S. Florida natives that DO/DON'T survive in US Southeast/N. Gulf Coast

[Sandy Loam]

There are so many tropical plants that are native to the Florida Keys and the very southern edges of Florida above the Keys. However, many are too tender to grow in the northern Florida/Atlantic coast up to Charleston SC/southern portions of the Gulf states/and Texas north of Corpus Christi. Others will do fine in these borderline regions, but we don't bother trying because they are either unavailable or we assume that they won't survive.

Here are some of my experiments in chilly northern Florida (below), but please add to the list with your own experiments:

SEAGRAPE:

- We have had a lot of chilly weather here since the new year (Polar Vortex, etc) and my seagrape is totally undamaged. I was told that this beautiful tree would not grow north of Orlando, but this appears to be false. There isn't a single leaf that has browned or fallen off. Of course, Seagrape isn't just native to the Florida Keys. It is native all the way up to St. Petersburg, FL and perhaps even further north in saltwater coastal areas.

SILVER BUTTONWOOD:

- I had great hopes for this gorgeous Florida Keys native, but it has lost most of its leaves since our chilly weather began. It isn't looking very healthy right now, but it is going to pull through because it is staying alive. Unlike here, Silver Buttonwood stays gorgeous all year round in the perma-summer regions of extreme southern Florida.

THRINAX MORRISII, aka. LEUCOTHRINAX MORRISII:

- wow -- zero damage. I can't believe how bulletproof this Keys native is. It's a georgeous tropical palm and has been unaffected by our dreadful cold snaps this year. I haven't tried the other thrinax palms which are native to the Florida Keys, i.e. Thrinax Radiata and Thrinax Argentata.

PSEUDOPHOENIX SARGENTII:

- I have heard mixed reviews of how this Keys palm survives in our borderline regions. Any knowledge? It is expensive, so I don't want to experiment if it is simply going to die up here.

ROYSTONIA REGIA:

- This palm native to wilderness/swamp areas just north of Marco Island (e.g. Fakahatchee Strand- Royal Palm Hammock zone; Collier-Seminole State Park) does not appear to survive up in the north of Florida, although I have heard that the Atlantic coast may be the exception. After a cold night a few years ago, I noticed that two in Gainesville were looking rather dead or severely damaged. A couple of years later, the home owner had removed them.

ACOELORRAPHE WRIGHTII:

- I have heard that this, the suckering "everglades palm", does survive up on much colder regions than its native turf down in the Florida Everglades

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Please add your comments about other Florida natives that are worth trying outside of their native range. Any native orchids worthy trying? Others?

[Kailua_Krish]

Not to be a negative nancy but this year hasn't been all that cold in the Ocala/Gainesville area; cool yes but not cold. My banana plants still have some green leaves in Ocala (the tops are frost damaged) and the brugmansia are still blooming.

As far as what I can add is that I have A. wrightii and it has done well for 3+ years in Ocala.

[Zeeth]

I read on a PT thread a while back of someone growing Coccothrinax crinita in Atlanta that had been there a long time. It's not a Florida native, but if true it might mean that C. argentata could survive farther north than you usually see it.

Here's the thread talking about the C. crinita in Atlanta

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/15492-palm-latitude-extremes/

[Xhoniwaters1]

I have two Thrinax morrisii that did not do well at all with temps in the low twenties this winter. And my Pseudophoenix sargentii wasn't in great shape before our freezes but it went from bad to worse afterwards. Doubt either of these two will survive come spring. Juvenile Thrinax morrisii is definitely a no go without protection for zone 9a.

[Silas_Sancona]

Not sure if it is encountered along the panhandle, or in other parts along the Gulf Coast but Acacia farnesiana is supposed to handle temperatures down to 20F. Lots of these planted around Phoenix, which can get colder during the winter.

Another South FL native I encountered in the Desert: Mangle Dulce, Maytenus phyllanthoides, a rater strange looking evergreen shrub. Supposedly tolerates temps down to 18F. Missed a couple opportunities to grab specimens to trial while in Phoenix. Hoping someone down south is growing it.

As far as Orchids, I think Encyclia tampensis would be one of the hardiest.. Im sure wild specimens near the northern edge of it's native range have endured a lot of cold. Not sure on other similar species.

I found it interesting to encounter trees/shrubs from a climate like Florida's in the heart of the Desert while in Phoenix since some stuff I am currently trialing here is native to Sonora and adjacent parts of N.W. Mexico at a similar latitude/climate.

-Nathan-

[stevethegator]

Myricanthes fragrans, aka Simpson's Stopper. It's an attractive shrub/small tree native to coastal tropical hardwood forests and is possibly hardy to zone 8. Per Woodlander's nursery:

"Simpson Stopper is a neat evergreen small tree or shrub with small leaves, white flowers, orange fruit, and nice exfoliating bark. Native to central and southern Florida. It has surprisied us by being perfectly hardy here in Aiken, SC. It can be planted in rich moist soil in shady or semi-shady sites but is also adaptable to full sun. A great plant that is becoming more widely appreciated as a landscape subject in Florida where it is native. The name "stopper" may refer to use of the berries as an anti-diarrheal remedy but this is anectdotal. "

For zone 9 you could try coco plum (Chrysobalanus icaco). Also for 9B look into Gumbo Limbo (bursera simarubra) and strangler fig (ficus aurea). Both of those have a native distribution that extends into zone 9 but I'm not sure how hardy they are

[Sandy Loam]

Nathan, not to digress too far from the original topic, but what interesting plants are you growing from the Sonoran Desert/NW Mexico which are faring well in your region so far? (if you don't mind me asking)

Thanks.

[Kailua_Krish]

As far as orchids go I've been able to grow Lelia

Anceps and Dendrobium nobile without protection for 4 or so years now. The big problem with trying outdoor orchids is the squirrels love to rip them off trees.

[Silas_Sancona]

Sandy Loam,

No problem.. As far as the the stuff i am working with from the Sonoran/Chihuahuan regions of Mexico, the list is as follows. Since this will be my first year working with them here, and some i will be starting this year, my hope is that some will show tolerance to our humidity/rainfall, etc due to the adaptive strategies they already possess. Some may only be amiable to container culture. Other stuff i have heard has been cultivated in the ground here in the past.. Regardless of the eventual outcome, documentation should provide some interesting data to come.. since information for some stuff is greatly lacking.. Plus, its fun just seeing what plants can survive far outside of their " supposed" zones/regions.

Burseras:

B. fageroides
B. hindsiana
B.microphylla and B. microphyl. "waterman mountains" form
B. silvae
Adding B. ficilifolia and B odorata this spring.

B. fageroides and microphylla are two species which are supposed to possess the best potential cold hardiness.

Flowering stuff:

Guaiacum coulteri
Haematoxylon brasiletto
Lysiloma thornberi
Fouquieria splendens and macdougalii
Prosopis glandulosa regular and thornless cultivar
Caesalpinina cascalaco
Caesalpinia Mexicana < well known in the trade, would try this up there.
Caesalpinia pumilia
Caesalpinia platylobia
Little leaf Palo Verde
Blue Palo Verde
Erythrina coralloides
Erythrina flabelliformis
Texas Ebony
Mexican Ebony (Havardia Mexicana)
Little leaf Cordia (Cordia parvifolia) < hoping to take cuttings off my plants this year.
Mimosa dysocarpa
Eysanhardtia orthocarpa
Euphorbia xantii
Pedilanthus macrocarpa (slipper plant)
Euphorbia antisyphillitica
Myrospermum sousanum <Supposedly dislikes sandy soil
Calliandra californica
Calliandra eriophylla

Hoping to locate Ipomea aborescens, Albizia sinaloensis, and Pseudobombax palmeri to work with.

While several of these may not survive cold exposure below zone 9b, others show remarkable hardiness for where they originate. We'll see what survives the summer, and summers to come.

-Nathan-

Edited February 9, 2014 by Silas_Sancona

[gsytch]

I have Thrinax radiate in my coastal Pasco yard. It was planted 6 years ago from a 3 gal. Growing under 4 Queen palms rather closely planted, the only damage was from the severe winter a few years ago, and only on the outer most, older leaves. It is about 10' tall and nicely growing. Placed so it gets dappled sun to strong west sun (in summer), last years rainfall was a boon to it. It is a nice, compact palm. Seagrapes grow all along our coast. I do recall damage inn 1989 and a few years ago, but they responded by coming back nicely.

[stevethegator]

Also, Hamelia patens is grown fairly frequently as a butterfly plant all the way into Georgia, as a die back perennial. I remember seeing it fairly often when I lived in Gainesville, and during mild winters it wasn't damaged. Psychotria nervosa (wild coffee) is also hardy and has a native range which extends very far north in Florida.

I second encyclia tampensis as far as one of the hardiest epiphytic orchids, as well as Epidendrum magnoliae which is native all the way up to NC. I overwintered E. magnoliae on my patio in Atlanta last year and it was undamaged with lows in the 'teens.

As for palms, Pseudophoenix is difficult to grow in South Florida because it tends to rot in cultivated landscapes. I recently had to pull up a large one due to the famous Pseudophoenix decline that's been mentioned on the forum before; the crownshaft gets necrotic spots which slowly eat away into the heart. Both hydrogen peroxide and copper fungicide were ineffective treatments.

IMO Pseudophoenix needs zero irrigation and full sun in Florida to thrive, and even then it's very slow meaning it would take a long time to grow out of any damage.

Here is an interesting site with natural distribution maps for all Florida native "trees" including palms, look to "tropical hardwoods"

http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/maps/galleries/TreeDistribution/index.htm

[Alicehunter2000]

A. wrightii is a solid palm for zone 9a.

[_Keith]

  On 2/10/2014 at 2:07 AM, Alicehunter2000 said:

A. wrightii is a solid palm for zone 9a.

I posted a beautiful specimen I saw in S. Louisiana. I want to try it, for sure.

[palm tree man]

I agree, A wrightii is a solid 9a plant and if it is ever damaged it will more than likely come back from its roots. It is a suckering species after all and is also very closely related to serenoa repens by the way which is a widespread native palm to the Southeast. I have always wanted to try a royal palm but just didn't have enough faith in everything that I have heard. You could try it with protection; I would and have tried similar palms. If it isn't too expensive and you don't mind covering and wrapping maybe even heating it at times. Go for it, our cold spells are usually very short lived and they can handle the 40 to 80 weather that follows and possibly recover. There is a really nice A wrightii outside of the Volusia Mall in Daytona right down from the speedway if you are ever around Volusia County. I have spent allot of time there and that is one of the things that really started my palm addiction many, many years ago. Good luck and let me know how it does.

[fastfeat]

  On 2/10/2014 at 1:18 AM, stevethegator said:

Also, Hamelia patens is grown fairly frequently as a butterfly plant all the way into Georgia, as a die back perennial. I remember seeing it fairly often when I lived in Gainesville, and during mild winters it wasn't damaged. Psychotria nervosa (wild coffee) is also hardy and has a native range which extends very far north in Florida.

I second encyclia tampensis as far as one of the hardiest epiphytic orchids, as well as Epidendrum magnoliae which is native all the way up to NC. I overwintered E. magnoliae on my patio in Atlanta last year and it was undamaged with lows in the 'teens.

As for palms, Pseudophoenix is difficult to grow in South Florida because it tends to rot in cultivated landscapes. I recently had to pull up a large one due to the famous Pseudophoenix decline that's been mentioned on the forum before; the crownshaft gets necrotic spots which slowly eat away into the heart. Both hydrogen peroxide and copper fungicide were ineffective treatments.

IMO Pseudophoenix needs zero irrigation and full sun in Florida to thrive, and even then it's very slow meaning it would take a long time to grow out of any damage.

Here is an interesting site with natural distribution maps for all Florida native "trees" including palms, look to "tropical hardwoods"

http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/maps/galleries/TreeDistribution/index.htm

Excellent maps. Thanks.

[Alicehunter2000]

May have spoke too soon....spear pulled on largest trunk...Didn't try on the others yet, but some of them might pull as well. Think I will wait and just pour peroxide down the spears in place....never know which method is better. Pulling the spear leaves a huge rain catching hole and the area stays wet , leaving the spear leaves rotting tissue in proximity but helps keep moisture out.

[PalmatierMeg]

I have a Coccothrinax argentata planted in my north-facing front yard. In 20 winters it has taken down to 28F after a day of ice cold rain, gone through Hurricane Charley, Wilma & assorted tropical storms. And not once has it even shown a spot or lick of damage. That's almost magical. I'm sure this species can survive further north - assuming you can find one large enough to plant. Nobody but nobody, even specialty nurseries, carries this palm. I stumbled across mine all by its lonesome at Driftwood Nursery in Estero in 1993. They never carried another one.

[palm tree man]

I have heard allot of goods things about Coccothrinax argentata especially as an adult. It is a shame that they are hard to find, I had a one gallon but it was hit by a weed eater and didn't survive and yes that gentleman never worked for me again after that happening! lol Don't mess with this man's wife, his kids, or his palms! lol

[Zeeth]

  On 2/11/2014 at 1:32 AM, PalmatierMeg said:

I have a Coccothrinax argentata planted in my north-facing front yard. In 20 winters it has taken down to 28F after a day of ice cold rain, gone through Hurricane Charley, Wilma & assorted tropical storms. And not once has it even shown a spot or lick of damage. That's almost magical. I'm sure this species can survive further north - assuming you can find one large enough to plant. Nobody but nobody, even specialty nurseries, carries this palm. I stumbled across mine all by its lonesome at Driftwood Nursery in Estero in 1993. They never carried another one.

I collected a few C. argentata seeds from habitat a little over a month ago. Hopefully they aren't too slow...

[palm tree man]

They aren't terribly fast, I only had 100 seeds that I got from a broker. I would soak them for 24 hours in clean sterile water; then put them in a baggie with peat moss and apply bottom heat with a heating mat if possible. You could also use my old trick put the baggie on top of the central heating duck in your office where your wife can't see it so that she won't know that you are trying to grow another 100 palm trees. lol Placing them on top of the spare refrigerator in the garage works equally well. Good luck and happy germinating.

Edited February 11, 2014 by palm tree man

[Alicehunter2000]

Has anyone ever had a "trunk" on a A. wrightii survive after a spear pull? I know new ones will regenerate from the bottom but my tallest trunks are around 6 ft. tall and will hate to lose all the growth.

Same goes for R. excelsa anyone have these come back from a spear pull?

[palm tree man]

I am not sure about the R. Excelsa but they seem durable. I just have not ever grown that one. A wrightii has a good chance of survival I would take your normal post freeze precautions though. Mine survived a spear pull. As long as we get our usual warmer post freeze weather it should push a new spear. Hope they make it; it is a nice native palm.