T. Wagnerianus in zone 7a?

[newtopalmsMD]

I am considering planting a T. Wagnerianus with a couple of feet of trunk here in zone 7a (Olney MD).  The internet accounts I have seen are mixed on its ability to handle winters here with minimal protection.  I was wondering if anyone has had experience with winter conditions on more developed versions of this Trachy in this area (or colder)?  Thanks  

[Allen]

I have a waggy in 7a and it will need protection just like a Fortunei.  When you plant one it takes a year or 2 for roots to grow well so the plant can grow out of any trouble like a spear pull.  You will need Christmas lights and a cover when temps are below 15F or so or ice same as a Fortunei.  It could even spear pull under low 20's F first year or so.  So it's better to cover/heat it.  Where have you been able to find a trunked one?

[Laaz]

S*%T! they need protection anywhere under 20F. Two of my three that had 4+ ft of trunk died from our 16F ice & snow we had in Jan. 2018. All my other trachy's sailed through without a spot on them.

[UK_Palms]

7 minutes ago, Laaz said:

S*%T! they need protection anywhere under 20F. Two of my three that had 4+ ft of trunk died from our 16F ice & snow we had in Jan. 2018. All my other trachy's sailed through without a spot on them.

Mine took 13F in January 2018 without batting an eyelid. So I don't think the issue with these is low temperatures so to speak, as they are capable of surviving 5F apparently, but it is rather how prolonged the cold is and how long it remains below freezing. Like in the Northeast USA and Midwest, you can have 2-3 weeks of constant snow, lows down to 0F, and highs that don't rise above 20F during that time. And it is like that for many weeks during mid-winter.

Whereas in my mild temperate / cool Mediterranean climate, we may get a one off low of 15F during an average winter, but most days it will always recover above freezing, and always within a few days an Atlantic front will move in bringing milder, wetter weather with highs of 50F and lows down to 40F. So the freezing cold is rarely prolonged, or extreme here. Just 2-3 days at a time, tops. Trachycarpus's seem to thrive in this sort of climate and I have seen them go from small seedlings to 15 footers in about 8-9 years here. They are overplanted here with large specimens on almost every street now. 

How many established Trachycarpus's do you know of in your state? Or specifically the county you live in? If there's none by now, in 2019, it's most probably due to them not being able to survive the prolonged winter cold or extreme lows. And in my experience, wrapping the palm for winter protection, especially for months on end, leads to fungus, lack of vigour and often death. 

[Laaz]

There are probably well over a hundred thousand trachy's in Charleston alone. I can walk me neighborhood & count over 100 easy. These waggie's have been in the ground probably 15 years. I have 15 other trachy's in my yard, some in the same location that had no damage at all.

[Laaz]

I also have three queens & multiple mules in the same area that survived.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

A waggy with a few feet of trunk will handle 10F without issue.  When you get down to 0-5 things get dicey.  There was a 15G plant in the ground in Amarillo that saw 0 and it lived but was burned badly but did recover.  I have several trachycarpus at my parents house in Oklahoma  that has seen 3F as 5G plants that also survived, but were beat up badly, but both areas warm up a LOT more after the cold fronts than anywhere in MD.

[mdsonofthesouth]

We had 3 days in the 70s right after the 2018 event here in Maryland, also our sun is pretty warm as well (measured over 90f on a 18f day with sensor in the sun). But the only places you'll find trachycarpus that live unprotected are Solomon's island and ocean city that I know of. So in Olney you'll likely need to protect it here and there, and for sure the first few years.

Edited August 6, 2019 by mdsonofthesouth