Canadian Palm Enthusiasts

[Phil]

Over the years we've had a few Canadians comment on these discussion topics. But, I don't really know how many Canadians frequent this discussion group or have an interest in palms. Obviously, most Canadians would have to grow palms in a protected environment. Are there Canadians out there? And, what are you growing?
Phil

[iwan]

Phil,

Try this forum if you are looking for some Canadian palm growers.

http://www.cloudforest.com/northwest/

[Zayin]

There are a few of us around. The reality is that there is a small margin of land on the south west coast of BC including southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands that can grow some of the hardiest of hardy palms ( zone 7-8 ). I know that in a bunch of the garden centers, you can buy Trachycarpus Fortunei, and we have seen Chamaerops Humilis periodically. Most people will not grow them because they don't believe that you can grow palms outside. I live in Chilliwack which is a place of about 80 000 people and is a satellite city just outside of vancouver. We get some nasty arctic outflows here a few days of the year and it can kill the hardiest of the hardy. I have lost many Trachycarpus. But there is a contingent of palm enthusiasts in the Vancouver area (Pacific Northwest Palm and Exotic Plant Society) and we can grow things by the beaches like T.Fortueni, T.Wagnerianus, Chamaerops Humilis ( although they really took a hit this year ) There are a couple of Jubaeas that are being tried, Butia's bite it pretty much every year, and Phoenix's are not possible to get through without serious protection. So called exotic plants tend to do better on the gulf islands ( the islands between the west coast of BC and Vancouver Island ) as well as Vancouver Island as they don't get as much of the killer arctic outflows that come down to wipe us out.

Just east of where I live is the Rocky Mountains and there is no way that you could grow any palms outside until you hit the great lakes, I don't know if the climate there is conducive for growing palms, but i believe that the best zone out there is a zone 6. Maybe someone in eastern canada can comment on that.

I personally am growing Chamaerops cerifera, Trachy oreophilus, T. Ukhrulensis , T. Princeps, T. Latisectus, T. Martianus, Jubaeas, Brahea Decumbens, Dypsis , Pritchardia, Sabals, Ceroxylons, and trying to germinate some non hardy palms as you can not buy anything here in canada unless you go to home depot or costco, Wallmart etc, and pick up the ubiquitous Majesty or P.robellini. I have to protect them all after November - Feb or March. The hardy ones in an unheated greenhouse, the rest in the house. My house looks like a greehouse for five months of the year. In the next year I am planning on selling and moving to the Canary Islands. Never to grow palms in the house again ( unless is $3.00 houseplant)

That all being said, the west coast of Canada is in my opinion one of the nicest places in the world, and you can't beat Vancouver's West Side in the summer, its completely gorgeous. (frantic backpedalling)

[Peter]

Do Epi and I count?

[oliver]

I'm Canadian too! (Toronto - no palms outside there) I got smart 15 years ago and left the Great White North for a double digit zone where I can be happy!

[happ]

Here's another forum that includes Canadian palm growers:

http://growingontheedge.net/index.php

[epicure3]

  Peter said:

Do Epi and I count?

Howze it goin', eh? Yes, a proud Canadian. Well, 1/2 Canadian now with the whole dual thing working for me. I had a D. Lutescens one year in Toronto. I brought it outside in the summer and watched it fry in a about a week or so. I could not figure out why it died? Tropical plant.....90F....blazing hot sun. I figured after living its entire life indoors that it would be happy outside in the full sun. I get it now. Palms would be tough, if not impossible without extreme protection, in all areas of Canada except the extreme west coast. Even the Maritime provinces wouldn't be able to support a living Trachy. Hmmmm, maybe a Rhapidophyllum Hystrix... possibly.

[mppalms]

As a recovering Canadian, I certainly appreciate the natural beauty up north.

Has anyone in coastal BC tried Chamaedorea microspadix or Brahea moorei in protected locations? Both are small, shade-tolerant and quite hardy palms that would probably pull through even a bad (though not necessarily record-setting) winter. I think both will survive about -10 C, which is slightly lower than the minimums this last (bad) winter, right?

I'm sure there are others that can be tried. Not sure how hardy Trachycarpus nanus is, but it is also small and can easily be protected.

Jason

[MattyB]

Canada. That's in Europe right?

[epicure3]

  MattyB said:

Canada. That's in Europe right?

Yes. Exactly. Pass the salt, please.

[Zayin]

Tried em all. Of course, they are hardier as adults but other than Trachycarpus Fortunei, we pretty much have to grow everything from seed, as its tough to import palms up here. Nanus seems to do okay with protection, but seeds havent been available for that long ( under 10 years) and they are brutally slow growing- plus we have a way shorter growing season to boot.

Rhapidophyllum does well in a protected spot. There is a fellow that says that Livisonia Chinensis survives unprotected on one of the gulf islands. I know that they can do the Jubaea - Trachycarpus Maritanus thing over there, but Chinese fan palm is pretty impressive.

[Stethoscope]

Toronto resident here...anyone else? Where do you guys buy palms in and around Toronto?? 

[RemiMontreal2015]

Hi there. i am from Montréal Québec (downtown) I have lots of palms (indoors if course!). Good thread to get to know us!

[doranakandawatta]

So with this thread we can meet cold-hardy palm-addicts, that's good!

And any pictures from Quebec?

Merci!

[Stethoscope]

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to see if this thread is active at all? I have bought from Darryl at www.xlbpalmtrees.com and have had a good experience. I have also spoken to Dan at:  www.niagaratropics.com but have not purchased from him yet; he is a member of this forum as well. 

Do you guys know of any american sellers in Florida/Hawaii that ship to Canada?

 

 

[Las Palmas Norte]

Unless you've got deep pockets, you'll pay through the nose with exchange rates, shipping, phyto, etc. for shipping to Canada. Many nurseries here have passed on their previous routine of shipping from California. No relief in site either with our lousy Canadian dollar.

Cheers, Barrie (Vancouver Island)

[PalmTreeDude]

I see many videos on YouTube made by Canadian palm enthusiasts,  but I know of only a few on the forum.

[Las Palmas Norte]

Myself aside, there are a number enthusiasts & amazing gardens in the region. Check out Banana Joe's YouTube videos from Salt Spring Island, which is located right next to us in the Gulf islands. 

Cheers, Barrie.

[PalmTreeDude]

  On 1/9/2017 at 5:49 PM, Las Palmas Norte said:

Myself aside, there are a number enthusiasts & amazing gardens in the region. Check out Banana Joe's YouTube videos from Salt Spring Island, which is located right next to us in the Gulf islands. 

Cheers, Barrie.

Expand  

Ah! Banana Joe makes great videos. I will watch a few from time to time. I wonder if he has a Palmtalk account? 

[Las Palmas Norte]

He does not have an account here on PT. It's my understanding thru Laaz (Todd) who is a member here that Joe is busy enough with all the other social media and forums that he believes he'd have no time for this forum.

Cheers, Barrie.

[PalmTreeDude]

Yeah, he does post on YouTube a lot, that's for sure. 

[NorCalKing]

  On 1/9/2017 at 5:49 PM, Las Palmas Norte said:

Myself aside, there are a number enthusiasts & amazing gardens in the region. Check out Banana Joe's YouTube videos from Salt Spring Island, which is located right next to us in the Gulf islands. 

Cheers, Barrie.

Expand  

I was checking out a few of his videos just yesterday. Truly amazing.

[GottmitAlex]

  On 1/10/2017 at 1:14 AM, NorCalKing said:

I was checking out a few of his videos just yesterday. Truly amazing.

Expand  

I also checked out one of his videos last night. I was looking into the Stevenson screen and he has a couple videos.

LoL

[Las Palmas Norte]

Ya ... on YouTube just key in Salt Spring Island palms and you'll get an endless supply of Banana Joe videos.

Cheers, Barrie.

[EastCanadaTropicals]

  On 5/10/2009 at 5:57 PM, Zayin said:

There are a few of us around. The reality is that there is a small margin of land on the south west coast of BC including southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands that can grow some of the hardiest of hardy palms ( zone 7-8 ). I know that in a bunch of the garden centers, you can buy Trachycarpus Fortunei, and we have seen Chamaerops Humilis periodically. Most people will not grow them because they don't believe that you can grow palms outside. I live in Chilliwack which is a place of about 80 000 people and is a satellite city just outside of vancouver. We get some nasty arctic outflows here a few days of the year and it can kill the hardiest of the hardy. I have lost many Trachycarpus. But there is a contingent of palm enthusiasts in the Vancouver area (Pacific Northwest Palm and Exotic Plant Society) and we can grow things by the beaches like T.Fortueni, T.Wagnerianus, Chamaerops Humilis ( although they really took a hit this year ) There are a couple of Jubaeas that are being tried, Butia's bite it pretty much every year, and Phoenix's are not possible to get through without serious protection. So called exotic plants tend to do better on the gulf islands ( the islands between the west coast of BC and Vancouver Island ) as well as Vancouver Island as they don't get as much of the killer arctic outflows that come down to wipe us out.

 

Just east of where I live is the Rocky Mountains and there is no way that you could grow any palms outside until you hit the great lakes, I don't know if the climate there is conducive for growing palms, but i believe that the best zone out there is a zone 6. Maybe someone in eastern canada can comment on that.

 

I personally am growing Chamaerops cerifera, Trachy oreophilus, T. Ukhrulensis , T. Princeps, T. Latisectus, T. Martianus, Jubaeas, Brahea Decumbens, Dypsis , Pritchardia, Sabals, Ceroxylons, and trying to germinate some non hardy palms as you can not buy anything here in canada unless you go to home depot or costco, Wallmart etc, and pick up the ubiquitous Majesty or P.robellini. I have to protect them all after November - Feb or March. The hardy ones in an unheated greenhouse, the rest in the house. My house looks like a greehouse for five months of the year. In the next year I am planning on selling and moving to the Canary Islands. Never to grow palms in the house again ( unless is $3.00 houseplant)

 

That all being said, the west coast of Canada is in my opinion one of the nicest places in the world, and you can't beat Vancouver's West Side in the summer, its completely gorgeous. (frantic backpedalling)

Expand  

Phoenix survives in Tofino unprotected. Banana Joe made one video on it.

 

[EastCanadaTropicals]

  On 5/10/2009 at 5:57 PM, Zayin said:

There are a few of us around. The reality is that there is a small margin of land on the south west coast of BC including southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands that can grow some of the hardiest of hardy palms ( zone 7-8 ). I know that in a bunch of the garden centers, you can buy Trachycarpus Fortunei, and we have seen Chamaerops Humilis periodically. Most people will not grow them because they don't believe that you can grow palms outside. I live in Chilliwack which is a place of about 80 000 people and is a satellite city just outside of vancouver. We get some nasty arctic outflows here a few days of the year and it can kill the hardiest of the hardy. I have lost many Trachycarpus. But there is a contingent of palm enthusiasts in the Vancouver area (Pacific Northwest Palm and Exotic Plant Society) and we can grow things by the beaches like T.Fortueni, T.Wagnerianus, Chamaerops Humilis ( although they really took a hit this year ) There are a couple of Jubaeas that are being tried, Butia's bite it pretty much every year, and Phoenix's are not possible to get through without serious protection. So called exotic plants tend to do better on the gulf islands ( the islands between the west coast of BC and Vancouver Island ) as well as Vancouver Island as they don't get as much of the killer arctic outflows that come down to wipe us out.

 

Just east of where I live is the Rocky Mountains and there is no way that you could grow any palms outside until you hit the great lakes, I don't know if the climate there is conducive for growing palms, but i believe that the best zone out there is a zone 6. Maybe someone in eastern canada can comment on that.

 

I personally am growing Chamaerops cerifera, Trachy oreophilus, T. Ukhrulensis , T. Princeps, T. Latisectus, T. Martianus, Jubaeas, Brahea Decumbens, Dypsis , Pritchardia, Sabals, Ceroxylons, and trying to germinate some non hardy palms as you can not buy anything here in canada unless you go to home depot or costco, Wallmart etc, and pick up the ubiquitous Majesty or P.robellini. I have to protect them all after November - Feb or March. The hardy ones in an unheated greenhouse, the rest in the house. My house looks like a greehouse for five months of the year. In the next year I am planning on selling and moving to the Canary Islands. Never to grow palms in the house again ( unless is $3.00 houseplant)

 

That all being said, the west coast of Canada is in my opinion one of the nicest places in the world, and you can't beat Vancouver's West Side in the summer, its completely gorgeous. (frantic backpedalling)

Expand  

The far Eastern okanagwan actually has some zone 7 areas.

[palmenthusiast]

Hi there.  I was wondering if there are any people successful with windmill palms in Vancouver. Will I need to protect a new 3 foot tall windmill palms in an area close to downtown Vancouver?  Thanks 

 

Ethan

[SeanK]

  On 3/22/2025 at 10:22 PM, palmenthusiast said:

Hi there.  I was wondering if there are any people successful with windmill palms in Vancouver. Will I need to protect a new 3 foot tall windmill palms in an area close to downtown Vancouver?  Thanks 

 

Ethan

Expand  

https://www.hardypalm.com/

[Las Palmas Norte]

^^^ Last updated 10 years ago. ^^^

[SeanK]

  On 3/23/2025 at 5:55 AM, Las Palmas Norte said:

^^^ Last updated 10 years ago. ^^^

Expand  

Do the PNW guys have regular meetings?

[Las Palmas Norte]

  On 3/23/2025 at 11:14 PM, SeanK said:

Do the PNW guys have regular meetings?

Expand  

If they currently do, I'm unaware. Since leaving the mainland 24 years ago and now living on the island, I've lost touch with the society.