Top Ten Palms For Clearwater, Florida?

[PalmTreeDude]

What do you think are the top ten palms for Clearwater Florida? I know it is in zone 9b/10a and I am wondering what grows well there? Palms that are bulletproof and look nice at the some time! 

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

If I were in Clearwater, this is what I would probably be growing:

In the following list, most aren't forever fulletproof but if you stay 9B/10a you should be fine

1. Kentiopsis Oliviformis

2. Coccothrinax species (all different kinds)

3. Dypsis Pembana (maybe not bulletproof)

4. Dypsis decaryi

5. Bismarckia

6. Copernicia macroglossa

7. Leucothrinax morrissii

8. Pseudophoenix sargentii

9. Chambeyronia

10. Roystonia Regia

[sbpalms]

I'm not an expert on the climate of Florida, but, like Jason mentioned, I believe Kentiopsis oliviformis would be a great palm for Clearwater.

[RedRabbit]

The climate in Clearwater varies a lot. Clearwater Beach might be low end 10b and inland is probably boarderline 9b/10a.

[kinzyjr]

In my opinion and not necessarily in order:

1) Roystonea Regia

2) Bismarckia Nobilis

3) Phoenix Reclinata

4) Chamaerops Humilis 'Cerifera'

5) Archontophoenix Alexandrae

6) Phoenix Roebelenii

7) Phoenix Dactylifera 'Medjool'

8) Phoenix Canariensis

9) Sabal Palmetto

10) Serenoa Repens (blue)

Honorable Mentions: Phoenix Theophrasti, Livistona Chinensis, Sabal Minor,  Acoelorrhaphe Wrightii

Obviously just my preferences, but everything here should survive in Clearwater with no issues because they survived the 2010 '2 week freeze' here.

[PalmTreeDude]

Everyone who has replied here made good suggestions! 

[Sabal Steve]

3 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

 

1) Roystonea Regia

5) Archontophoenix Alexandrae

Obviously just my preferences, but everything here should survive in Clearwater with no issues because they survived the 2010 '2 week freeze' here.

These survived a "2 week freeze"???  A consistent temperature below 32F for 2 weeks?

[kinzyjr]

Just now, The Steve said:

These survived a "2 week freeze"???  A consistent temperature below 32F for 2 weeks?

More a figure of speech.  We had unseasonably cold weather for 2 straight weeks.  Highs below 60s.  A few nights in the 20s.

[Sabal Steve]

1 minute ago, kinzyjr said:

More a figure of speech.  We had unseasonably cold weather for 2 straight weeks.  Highs below 60s.  A few nights in the 20s.

Ahh, I see:)

[kinzyjr]

2 minutes ago, The Steve said:

Ahh, I see:)

Looks like we did make daytime highs in the 60s a few of the days, at least at the airport.  The link below will at least give you a snapshot of what that time period was like. You can see the first couple weeks of January at our Airport here:

https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KLAL/2010/1/1/CustomHistory.html?dayend=30&monthend=1&yearend=2010&req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=

All of the palms on this list did survive these numbers.  The "2 week freeze" is, as you see, not a literal term, but not a term of endearment either ;)

[Sabal Steve]

1 hour ago, kinzyjr said:

Looks like we did make daytime highs in the 60s a few of the days, at least at the airport.  The link below will at least give you a snapshot of what that time period was like. You can see the first couple weeks of January at our Airport here:

https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KLAL/2010/1/1/CustomHistory.html?dayend=30&monthend=1&yearend=2010&req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=

All of the palms on this list did survive these numbers.  The "2 week freeze" is, as you see, not a literal term, but not a term of endearment either ;)

Good stuff, thanks for the link.  According to the info provided, it got down to 26F, and there looks to have been perhaps 3 straight nights in the upper 20s.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

I would plant at least a few Jamaican Talls in inland Clearwater, and these along with some Malayan Dwarf coconut palms in Clearwater Beach, and maybe a Panama Tall or Maypan too.  I have seen mature Jamaican Talls at Clearwater Beach in 2000 or 2001 with nuts on them.

[kinzyjr]

4 minutes ago, The Steve said:

Good stuff, thanks for the link.  According to the info provided, it got down to 26F, and there looks to have been perhaps 3 straight nights in the upper 20s.

It was rough!  That daytime high of 37F was the worst.  We've had lower temps, but we usually do not have low temps for that long.

[Xenon]

Some other stuff based on what grows in S. Texas: Sabal mauritiiformis, Cuban Copernicia (baileyana, fallaensis, hospita etc), Borassus, Arenga, Attalea, Ptychosperma elegans, Thrinax

These are a bit more tender (~coconut or just slightly more hardy), but worth a try: Clinostigma savoryanum, Carpoxylon, Satakentia, Carpentaria, Veitchia

[Eric in Orlando]

For the colder, inland areas;

 

Allagoptera arenaria

Arenga engleri

Attalea cohune

Beccariophoenix alfredii

Copernicia alba

Livistona decora

Livistona saribus

Phoenix rupicola

Rhapis multifida

Sabal mauritiiformis

 

 

For the warmer sections;

 

Areca triandra

Coccothrinax barbadensis

Cocos nucifera

Copernica baileyana or C. fallaensis

Cryosophila warscewiczii

Dypsis pembana

Euterpe edulis

Licuala ramsayi

Pritchardia beccariana or P. hillebrandii

Satakentia liukiuensis

 

[sonoranfans]

Proximity to the ocean is a big deal up in clearwater for crownshafted palms.  West of Rt 19alt is a pretty good crownshaft zone, but as you go inland it cools off quite a bit in seasonal lows.  Once you get on the middle lower pinellas peninsula, the west/southwest is a solid 10a in many places.  I am down near 75/275 intersection, which is similar to within 2 miles of the gulf in the  clearwater area.  I have 4 kentiopsis oliviformis with 1-12' clear trunk they are doing very well, holding up to 8-10 leaves.  I have 3 beccariophoenix alfredii are doing very well holding up to 16-18 leaves, they grow notably faster and hold more leaves in full sun but can look nice in filtered sun.  My Bismarckia, Copernicia(cubans), sabal domingensis, sabal uresana(blue), brahea clara, borassus aethiopum, are all doing well.   I would definitely encourage the hardier cuban copernicias , like baileyaha and fallaensis, they are gorgeous fan palms that are well suited to this area and can take as low as 26-27F.  My 2 royals are putting on 2' of trunk a year with 16-18' trunk currently.  Big royals all survived the 2010 freeze in my area.  I also have a small dypsis ambositrae("true"), a few dypsis pembana(including a 20 footer), and several livistonas including decora, chinensis, mariae.  I lost a small pembana out in the open the first year along with a few small (<=15 gallon)royals when the 2010 cold snap/hard frost hit in Dec 2010, but I have several pembanas now doing very well now with buds 10-12' up so they are out of danger now.  I also had alfredii seedlings defolliated by that frost, but they survived and one is 18-20 overall now, a massive beast.  Remember that overhead canopy may help you stretch 1/2 zone as well.

Edited December 31, 2016 by sonoranfans
rt 19 to 19a