Nolina Nelsonii cold tolerance?

[teddytn]

Always on the hunt for new plants that will survive and thrive in TN wet winter zone 7a. Been aware of bear grass for a while, not sure what everyone’s actual experience is. The interwebs are back and forth on hardiness ratings for Nolinas. Anyone have thoughts? 

[Merlyn]

San Marcos has generally been a reliable source for me, they say 0F for Nolina Nelsonii.  That doesn't mean it can handle a wet 0F, but it seems like a possibility! 

https://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=3695

[Meangreen94z]

Once they get up to trunking size they are hardy into the negatives. They are around the Austin area and saw 3-6°F in 2/21 with only slight leaf burn. Nolina longifolia and hibernica la siberica also are planted here and survived. A friend of mines Nolina matapensis did not survive . Some of the other trunking species are hardy as well. Parviflora and durangensis are claimed to be. Bigelovii and parryi should be but are of questionable wet tolerance. They are both slow growing, Bigelovii is to the point I wouldn’t even try it.

[Palmensammler]

When they survived these temps I'm pretty sure the humidity was low or am I wrong?

In Germany they are saying around 10 to 15°F should be the limit, if lower they will die.

Eckhard 

[teddytn]

For sure moisture is always the problem. Been taking a more drastic approach to desert plants. Raised bed with purely gravel/ sand mix, more heavy on the gravel. Seems like it’s worth a shot, knock on wood but haven’t really seen any temps lower than 5 here in a few years 

[Meangreen94z]

Areas of heavy rain and humidity year round they may be difficult , mine rotted in Houston but were small. Trunking specimen seem more durable.  Austin isn’t exactly desert conditions but they survive here. It was wet prior to freezing during that event.

[Meangreen94z]

Various Nolina:

^Nolina nelsonii in middle, Hempstead, Texas. 2 nights of 6°F^10 foot tall shade grown specimen 
^Nolina nelsonii , survived a garage fire next to them and a year later 6°F
Outside Marble Falls, Texas survived 2-3°F^Nolina possibly hibernica ,East side of Austin saw 6-7°F

^Nolina Hibernica or longifolia 6-7°F and below :Possible shade grown nelsonii:

Several huge Nolina in the area :Nelsonii a couple months after the freeze in Austin:

Nelsonii in San Antonio, saw 9-11°F:

[Palmensammler]

I grow Nolina texana, greenei and microcarpa but no trunking ones planted out all year. I have Nolina hibernica seedlings so maybe I'll give one or two a try.

Eckhard 

[Merlyn]

@Meangreen94z yeah the constant humidity could be an issue too.  MB Palms had some Yucca over there, I think they were Rostrata.  They grow well, but he said it was a challenge keeping the leaves free of mold.  I don't know that TN is quite as swampy as Central Floriduh, but in the middle of summer it's probably close.

[teddytn]

Just posted this in another thread, doesn’t matter. It’s been unusually dry and very hot early this spring/ summer which is ideal for desert plants here at least, everything I planted last year or previous is growing like crazy. Normally speaking the weather at my house is closer the what’s below scheduled for the next 10 days. Chance of rain almost everyday. Somewhere in middle TN will catch that rain even if not at my house and we’ll see 90f temps and oppressive high humidity. Usually get some rain every week  for summer/ fall, and way more winter/ spring. Ground almost always holds moisture as well being red clay. Without looking it up I think we got 60-70” of rain each year for the past 3 years, a little higher than normal maybe high 50” average over a longer period of years, again guessing.  @Merlyn I would say similar to some places in Florida for June/ July/ August at least. 

[Merlyn]

@teddytn that is pretty similar to here in terms of rain and humidity.  We typically get 50-60" per year, I think the official "average rainfall" is right about 54 inches.  Most of it comes from June-August, with yearly droughts in May and October.  But it doesn't rain often from November to March.  Our high temps are lower than yours, probably due to the 2-3pm thunderstorms keeping the peak temperatures down.  Most of the time our highs are 88-92F in the summer.  It's pretty rare to hit 100F, though I recorded 108F in the backyard a few days ago...   

[teddytn]

13 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

@teddytn that is pretty similar to here in terms of rain and humidity.  We typically get 50-60" per year, I think the official "average rainfall" is right about 54 inches.  Most of it comes from June-August, with yearly droughts in May and October.  But it doesn't rain often from November to March.  Our high temps are lower than yours, probably due to the 2-3pm thunderstorms keeping the peak temperatures down.  Most of the time our highs are 88-92F in the summer.  It's pretty rare to hit 100F, though I recorded 108F in the backyard a few days ago...   

Going to my aunts house in Kissimmee in the summer when I was a kid, almost daily quick thunderstorms would roll through, heat and humidity and sun was kill a homeless dude hot. Just had to take a break and sit in the ac sometimes. I don’t get how 100 years ago people were wearing long johns and wool suits just hanging out down there  I guess you get “used to it”?