can take cool dry summer, but they are going to be very slow growers, like 3 leaves a year. My S. burmudanana looks good this winter, but this is its first year in the ground. I just never see them for sale up here.

Heres a note I found on palms in Seattle area.

These certain palm trees grow successfully in Seattle
1. Windmill Palm
2. the related "Waggie" or Miniature Chusan Palm
3. Mediterranean palm (both green and blue varieties)
4. Needle Palm
5. Chilean Wine Palm
6. the Pindo or "Jelly" palm

Seattle is in growing zone 8 (Maximum winter lows between 10°F and 20°F). The last time Seattle saw a single-digit Fahrenheit temperature was 9°F in the winter of 1990-91. The all-time record low is 0° in downtown Seattle on January 31, 1950, and even then near the water it was still 4° warmer.

Marginal palms grown with success in Seattle:

1. Blue Hespar Palm
2. Sabal species - but it doesn't usually get warm long enough for their preferred 90°F high temperatures
3. Mexican Fan Palm crossed with California Fan Palm - In cold winters keep copper fungicide handy.
4. Canary Island Date Palm -shelter from NE winds, and use copper fungicide after periods below 17°F
5. California Fan Palm - once per winter requires a liberal dose of copper fungicide, also repeated after any cold snap below 20° to prevent mold and crown rot.
6. Mexican Fan Palm - best chance is near Puget Sound (Pacific Ocean saltwater) where the ocean moderates any cold temperatures - shelter from NE winds and cover emerging growth when below 20°F. *This palm can only survive 12°F if the center spear is wrapped and copper fungicide is added bi-weekly until the last frost in March.

The summer in Seattle is perfect palm weather, because May through September is the dry season, with summer highs between 67° and 85°F.
Typically only one to five days in the 90s, and the all-time high is 103°F.
However, Sabal Palms in particular do not prefer the cool, dry, semi-arid summers and do better in much warmer temperatures.

I haven’t tried any of the native Sabal in the SE.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

The only sabal I've ever seen with some size in the PNW is sabal causiarum. It's also the best growing sabal I have here in Coastal Central California, so it doesn't surprise me that this is the species I've seen up there.

I've heard that sabal palmetto also tends to grow better at lower temperatures. It's the only sabal I don't have so I wouldn't know.

If you want a sabal up there, I recommend you make the investment in a larger size. Small seedlings will take forever to gain any size in the PNW. But a bigger plant stands a much better chance to succeed.

[Palm crazy]

This picture is old but heres the Sabal causiarum Axel is talking about…interesting the largest Brahea edulis is in the same garden

Brahea edulis in west Seattle with palm owner.

[Jimhardy]

Awesome Brahea!

[willials]

Cool. Thanks PC and Axel! There is a grower in Oregon that sells somewhat mature Sabals (Cabbage Palmetto & Sabal Minor varieties). I may give these a try in Spring. I would definitely be willing to try the causiarum (that picture of the one in West Seattle gives me a lot of hope), but don't know where to get one here that would be bigger than a seedling. Causiarum seems like a less common variety outside of the Southeast. Interesting that they originate in the Caribbean and actually have a chance of surviving here in the PNW...who would have thought?