Global Climate Change & Palm Selection

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

OK, I'm not wishing anything bad to happen to anyone, but IF I had the power to adjust my climate just a little, I'd put an end to those nights that drop just a smidgen below freezing.  It seems that, except for the lows that occur about 2-10 nights per year, I could grow a Coconut palm in my yard (without protection).  I just can't see how those 2-10 nights would have much of an impact on the Polar Bears (& I really want them to be around forever ).  Of course my satisfaction would be short-lived because once I had that Coconut then I'd want the sligtly less cold tolerant Veitchias, then the much less cold tolerant Cyrtostachys & Piggies.  Goodness, can a palm addict be satisfied?  I suppose I'll just deal with whatever Gaia sends my way...Global Warming, Global Cooling, Desertification, or Deluge.   One thing for sure, whatever happens won't be within my control anyway.  (For those that care, I'm down to about 20 gal (70 liters) of Gasoline per month for personal use...Chavez be damned! :cool: ).

[philinsydney]

Keith,

Are you sure that Piggas are so cold-sensitive? They seem to grow them on the Gold Coast without any problems, but wouldn't dream of growing Lipsticks there unprotected.

[SubTropicRay]

Hi Phil,

Historically, Cyrtostachys and Pigafetta could never have been expected to reach maturity in nearly tropical areas like south Florida.  I say historically because it might now with the climate shift of the last 20 years.  North and central Florida remain however, too cold for either species to survive a single winter planted out.

Ray

[palmmermaid]

I live in central Palm Beach county and can't grow Cyrtostachys outside.  Gets too cold.  Only in Dade can they do this without protection.

There is a lady on Palm Beach Island who has a mature specimen.  But she has heaters in the ground around it and her gardeners build a greenhouse around it each winter.  I don't have that kind of money.

[amazondk]

I guess the only real solution to the problem is a change in latitude.  But, then that is not an easy thing many times.  Everything in life has its trade offs.  By the time a cold front gets to my latitude all it does is cause a thunderstorm.

dk