Cocos microclimate 35*N - Bullhead City

[CodyORB]

It looks similar to the climate the Corona coconut sees, with higher summer temps and warmer winter lows:

With an ideal microclimate, facing south surrounded by concrete, and adequate watering, it would be interesting to see this given a go!

[chinandega81]

Having lived in the nearby area, I can tell you that in general, winters are too consistently cool. Ultimate lows may not be much below freezing, but nights in the 30s can frequently happen for 5 straight nights, multiple times throughout the season. If summers were less intense with more rain, a coconut palm might have a chance. But the climate is simply to extreme on both end for too much time, despite what the averages show.

With that said, there are a few coconuts growin in protected areas in the lower desert of the southwest. However, they tend to look sad and are more of an oddity. I suppose it would be possible to get a coconut to grow in Bullhead but it certainly would not thrive and direct southern exposure would outright kill it in the summer without some type of shade from the south and west that time of year.

[Silas_Sancona]

54 minutes ago, chinandega81 said:

Having lived in the nearby area, I can tell you that in general, winters are too consistently cool. Ultimate lows may not be much below freezing, but nights in the 30s can frequently happen for 5 straight nights, multiple times throughout the season. If summers were less intense with more rain, a coconut palm might have a chance. But the climate is simply to extreme on both end for too much time, despite what the averages show.

With that said, there are a few coconuts growin in protected areas in the lower desert of the southwest. However, they tend to look sad and are more of an oddity. I suppose it would be possible to get a coconut to grow in Bullhead but it certainly would not thrive and direct southern exposure would outright kill it in the summer without some type of shade from the south and west that time of year.

Would agree... and add that this part of AZ gets a lot of wind funneling down the Colorado River Valley throughout the year, which would increase how quickly things dry out compared to Phoenix/anywhere here in the general area... and it is already bone dry here most of the time.  Can also be hotter in both Lake Havasu and Bullhead than Phoenix during the summer as well.. IE: when it is 110F here in Chandler/ 114F at Sky Harbor, Bullhead City might top out at 116-118F on the same day. Not that we get much anyway but they ( Lake H. / Bullhead ) generally get less rain than PHX also. Despite the 10a zone designation, going to be real tough to keep a Coconut -or any other palm/ other plant whose leaves are sensitive to extreme sun/ lack of humidity- going for any length of time in either area, esp. if completely exposed. May look nice in pictures/ when visiting in winter/spring -in a wet year- but is a very brutal part of the state.

May sound completely crazy, but, While wayyy too cold in winter, honestly think someone might have better luck growing a Coconut, for a couple years anyway, in southern/southeastern AZ where it actually rains during the summer, even in record dry years such as this year, and heat/dryness isn't quite as intense/extreme as it is here/ further west/southwest.