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Washingtonian Filifera in Idaho


IdahoPalmGuy

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Welcome aboard to Palm Talk! 

Nice looking Washingtonia. What zone are you in? I never knew Idaho was warm enough for a Washingtonia. 

Zone 8a/8b Greenville, NC 

Zone 9a/9b Bluffton, SC

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We are considered a zone 7 though a lot of years we stay at 8a.  I have had this tree through a couple of winters and it's done good and if it does burn off the lower fronds they do fill out again pretty fast.

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Hey man, welcome to the forum. 

I am trying my luck with Washingtonia in the south of England, so this is particularly interesting, to see someone else zone pushing. I see Boise has a record low of -33C (-28F) and has a low of -10C (15F) tonight. I would have thought that climate is too cold for Filifera to grow, but the specimen you have looks in pretty darn good shape. 

Does it get defoliated from the cold and snow in winter? 

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Dry-summer Oceanic climate (9a)

Average annual precipitation - 18.7 inches : Average annual sunshine hours - 1725

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Last year I tied up the fronds but the rain caused mold spots on the fronds so most of the fronds died off.  This year I have left them down and only the lowest fronds have started to burn.  The only heat I have used is some Christmas lights on a few nights. 

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Boise is a lot dryer  in the winter than England (I think) as well as here in the Pacific Northwest.  There are no big Washingtonia's around here as the damp wet winters do them in.  From a straight temperature perspective I should be able to grow Washingtonia's but the wet kills them.

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I have never seen Washingtonias around here either but I have seen a few windmills around.  I have a windmill with a 4 ft trunk. There are windmills all over the Pacific Northwest. 

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31 minutes ago, IdahoPalmGuy said:

There are windmills all over the Pacific Northwest. 

Thousands and thousands!  But they don't mind our cool wet winters at all.

Washingtonia's hate them, especially if they get wet and then there is a freeze.  I know Washingtonia's grow in NM in 8A climates (colder than me) and do well due to the dryness and intensity of the sun in winter.

Edited by Chester B
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8 hours ago, Chester B said:

Boise is a lot dryer  in the winter than England (I think) as well as here in the Pacific Northwest.  There are no big Washingtonia's around here as the damp wet winters do them in.  From a straight temperature perspective I should be able to grow Washingtonia's but the wet kills them.

I dunno about that. I live in a pretty dry area, that is located within a rain shadow, so I only get around 18 - 22 inches of rain a year. Idaho is definitely drier than me during the warmer, summer months... but when you factor in their snowfall during winter, I would argue that moisture levels are about the same in both locations during winter. The main difference is the temperatures are much warmer in southern England during winter, compared to Idaho. Which obviously makes a massive difference. 

Boise gets 20 inches of snow a year, compared to the 1.5 inches of snow that I get on average. So you've got to factor that in. Looking at the forecast for Boise, they have 5 snow days forecast in the space of the next 7 days alone, including numerous lows down to 20F. I'm pretty sure all that snow and 20F temps will cause problems for Filifera. I rarely get snow here, maybe once a year on average, and so far the absolute lowest temperature I have clocked this winter is 22F, which was one-off on one particular night under clear skies. The past week highs have been around 50F and lows around 45F.

I'm pretty sure warmer winter temperatures and minimal snow is a better combo for palms. If I was the OP, I would definitely be protecting that Filifera during cold snaps in his climate...

Dry-summer Oceanic climate (9a)

Average annual precipitation - 18.7 inches : Average annual sunshine hours - 1725

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If your washingtonia is close to the house, and you install a waterproof plug, you can install a 90w heater cable around the  upper portion of the trunk.

I've tested it with a temperature sensor, and I was above 0°c with a -8°C outside. It's really effective and doesn't burn the palm.

In worst case, it will be defoliated, but you're pretty sure to keep your palm alive. I don't belive a young washingtonia can survive without an active protection in a 8a or below. 8b is okay.

Edited by Arnaud33
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If you live in the PNW, you are getting more than 1.5 inches of snow this winter. There is 7 inches at my house right now and it’s predicted to continue for off and on for the next 16 days or so. Buckle up, this is going to be a winter like we haven’t seen in 20 years. Im nervous about my mature med fan palm and jelly palms. The windmills are bulletproof here.

 

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13 hours ago, willials said:

If you live in the PNW, you are getting more than 1.5 inches of snow this winter. There is 7 inches at my house right now and it’s predicted to continue for off and on for the next 16 days or so. Buckle up, this is going to be a winter like we haven’t seen in 20 years. Im nervous about my mature med fan palm and jelly palms. The windmills are bulletproof here.

 

Totally ridiculous for February!  I was out shaking everything off and wrapped the center of my big butia with a towel.  Long term forecast doesn't look promising.

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16 minutes ago, Chester B said:

Totally ridiculous for February!  I was out shaking everything off and wrapped the center of my big butia with a towel.  Long term forecast doesn't look promising.

I agree.  December and January were really nice and February is cooler than normal.  All I am using are c7 and c9 Christmas lights this year other than a small Mediterranean fan I have which I have covered to keep from moisture. 

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12 minutes ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Nice filifera! And in Idaho! 

Thank you.  It's been in the ground for 2 winters here and done good other than last year I tied up the fronds and it got mold spots that killed off most of the fronds. I used a copper fungicide which stopped it and everything else stayed green after that.  

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Very nice palm.  It will be impressive to keep it alive there.  Long term I can't see it making it without significant protection.  Boise, ID shows a -9F in Jan 2017

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@tntropics - 60+ In-ground 7A palms - (Sabal) minor(7 large + 27 seedling size, 3 dwarf),  brazoria(1) , birmingham(4), etonia (1) louisiana(5), palmetto (1), riverside (1),  (Trachycarpus) fortunei(7), wagnerianus(1),  Rhapidophyllum hystrix(7),  15' Mule-Butia x Syagrus(1),  Blue Butia capitata(1) +Tons of tropical plants.  Recent Yearly Lows -1F, 12F, 11F, 18F, 16F, 3F, 3F, 6F, 3F, 1F, 16F, 17F, 6F, 8F

 

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It looks like the latest predictions for the Seattle area are calling for a slight warm up which could mean rain instead of snow for the next week out after we get through a potential snowy Sunday/Monday...

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My area of Seattle is supposed to get down to 12 F tonight...prepared my Butia for the cold and am hoping it makes it through...

67289D03-5CCF-49EA-9BFE-B7CC28524711.jpeg

0458DF9B-731B-48E2-9EC8-37A26F91B32D.jpeg

Edited by willials
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Mine took 12F in its first year with a stretch of about 4 days below zero, plus a few freezing rain events.  However I planted two and the other one didn't make it.  I think with your protection you should be ok.

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13 minutes ago, willials said:

My area of Seattle is supposed to get down to 12 F tonight...prepared my Butia for the cold and am hoping it makes it through...

67289D03-5CCF-49EA-9BFE-B7CC28524711.jpeg

0458DF9B-731B-48E2-9EC8-37A26F91B32D.jpeg

How much snow did you get there?  We got an inch last night and it mostly melted today.  Nice looking Butia.  I am thinking of trying one also. 

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Crazy that Seattle barely got below freezing at all in January and now gets low teens in February. 

 

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We got 8 inches of snow where I live yesterday...the roads, even some of the plowed ones, look like a ski resort.

Seattle area normally hovers just above freezing in coldest winter months. When it dips below 32, it’s usually dry. That’s why this is such an unusual event with some places getting 2 feet of snow in 1 day. Hasn’t really happened in the past 15-20 years here.

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25 minutes ago, willials said:

We got 8 inches of snow where I live yesterday...the roads, even some of the plowed ones, look like a ski resort.

Seattle area normally hovers just above freezing in coldest winter months. When it dips below 32, it’s usually dry. That’s why this is such an unusual event with some places getting 2 feet of snow in 1 day. Hasn’t really happened in the past 15-20 years here.

That's lIke our winter in 2016-2017.  We got about 3 feet of total snow and dipped below zero a few nights.  Boise hadn't seen a winter like that since the early 80's.  I didn't have my Palm trees in the ground then but a dentist in the area has 6 windmills and they went through that although he wrapped them up.

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11 hours ago, willials said:

My area of Seattle is supposed to get down to 12 F tonight...prepared my Butia for the cold and am hoping it makes it through...

67289D03-5CCF-49EA-9BFE-B7CC28524711.jpeg

0458DF9B-731B-48E2-9EC8-37A26F91B32D.jpeg

Willials it only got to 20F at my place last night with clear skies, if your area is at 20F or warmer your meds will be just fine. Also, keep an eye on your weather for Monday night there's a big rainstorm coming down here so I need to take my blankets off my palms. 

Edited by Palm crazy
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Thx. Yes, I think we got down to 16, but everything came through just fine. I will definitely remove those blankets Monday ahead of the rain.

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On 2/9/2019 at 9:37 PM, willials said:

We got 8 inches of snow where I live yesterday...the roads, even some of the plowed ones, look like a ski resort.

Seattle area normally hovers just above freezing in coldest winter months. When it dips below 32, it’s usually dry. That’s why this is such an unusual event with some places getting 2 feet of snow in 1 day. Hasn’t really happened in the past 15-20 years here.

That's lIke our winter in 2016-2017.  We got about 3 feet of total snow and dipped below zero a few nights.  Boise hadn't seen a winter like that since the early 80's.  I didn't have my Palm trees in the ground then but a dentist in the area has 6 windmills and they went through that although he wrapped them up.

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Very cool to see, I've wondered if anyone in Idaho was experimenting with palms. I've seen a couple spots of zone 8 along the Salmon River (Riggins and Lucille) and it looks like a good climate to try filifera and trachies. Anyone aware of any other windmills in the Boise area?

Edited by pin38

Mike in zone 6 Missouruh

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44 minutes ago, pin38 said:

Very cool to see, I've wondered if anyone in Idaho was experimenting with palms. I've seen a couple spots of zone 8 along the Salmon River (Riggins and Lucille) and it looks like a good climate to try filifera and trachies. Anyone aware of any other windmills in the Boise area?

I know of an orthodontist in Nampa off of 12th ave that has 6 windmill palms in the front of his office that flower every year.  He has had them for a few years now.  I also know of a nursery in Nampa that sells small windmills and a nursery in Boise that had some Filiferas last year but they wanted a lot of money for them. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow, who would have thought? I was thinking of moving to Idaho but thought it too cold for palms of that caliber, growing up yonder.

I chose Kingman, AZ instead. Though, it gets down well below freezing 3 months of the year. In fact, I got near 2 feet of snow in my micro-climate

--very unusual--with temps. in the mid to upper 20's. I'm in a canyon, so where my property sits, cold air spills past my home, down to the wash.

Kingman-proper gets 4-5 degrees colder than where I sit.

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I just drove pass Kingman yesterday & ya I was pretty surprised at how much snow you guys got!

Hesperia,Southern CA (High Desert area). Zone 8b

Elevation; about 3600 ft.

Lowest temp. I can expect each year 19/20*f lowest since I've been growing palms *13(2007) Hottest temp. Each year *106

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It's amazing to see such a large palm growing outdoors in Idaho! It's even more amazing to hear that it's survived multiple winters so far. I guess this part of the country isn't being affected by the sub zero polar vortex? 

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  • 2 weeks later...

fine

trade me some seeds of your cold hardy washigtonia version

i live in a 9a zone but this plant doesnot likes me 

sabal loves me a lot

finaly i have 2 dallas fillifera and 1 mariana  and 3 from here near

  thanks

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On 2/25/2019 at 5:56 AM, SRP64 said:

Wow, who would have thought? I was thinking of moving to Idaho but thought it too cold for palms of that caliber, growing up yonder.

I chose Kingman, AZ instead. Though, it gets down well below freezing 3 months of the year. In fact, I got near 2 feet of snow in my micro-climate

--very unusual--with temps. in the mid to upper 20's. I'm in a canyon, so where my property sits, cold air spills past my home, down to the wash.

Kingman-proper gets 4-5 degrees colder than where I sit.

Crazy I just saw this. I have a lot of family in that area and figured especially with the cold I wouldn't even try palms. 

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  • 2 months later...

2019-05-14_16_39_59.thumb.jpg.b9eae71d9c4d7acc043e552958f62ce9.jpgHere is an update of my Filifera after this past winter.  There are still a few winter damaged fronds but they still have some green on them so I have left them for now. 

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  • 1 year later...
On 2/6/2019 at 11:29 PM, IdahoPalmGuy said:

We are considered a zone 7 though a lot of years we stay at 8a.  I have had this tree through a couple of winters and it's done good and if it does burn off the lower fronds they do fill out again pretty fast.

same but we have wet winters so a washingtonia will die where I live.

"The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it."
~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

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  • 1 year later...
On 5/14/2019 at 4:45 PM, IdahoPalmGuy said:

2019-05-14_16_39_59.thumb.jpg.b9eae71d9c4d7acc043e552958f62ce9.jpgHere is an update of my Filifera after this past winter.  There are still a few winter damaged fronds but they still have some green on them so I have left them for now. 

The last update on this palm was 3 years ago but hope it's still doing well!

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