Cold Hardy Palms

[insipidtoast]

What is the most cold hardy palm?

[Jason in Orlando]

I believe it's generally considered to be Rhapidophyllum hystrix, a.k.a. the "needle palm."

Jason

[GBN]

here in Germany a "real" Sabal Minor is still like new when Hystrix lost the leafs.

So for our cold and wet winters Sabal Minor looks way better after -20C°

anyway Trachycarpus fortunei when its etablished can stay -17C° without any leafdamage but there are differences on the Fortunei. Some of them died on -14C°

best regards

Andy

[PalmGuyWC]

If I lived in Santa Barbara I wouldn't worry about how cold hardy a palm is. You can grow all kinds of palms in Santa Barbara. I was once told the mean temp. in Santa Barbara is 1 degree warmer than San Diego.

Dick

[Ciczi in Sweden]

Note that R. hystrix needs hot long summers and that normally isn't the case where you have long cold winters.

Ciczi

[sarasota alex]

I agree with Ciczi.Based on everything that I've seen, heard and read, the North American continent east of the Rocky mountains is pretty much the only place that has the right climate to make R. hystrix the most cold hardy palm. Sabal minor and Trachycarpus spp. beat it almost everywhere else.

[insipidtoast]

I agree with Ciczi.Based on everything that I've seen, heard and read, the North American continent east of the Rocky mountains is pretty much the only place that has the right climate to make R. hystrix the most cold hardy palm. Sabal minor and Trachycarpus spp. beat it almost everywhere else.

Oh, I'm asking on behalf of a friend in Reno, NV where his house is a USDA zone 5

[Jimhardy]

That would be a tough zone anywhere without some

kind of protection strategy.

How much heat/rainfall in summer?

[PalmGuyWC]

It's much to cold to grow palms in Reno. I'v e seen them tried before and none of them made it through one winter.

Dick

[insipidtoast]

haha, that's what I figured.

[velutina]

Am I the only one that notices palm trees in "Reno" while watching Reno 911? There are also palms growing in Scranton, PA...

[sarasota alex]

From what I've seen in Arizona, Nevada and Utah, as you travel from warmer to colder areas (either up north or up the mountains) the last palms you see before they disappear are Washingtonia filiferas. Of course it has a lot to do with availability, but I also feel that W. filifera is really suitable to survive in marginal climates in states like Nevada. The only two common species of palms that I found to be looking very healthy at high elevations in Arizona are Washingtonia filifera and Chamaerops humilis.

I imagine that Nannorrhops would also probably look good there, as it too grows in arid alpine areas.

[sarasota alex]

Am I the only one that notices palm trees in "Reno" while watching Reno 911? There are also palms growing in Scranton, PA...

And Ferris Bueller's yard in the suburbs of Chicago has a Philodendron

[insipidtoast]

Am I the only one that notices palm trees in "Reno" while watching Reno 911? There are also palms growing in Scranton, PA...

And Ferris Bueller's yard in the suburbs of Chicago has a Philodendron

So basically if you're a palm nerd, you can't be fooled by hollywood. Did you see the Butia capitata behind the flag on the moon?

Reno is a tough one. I am amazed to hear that someone saw a W. filifera in Utah!? I don't know much about Utah's climate, but southern Nevada is very different from Northern Nevada. Depending on what part you're in, the elevation of Reno is anywhere from 4500-5500 feet high. It's in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains Northeast from Lake Tahoe. Due to this, the growing season lasts from June to September, and it is not rare to have some freak snow storm even during this period. The snow melts as soon as it touches the ground, but yes, it can snow in June or July no problem. Nonetheless, summers are generally hot and dry. The climate is known as a high, temperate desert, and the average annual precipitation is 7 inches (mostly in the form of snow)... 12 inches of snow melts to about 1 inch of water. I suppose it's possible to get down to -10 to -20 F at least once/year here in Reno during the winter. How cold hardy is the cold hardiest palm?

Edited April 23, 2011 by insipidtoast

[velutina]

There are plenty of palms in the extreme south-west tip of Utah (St. George). It's zone 8. It takes about 20-30 minutes to drive though the palm-growing area in Utah.