Myrtle Beach qualified for Zone 9B almost the last two years

[Palmlover32 0]

So even though we are the farthest north zone 8B not on the west coast, as 8b stretches all the way down to Pensacola and northern Jacksonville FL, and only up to Myrtle Beach on the very coastal areas of South Carolina. 

But I have lived here for 6 years now, and also went through all the data. The past 2 years we have qualified as 9B! Never went under 25. Well, it hit 24 once, but both were only one night a year. Hit 25 in 2020, and 24 once in 2019. Those were the lowest temps. Also true for the very rare 8b nights where we actually have gone down to about 15 degrees. It’s literally only one or two nights a year. Average winter low is 38 or so, and it only went 32 or below 9 times last winter, and 19 times the winter before that. And it is up to 33 nights a year at or below 32 at most, never under 15 one night a year, but lately more like never lower than 24 or 25. 

So I know I can’t grow coconuts here, but I was wondering about the possibility of having an M. Speciosa in a pot for a year or two until it gets pretty big, and then putting it outside with some mulch? I also was curious about Pygmy date palm (which I dod buy one and I have seen them surviving around here more than once), then working my way to queen palm, then Christmas Palm, and then Alexander palm. I thought no way in hell for Alexander, but then I saw a review on Amazon saying somebody in SC bought one and it was surviving the fall and winter and even growing. It regularly gets over 70 degrees during the day, all winter. Over 57 90% of the time, and a few days each winter in the 40s. Never saw it drop below freezing during the day once in the past 6 years I have lived here. 

So I’m wondering the chance of any of these palms to survive with some winter preparation on the one or two tough nights a year that may or may not go below 25 degrees! I guess you could say I’m willing to experiment. Most people only plant Palmettos, Butia, Phoenix Mediterranean palms, windmill, and Sago around here. I have seen some big CIDP in and under Charleston. 

[RJ 688]

On 5/23/2020 at 1:28 PM, Palmlover32 said:

So even though we are the farthest north zone 8B not on the west coast, as 8b stretches all the way down to Pensacola and northern Jacksonville FL, and only up to Myrtle Beach on the very coastal areas of South Carolina. 

 

I think some parts of NC are home to 8B 

[OC2Texaspalmlvr 1,194]

@Palmlover32 Welcome to PT , stice around and you will learn alot from folks here. You can just about grow anything in a pot if your judicious enough of the palms requirements. Unfortunately a couple warm winters will not warrant most of those palms you brought up grown in the ground. Eventually mother nature will show itself and remind you of your true zone =/ 

[Allen 1,425]

It's easy to get over enthused about your zone during the past two years.  I would suggest growing 80-90% of palms that you know will survive in your area and mixing in a few experimental palms if you want.  But I would plant with the expectation they will eventually die.  if you only have rooms for a few palms i would only plant hardy ones for your area.

Edited June 2, 2020 by Allen

[kinzyjr 5,774]

@Palmlover32

Welcome to the forums!  Feel free to experiment, but just keep in mind that Archontophoenix sp. (King Palms) and Adonidia merrillii (Christmas Palms) die in Central Florida on occasion.

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

@Palmlover32 welcome to the forum!

I'm also in the myrtle beach area and am zone pushing with some things I have planted. Data shows that the area is trending towards 9a and for sure these past two winters support that. My concern is that all trends are bound to have outliers and a couple of solid 8b winters will have us forgetting about our 9a/9b dreams haha

[NCFM 493]

You should try Sabal causiarum, I've heard it does very well in 9a so maybe it would make it through your occasional 8b winters. 

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

11 minutes ago, NC_Palm_Enthusiast said:

You should try Sabal causiarum, I've heard it does very well in 9a so maybe it would make it through your occasional 8b winters. 

I would love one of those monsters! Maybe one day...

[RJ 688]

1 hour ago, NC_Palm_Enthusiast said:

You should try Sabal causiarum, I've heard it does very well in 9a so maybe it would make it through your occasional 8b winters. 

They grow quite nicely in Augusta Georgia , 8a

@JLeVert has had a couple in the ground for 10+ years

[RJ 688]

55 minutes ago, DAVEinMB said:

I would love one of those monsters! Maybe one day...

It’s going to be an anchor palm at my place 

[NCFM 493]

36 minutes ago, RJ said:

They grow quite nicely in Augusta Georgia , 8a

@JLeVert has had a couple in the ground for 10+ years

Oh good to hear, might have to give one a try at my house

[OC2Texaspalmlvr 1,194]

1 hour ago, RJ said:

It’s going to be an anchor palm at my place 

My plan is to have my own Sabal row one day like @PalmatierMeg Germinating as many sabal seeds, i can get my hands on =) Causiarum being my favorite. 

[kinzyjr 5,774]

Are any of you also fans of Sabal domingensis?

[RJ 688]

5 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

Are any of you also fans of Sabal domingensis?

Another beauty! 

[OC2Texaspalmlvr 1,194]

8 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

Are any of you also fans of Sabal domingensis?

Yup already have some nice 3 leafers growing =) 

[Laaz 1,520]

You must have slept through Jan of 2018 when Myrtle Beach dropped to 8F... Here in Charleston we hit 16F & almost a week straight of below freezing weather.

[Meangreen94z 1,791]

Atleast where I’m at South of Houston we have only seen 31*F the last 2 winters, but January 2018 hit 19*F. All it takes is one devastating winter

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

On 6/3/2020 at 7:20 AM, Laaz said:

You must have slept through Jan of 2018 when Myrtle Beach dropped to 8F... Here in Charleston we hit 16F & almost a week straight of below freezing weather.

We also saw 16 that January, mb hasn't seen single digits since the 80s.

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

Edit to above...

Looks like 93 and 94 were back to back single digit years as well.  Source is ClimateSpy.

[TexasColdHardyPalms 3,233]

Sabal dominguensis isnt cold hardy at all and burns with heavy frost or any temp below 23. Basically if your queen burns the dominguensis will burn. 

 The only difference is the domingensis is 10+ degrees more bud hardy than a queen.  So it wont ever die but it wont ever look good. I was sold a few large causarium that clearly are dominguensis. I'm not too happy about that.  Causarium on the other hand does just fine. 

[donnacreation 24]

Atlantic and  Kure Beach in NC are zone 9a.

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

1 hour ago, donnacreation said:

Atlantic and  Kure Beach in NC are zone 9a.

Hmmmm

[JLM 1,347]

Queen palm is worth a shot. Im prepared for that killer winter. If i loose them, i replace them with something much cold hardier.

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

9 hours ago, JLM said:

Queen palm is worth a shot. Im prepared for that killer winter. If i loose them, i replace them with something much cold hardier.

I'm making a trip to Charleston this weekend, if I come across one it's coming home with me. The zone pushing continues

[Mr.SamuraiSword 1,301]

On 6/18/2020 at 8:29 AM, DAVEinMB said:

I'm making a trip to Charleston this weekend, if I come across one it's coming home with me. The zone pushing continues

Take photos for us! Lots of great old CIDP and Washingtonia specimens of course.  As for queens be sure and check these queens out while your there. Been there a While apparently.

 https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://www.google.com/maps/@32.7807528,-79.9448402,3a,15y,181.02h,93.23t/data%3D!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNoh-2HhurM-BgYui9BlS-A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192%26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1592603792800000&sa=D&ust=1592603792819000&usg=AFQjCNGtoGnpYfucqF9HNl6qJ1rABu01Ag

 

Also what looks like perhaps an old Mejool 

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://www.google.com/maps/@32.7802533,-79.9427724,3a,79.9y,3.28h,115.84t/data%3D!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFcT79fELfGb5-f4OuxlK7Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656%26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1592603926203000&sa=D&ust=1592603926223000&usg=AFQjCNHlqOOadsLpcnEsmd4ETPhMHQfDdw

 

Edited June 19, 2020 by Mr.SamuraiSword

[JLM 1,347]

Im surprised there isnt any pygmy dates! Im sure they are somewhere in Charleston.

Edit: Ok so i didnt look back in time on the first link LOL

Edited June 20, 2020 by JLM

[Mr.SamuraiSword 1,301]

35 minutes ago, JLM said:

Im surprised there isnt any pygmy dates! Im sure they are somewhere in Charleston.

Edit: Ok so i didnt look back in time on the first link LOL

There were some Phoenix Reclinita there, but were killed off.  theres some pygmies on Hilton Head, but very scarce north of that.

[Laaz 1,520]

There are many in downtown Charleston...

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

21 hours ago, Mr.SamuraiSword said:

Take photos for us! Lots of great old CIDP and Washingtonia specimens of course.  As for queens be sure and check these queens out while your there. Been there a While apparently.

 https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://www.google.com/maps/@32.7807528,-79.9448402,3a,15y,181.02h,93.23t/data%3D!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNoh-2HhurM-BgYui9BlS-A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192%26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1592603792800000&sa=D&ust=1592603792819000&usg=AFQjCNGtoGnpYfucqF9HNl6qJ1rABu01Ag

 

Also what looks like perhaps an old Mejool 

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://www.google.com/maps/@32.7802533,-79.9427724,3a,79.9y,3.28h,115.84t/data%3D!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFcT79fELfGb5-f4OuxlK7Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656%26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1592603926203000&sa=D&ust=1592603926223000&usg=AFQjCNHlqOOadsLpcnEsmd4ETPhMHQfDdw

 

These are all alive and well, the backyard where the queen is planted is incredible. 

[Mr.SamuraiSword 1,301]

13 hours ago, DAVEinMB said:

These are all alive and well, the backyard where the queen is planted is incredible. 

Wow, is that another queen in the first and third photos by the building side? great shots and good news. If you want any more tips on big CIDP i have a list of streetviews lol

Edited June 21, 2020 by Mr.SamuraiSword

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

@Mr.SamuraiSword yea im pretty sure that's another queen against the house, I was taken back by the rest of what was growing so I didn't get more pics of it unfortunately.  I'll throw some more pics up of residential downtown, it's pretty tropical just meandering through. 

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

Oh and the palm gods were good to me today, last stop on our way back we found this 

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

And its new home

[JLM 1,347]

Love it! Cant wait to see how big it gets in a few years!

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

13 hours ago, JLM said:

Love it! Cant wait to see how big it gets in a few years!

Thanks! I'm hoping it's happy there. It's got a bunch of wind protection but not much direct overhead canopy. It won't get direct sun till around 10 or so but from then on it will have full sun. The only other potential spot would have gotten sun early on but only for a couple hours then nothing the rest of the day. Guess we'll see

[JLM 1,347]

You, @Estlander, and I will be able to compare the growth between our new queens! I planted a 2.25 gallon queen back in March i believe. I think Estlander did aswell a bit earlier than i did. Your queen is already mostly mature fronds, mine is still producing its first fully mature frond with a new spear coming in behind it. We will see how they do! 

[DAVEinMB 2,076]

@JLM @Estlander

Let the games begin! 

[JLM 1,347]

Never thought i would be racing a plant! Game on!

[Estlander 608]

Challenge accepted!

Yes, back in January I planted another Queen(2.25 gallon pot). 

[Laaz 1,520]

A queen is going to be very tough to keep alive in MB... Hidden Ponds? Isn't that on coastal 17 in Awendaw? Used to be the site of Kicking Horse Saloon.... Saw some great shows there back in the day.