Cold Hardy Palms for the Georgia Coast

[RichardofSavannah]

I gave up on Queen palms after losing 4 in the winter of 2011.

Last year,  my Pigmy date froze to death during a snow storm and 20 degree temps.

We have Pindo palms everywhere in the area, but I am looking for something different . I have Chinese fan palms, windmills and and Mediterranean fan palms and one native Sabal palmetto.  Anyone have experience in my area with the hybrid mule palm in my area or even further north?

 

 

[Dartolution]

You're in 8b right?

If so, and you want a pinnate looking palm, a Mule Palm is a good shot especially if you have butias growing. 

Try to get a mule with good parent genes. I recently ordered one from MPOM to try in my zone 8a garden (likely with protection during bad winters). 

The Queen and Pygmys are definitely no goes in 8b. 

 

 

[Allen]

Yea I think a 8b can handle a mule.  

[kinzyjr]

@RichardofSavannah Welcome to the forums!  I've attached a list of palms that are rated at zone 9a or less from Trebrown nursery.  Some of them will perform better than others, but the list is a good starting point.

9a_palms.xlsx

[Allen]

The list looked pretty good but it lists a mule palm as 7b (5F) which I doubt.  it also lists a Waggy as 7a which is suspect.  But a good list of ideas for the poster for sure.

[kinzyjr]

15 minutes ago, Allen said:

The list looked pretty good but it lists a mule palm as 7b (5F) which I doubt.  it also lists a Waggy as 7a which is suspect.  But a good list of ideas for the poster for sure.

Yeah, I don't necessarily agree with every zone assignment in the list either.  As I work on the Cold Hardiness spreadsheet, I'll notice a few sketchy ratings both ways.  There are some palms rated at zone 10a that survive low or mid 20s routinely, while there are others like the Mule where it appears their hardiness is overestimated.

[Jcalvin]

3 hours ago, RichardofSavannah said:

I gave up on Queen palms after losing 4 in the winter of 2011.

Last year,  my Pigmy date froze to death during a snow storm and 20 degree temps.

We have Pindo palms everywhere in the area, but I am looking for something different . I have Chinese fan palms, windmills and and Mediterranean fan palms and one native Sabal palmetto.  Anyone have experience in my area with the hybrid mule palm in my area or even further north?

 

 

8b/9a here. Live right outside of Brunswick, close to Nahunta. 

 

I grow pygmies, Sylvester’s, Queens, Mules, Chinese fan palm, and a few others. And,  my neighbors have canaries; in fact, there quite a few canaries, dacts, Sylvester’s and miles around here. 

 

I think Savannah gets more of the artic lows that usually curve from panhandle of Florida, to Valdosta, Douglas and then Savannah.  I guess we get a little luckier here. 

 

But, Mules, dacts and I think canaries would do good for you. I’ve seen some large ones growing in Savannah. 

Edited January 7, 2020 by Jcalvin

[mnorell]

From my experience in Natchez, Mississippi (similar climate and zone), and particularly if you experience 20F occasionally, I would encourage you to exploit building-walls/eaves, live oak canopy, etc. and stick with tough clustering palms that return from the roots after a bad freeze. Stay away from large “sort of hardy” arborescent palms such as Bismarckia, which will last for a few years, maybe longer if lucky, only to give you grief when you have to remove the large carcass. For large palms if you have the room, try some of the more interesting Sabal like S. causiarum, which is quite the breathtaking palm when it is mature. 

Here are some things you might want to try:
- Acoelorrhaphe wrightii, damaged below 18-20F but quickly resprout from the roots below that temp.
- Don’t give short shrift to the beautiful, shade-loving Rhapidophyllum just because it is a native and "too easy." You may succeed with some species of the related genus, Rhapis, between hard freezes. Rhapis multifida and R. humilis are probably your best bets as they are “faster” between knock-down freezes.
- Chuniophoenix hainanensis (large) and C. nana (small) for under live oaks or under building-eaves, similar in hardiness to Rhapis, low twenties or so before dieback.
- Phoenix acaulis is a beautiful dwarf solitary palm that gives some of the effect of a Phoenix roebelenii but it is much more leaf-hardy and also stays trunkless, and thus the bud is protected from hard freezes for the most part. Be aware that there is great variability in the appearance/attractiveness of plants sold under this name.
- Arenga ryukyuensis if you can find it. Arenga engleri is not as hardy.
- In protected, shady areas or against buildings you could try the clustering fishtail Caryota monostachya.
- Chamaedorea radicalis and C. microspadix are essentials, damage-free to 18-20F, maybe a bit lower.

For solitary palms aside from the old stalwarts:
- Livistona decipiens (aka L. decora) is a very hardy Livistona and probably the hardiest of those I trialed, though you will lose it in a very hard freeze. L. chinensis is fairly hardy while trunkless, less so once it is airborne under open sky. My favorite is L. saribus, a magnificent tropical palm for protected, dappled shady areas (e.g., under live oaks) and very enjoyable while its bud is safely in the ground and its huge leaves emerge.
- One of my several trunking mules did barely survive the 13F freeze that hit in 2018. I also lost one at 18F. If you want to try them, I would advise you buy four or five and hope that you get at least one that is strong genetically. I found them to normally be fully leaf-hardy to about 20F, damaged in the upper teens.

And don’t forget the cycads. Many will work in Savannah.

[swolf]

Jubaea x Butia F1 should be bulletproof in your area, but they are of limited supply in larger sizes.  What are a few of the best nurseries in the Savannah area?  I’m looking to help make them more available over time (albeit as premium palms).  In juvenile form they can look like this (pardon the weeds):

Steve

 

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

Could try Acoelorrhaphe wrightii.  Ive seen some in Jekll island.   Same with Ribbon Fan Palms and copernicia alba that should do well on the coast. 

[Jcalvin]

18 hours ago, Mr.SamuraiSword said:

Could try Acoelorrhaphe wrightii.  Ive seen some in Jekll island.   Same with Ribbon Fan Palms and copernicia alba that should do well on the coast. 

Where on Jekyll have you seen A. Wrightii? Not saying it can't grow there, but I haven't seen it.

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

1 hour ago, Jcalvin said:

Where on Jekyll have you seen A. Wrightii? Not saying it can't grow there, but I haven't seen it.

Photo on a palm group on Facebook. I'll see if i can find it

[NC_Palms]

Mule palms are becoming increasingly common in the Savannah area. There are a bunch of them planted at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens and many established specimens are thriving in nearby South Carolina. 

I actually made a thread a few weeks ago about the palms growing in coastal Georiga. Hopefully that can give you some ideas of what can grow in Savannah.