The Canadian Desert - northern reach of the Sonoran Life Zone

[trioderob]

this is an area where some kind of "most northern" palm growing record might be possible.

Osoyoos is a unique, vibrant, growing community located in the heart of Desert Wine Country. Our semi-arid climate produces very hot, dry days in the summer and very mild days in the winter. Osoyoos Lake is the warmest fresh water lake in Canada and provides for great summer


"The far southern reaches of the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys are the far northern reaches of the Sonoran Life Zone and include semi-desert landscape species found nowhere else in Canada, including scorpions."


"The climate, according to the Köppen climate classification, is semi-arid (BSk)[13] with summers that are generally hot and dry. Daily temperatures in July and August average above 30°C (86°F), with overnight lows of around 14°C (57°F) with low humidity. September and October are usually dry and sunny with cool mornings. Winters are short and mild, but can be cold for brief periods during arctic outflow conditions. Spring arrives earlier than other parts of the Okanagan."

Edited February 25, 2013 by Kostas

[redant]

I'm guessing there isn't a palm in the world that will survive here.

[oliver]

Have been there in summer and winter. Some cactus will grow in the ground there. I definitely think some of the cold hardier palms would work. Don't know of anyone that has tried.

[Brett in Mission Viejo]

Needle or maybe N. Richiana, if next to the lake for heat sink effect. The artic outflow can be brutal.

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

How about Trithrinax campestris? I have a recollection that in its native range, T. campestris occasionally endures lows around 0F, -20c. Its also native to a nearly desert climate.

Edit: found some climate stats. Record lows in Dec, Jan, and Feb are in the -21, -22C or between -5 and -10F. Thats pretty cold. Averages are pretty cold too with average low below freezing for 3-4 months in a row. That might be an issue, especially considering the low average highs.

[redant]

While the averages aren't bad the extremes are

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/statistics/temperature/cl1125865/cabc0210

[Phoenix Bob]

I would seriously question the labeling of this area in Canada as "Sonoran." The true Sonoran Desert's northern boundary is fewer than 100 miles above Phoenix, and this desert ht." found in much of the states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and the eastern halves of Oregon and Washington. Winters in these areas while basically dry[, are far too cold to support any palms I know. I think the only palms that grow outdoors in Canada are probably found in the coastal area of southern B.C., and those often struggle during the winter months.

[ando.wsu]

I have actually seen quite a few trachy palms growing in the Tri-Cities area of Eastern Washington. Its pretty cool that some survive. However, i cannot answer the long term survivability of these palms. Being dry in the winter and planted in a great micro climate helps i'm sure.

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

The attitude is with the latitude, and this place doesn't have it....

.... and with the extremes that are posted it would need to have a more southern latitude in order to diminish the amount of time it would take for the temperature to rebound (a relative term, no?)and thus limit the effects of the cold more quickly.....

...and it is for this reason Zone 7, for instance..(i use the example due to and from an empirical footing) isn't the same when comparing, say Maryland and Long Island, or Maryland and Arkansas.

Nevertheless, if i am shown examples i will stand corrected......happily so, btw.

Rusty

[chris78]

"The far southern reaches of the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys are the far northern reaches of the Sonoran Life Zone and include semi-desert landscape species found nowhere else in Canada, including scorpions."

I don't think so!!!! I think you mean the "Great Basin Desert" life zone.....

[chris78]

see maps.....