Archontophoenix cunninghamiana

[freakypalmguy]

27F and many hours and nights at or below freezing. Three foot tall Illawara 80% brown. Central spear was just starting to unfurl and is looking bad.

[SouthSeaNate]

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, rather stupidly growing in England

2 @ approx 9ft tall with no overhead canopy have badly burnt & "bronzed" fronds, mostly on the highest ones. Lowest temperature -2C (28F), plus a few other nights down to freezing or just below. One night it was below freezing for around 15 hours! They are still very much alive, they had horticultural fleece wrapped around them & a duvet cover over the top. Unfortunately they had already been damaged before I decided to wrap them...

2 smaller ones, 1 @ approx 2ft tall & another @ 5ft, received no protection other than natural canopy above & suffered no real damage...

[tikitiki]

triple in the ground for about 3 years. Ranging from 1ft of trunk to 3 foot. Little protection. It started to show some browning after the first night at 32f with no frost. Now after the 2nd and some frost it is looking worse. Still just cosmectic damage at this point.l I hope.

[Dave-Vero]

31-32 degrees from 9:30 pm until near dawn, 30 at dawn. Dry air, no frost. My A. cunninghamiana with maybe 4 feet of trunk, total height at least 15 feet suffered no visible damage. We'll see how tonight (probably a bit warmer) goes.

[ruskinPalms]

Low of 27.3, radiational freeze, no wind, unprotected. below freezing from approximately 12:30 AM to 8:15 AM. Lots of frost. Pictures 36 hours after the freeze.

OK condition so far...very minor browning.

[Walt]

Last January I had three back to back nights/mornings when temperatures dropped into the 20s F, with my worst night dropping to 23.5 degrees in the open yard. Under tree canopy my lowest low was 28 degrees. As such, about 80 percent of my crown shaft palms were devastated, except for some, for some reason, that were located on two particular areas of my property. For some reason these palms had very little cold/frost damage.

But to my point, the A. cunninghamiana palm below was totally defoiliated from the three nights of freezing temperatures. Last year I made a posting asking when I could expect my A. cunninghamina and alexandrae species palms to start producing seed. Well, I don't know if I will get seed, but my fried cunninghamiana palm below put out its first inflorescence yesterday when a frond base fell off.

Since my weather has gotten very warm as of late, my crown shaft palms have really kicked into the growth mode. Old frond bases are falling off and new spears are getting long and fat. On some palm two fronds have opened (or ae in the process of opening) since the freeze.

The below photos are progression photos.

The below photo is my A. cunninghamiana last summer:

The below photo was taken about one month after the January freezes:

The below photo was taken today, showing the open spath and inflorescence. Note the two detached frond bases that both fell off the same day (yesterday):

The below photo is a close up of the inflorescence:

[Walt]

Inflorescence one day later:

[Rafael]

Could anyone tell me if cunninghamiana is stronger than alexandrae facing frost and freeze. And how much stronger.

[enigma99]

I have some 5 Gallon and 1 gallon sizes, about 10 king plams total. I experienced similar temps in a deep freeze and look roasted. How can I determine if the plant has died and what can I do to take care of it?

Edited December 15, 2009 by enigma99

[Rafael]

This one faced three back to back nights with -1,8ºC, -2,6ºC and -3,8ºC, this one with not light frost. This in December.

These recent days, one isolated and frosty night at -3,6ºC.

In the middle one night at -0,5ºC.

Then, some strong frost in two nights.

Light frost in another two nights.

However, this palm is located in the south side of the yard, in a place almost non atacked by frost.

And is a big sized palm.

As you see, not yet totaly burned.

I am expecting the recovering, after February

Edited January 12, 2010 by rafael

[Rafael]

Another perspective.

[Rafael]

Anyone's opinion!?

[BS Man about Palms]

I would not trim the old leaves for a few weeks yet as they act as insulation. But, based on the size, I would think it will recover if the spear is still green.

[Dave-Vero]

Mine suffered no damage from a night down to -2 at 10:30 pm, then freezing until a spell of -1 at dawn. This was part of a prolonged cold spell with successive nights at or just below freezing. No frost.

If yours is less than totally burned, I suspect it will recover quickly. Coconuts with similar damage come back well.

[Rafael]

This palm cant really be a cunninghamiana, besides what the colour of flowers and seeds tell us...

Maybe an hybrid.

[Walt]

This palm cant really be a cunninghamiana, besides what the colour of flowers and seeds tell us...

Maybe an hybrid.

rafael: Nope. No way, IMO, it's a cunninghamiana, not with that tight crownshaft. Looks like a typical A. alexandrae to me, based on how my own alexandrae palms look.

[Rafael]

This palm cant really be a cunninghamiana, besides what the colour of flowers and seeds tell us...

Maybe an hybrid.

rafael: Nope. No way, IMO, it's a cunninghamiana, not with that tight crownshaft. Looks like a typical A. alexandrae to me, based on how my own alexandrae palms look.

Walt, i dont know if it helps if you check photos and words of this topic: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=21044&st=0&p=351481&hl=cunninghamiana&fromsearch=1&#entry351481

But, anyway, by its behaviour facing frost, i bet its an alexandrae too!

[velutina]

I have a 3' trunk A. cunninghamiana that has just survived it's second winter here with minimal protection (christmas lights). It has seen temps between 26-28F and no damage.

[Sutter Bob]

Here are a few young ones (3 winters) after being hacked by me after typical winter damage.

R. baueri in middle.

Low 27F.

[Dave-Vero]

Our low temperature in December was 26 F (-3 C) with lots of wind at the airport, less than a mile away. 28 degrees two weeks later.

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, with partial sky blockage from a tall oak but clear sky directly overhead, suffered no significant damage, only barely-noticeable leaf browning.

Archontophoenix tuckeri, next to it, suffered maybe 50% leaf browning, unsightly but not very harmful to the tree, which, along with two others, has resumed normal growth.

This is a rather bad photo of my tree, which is the tall feather-leaf hiding behind an Acoelorraphe wrightii and a native Simpson stopper bush (Myricianthes fragrans). To the rear, you can see damaged leaves from Syagrus schizophylla and Satakentia liukiuensis (pretty much ruined). In the foreground, a Zamia pumila is shedding leaflets.

[Sutter Bob]

Had a low of 20F six months ago. Lost about five cunninghamianas - all in the open. The three shown above under cover of tall pine all doing fine.

Others rebounding with moderate defoliation. I'm definitely on the borderland for this one, but under tall cover or south side of house worth a try.

[ghar41]

Hi Bob,

Ive had good success with Daconil poured right down the throat of burnt A. cunninghamiana spears and have saved them that way. More recently Ive taken the advice given here on palmtalk to use Hydrogen Peroxide the same way- it works well also and is cheaper and non toxic. See post #31 on the following thread:

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=32990

[enigma99]

I also live in the area. (Rocklin/Roseville) My Kings have been around for a few winters now. I used to wrap them and use hydrogen peroxide after freezes, but now I just use propane. One 89.99 Home Depot patio heater 48,000 btu, can warm a huge part of the yard. And how often does it get below freezing? Or below 30 when the Kings start burning? A couple nights a winter.

[Sutter Bob]

Used peroxide on some last winter after the deep freeze and suspect it might have made a difference.

Like the idea of the propane heater but am getting lazier and just letting them fend for themselves this year.

[zootropical]

Dear all,

Any news after the last cold snap in west USA?

Sincerely.

JM

[john_tas]

On 11 February 2010 at 2:23:34 AM, Rafael said:

Walt, i dont know if it helps if you check photos and words of this topic: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=21044&st=0&p=351481&hl=cunninghamiana&fromsearch=1&#entry351481

But, anyway, by its behaviour facing frost, i bet its an alexandrae too!

Raffael what happened to your cunninghaniana? What do you think the limit was, was the frost dry or wet?

[Rafael]

13 hours ago, john_tas said:

Raffael what happened to your cunninghaniana? What do you think the limit was, was the frost dry or wet?

Unfortunately dead 

Meanwhile, i am sucessfully growing all the archontophoenix sp. in another yard not far from this one 

[john_tas]

Interesting! Your latitude is similar to mine I'm about 41deg south, what are you growing and is there a link to your weather records in Portugal 

[Rafael]

On 13 de agosto de 2016, 03:39:24, john_tas said:

Interesting! Your latitude is similar to mine I'm about 41deg south, what are you growing and is there a link to your weather records in Portugal 

I am actually growing several species in two quite different places, despite being close to each other. These are my zone pushing species: bismarckia, syagrus coronata, copernicia alba, euterpe edulis, kentiopsis oliviformis, hediscepe, prichardia hillebrandii, dypsis decaryi, ravenea rivularis, syagrus sancona and scizophylla. I am growing too archontophoenix illawara, cunninghamiana, alexandrae, myolensis, tuckery, maxima and purpurae.

Dont know about weather record links here. In a normal winter we have -1 C as minimum and 16C as maximum. 35C/14C in normal summer. High rainfall levels and lots of fog (ceroxylon, orianopsis, Rhopalostylis, dypsis decipiens and howeas love it). Things dont grow fast here, unless they are truly fast species 

[john_tas]

Interesting, I have just started a new garden in Tasmania, my temperatures are probably 3 degrees less than yours all year round, the most tender species I've planted so far is r.sapida and s.romanzoffiana.  I think these are right on my limit and may need occasional protection from extreme cold. No chance of Bangalow plans unless under heavy canopy and even if they did make it they would look tatty and brown. 

[Rafael]

14 hours ago, john_tas said:

Interesting, I have just started a new garden in Tasmania, my temperatures are probably 3 degrees less than yours all year round, the most tender species I've planted so far is r.sapida and s.romanzoffiana.  I think these are right on my limit and may need occasional protection from extreme cold. No chance of Bangalow plans unless under heavy canopy and even if they did make it they would look tatty and brown. 

Note that most of the tender palms i have mentioned are growing in a quite sheltered spot. In most of the unsheltered spots nearby almost all would die in the next winter. I found the perfect spot 

[Tropicdoc]

South Louisiana- 2 nights at 26 F. First night wet with advective freeze very windy. Second night radiation freeze. A. Cunningham no clear trunk, 7 foot tall overall, under heavy live oak canopy. Bud protected with xmas lights and bubble foil. Some leaves exposed sticking out of the top. Exposed leaves are about 50% browned, one rachis wilted. The palm is alive and doing ok and is working on opening a new frond.

[Sandy Loam]

On 7/11/2012, 8:41:20, ghar41 said:

On 7/11/2012, 8:41:20, ghar41 said:

Hi Bob,

 

Ive had good success with Daconil poured right down the throat of burnt A. cunninghamiana spears and have saved them that way. More recently Ive taken the advice given here on palmtalk to use Hydrogen Peroxide the same way- it works well also and is cheaper and non toxic. See post #31 on the following thread:

 

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=32990

 

-------------

What does this mean? (The "Throat" ). There is no opening, per se, to drop peroxide into a palm's bud.  Only if I harm it by slicing it open will the bud be exposed.

--------------

 

 

[Sandy Loam]

.... Also, there are a lot of people posting here on damage the morning following a freeze. Isn't Archontophoenix Cunninghamiana one of those palms which will look fine for a month+ after a freeze, but then starts to decline then?

[RedRabbit]

No damage from 28f.

Additional info can be found here: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/55520-2018-freeze-in-central-florida/&do=findComment&comment=834723

 

[Sandy Loam]

Mine all had a lot of frond damage at 23 F in the extreme freeze this January.  However, the crownshafts look fine, so I think they will pull through and start to look normal again in the late spring.

[Sandy Loam]

Update as of May 2018 :

- of my five larger archontophoenix cunninghamiana, only three are now producing new green growth at the spear.  I won't pronounce the other two dead yet though.  I will continue to wait until next year even. "Large" = the crownshaft is about as tall as my head, or slightly higher.

- the medium-sized one is also growing out a new spear, although very slowly and reluctantly

- all of my very tiny/juvenile archontophoenix cunninghamiana were killed

This January was certainly my worst cold event in eight years. It consisted of two freezes, a week and half apart:  27 Fahrenheit the first time and 23 Fahrenheit the second time.  The 27 F event was worse because the below-freezing temperatures lasted so many hours, although it always went above freezing after at least 10:00 or 11:00 am. The 23 F event was also much quicker.  Either way, the back-to-back impact of these two freezes was the absolute limit of what this palm can tolerate.  Recovery will be slow in the survivors.

The new growth that I see in the palms mentioned above is very slow, reluctant growth.  They are barely clinging onto life.  It is a zone 9b palm, not a zone 9a palm. 

[Lou-StAugFL]

Now that summer is in full swing I can see that my a. cunninghamiana looks like it is coming back normally from some cold damage this past winter in zone 9A.  The emerging frond during the cold was damaged and stunted you can see that in the first photo, but you can see the new one is full size.  This tree is under some live oak canopy so it is very protected but not close to the house. 

Edited July 22, 2018 by Lou-StAugFL

[Lou-StAugFL]

Here is a far away and close up shot so you can see the crownshaft of my Archontophoenix here in St. Augustine, Florida.  We didn't have a freeze or frost this year.  I think it has been in the ground for maybe 5 years now.  So they do well in a protected area here in St. Augustine.  I am just a few blocks from the intracoastal waterway.  There is live oak and cedar tree on the northside of the palm so it is somewhat protected. I am 5'10" tall for perspective on the size of the tree.

Edited March 31, 2019 by Lou-StAugFL

[ExperimentalGrower]

Vallejo, CA, (USDA Zone 9b/Sunset Zone 17) Advective freeze last night, with frost. Dew point hovered just below actual temperatures during the coldest hours. Humidity was considerably high for an event like this in Northern California. Generally during similar cold events humidity levels out in my area are consistently quite low. ~70% damage on horizontally exposed leaves. This is a juvenile 5 multiple clump planted last July 4th, 2020 so a pretty dense set of leaves packed into a small area, which coincidentally results in some leaves being exposed and damaged, and others protected and damage free. This clump is under wide open sky near a west facing wooden fence, less than 20 ft from the south facing wall of my house. Somewhat surprised this much damage occurred at those temps but it was advective with frost, on a plants that have been in the ground less than a year so ya...