cold hardy palms in houston

[chinandega81]

27 minutes ago, Jeff985 said:

Arecas aren’t at all common here. Probably because the big box stores here don’t sell them. They can be found in locally owned garden centers and they’re usually pretty cheap, but they usually only have a couple and they’re back in a corner where a lot of people don’t see them. I have one (see below). It’s not very impressive. I paid like $30 for it back in February. Since we’ve revived this thread I might as well include some pictures of palms I’ve planted since this thread was active. 

Wow! Your yard looks like South Florida! That's amazing. Do you put a lot of money and effort into winterizing your yard? Are you in the heat island SW of downtown? Your stuff looks great! I know Areca palms like high shade...maybe if you take some suckers and plant them under canopy they will get extra protection from the cold...but i'm surprised they aren't more common since you can usually find them as a default "indoor" plant at most stores. Thanks again for those pics, I love them!!

[chinandega81]

23 minutes ago, Jeff985 said:

I just realized I didn’t answer your question about the soil. It’s heavy clay, which is good and bad. Water hogs like queens, royals, archontophoenix and majestys love it, but palms that don’t like wet roots don’t care for it at all. 

Interesting. Another question...is Houston similar to say Orlando climate wise? Any Florida comparisons? I am so amazed how tropical your yard looks...central Florida should look way more tropical if you can pull that off in Houston! Same for New Orleans!

[necturus]

Good luck with those palms. I think a lot of those are going to be challenging here even in the best environments like Galveston, but as shown in this thread and elsewhere there are some impressive long-term survivors in the greater Houston area. I think majesties and kings in protected areas are probably the best zone pushes we can manage.

[Jeff985]

17 minutes ago, chinandega81 said:

Interesting. Another question...is Houston similar to say Orlando climate wise? Any Florida comparisons? I am so amazed how tropical your yard looks...central Florida should look way more tropical if you can pull that off in Houston! Same for New Orleans!

Thanks. Houston would be more like Jacksonville than Orlando. I live southeast of Houston. Two blocks from Galveston bay. Slightly warmer than the UHI. I haven’t protected anything the last two years. I didn’t have any of this stuff the last time we had a freeze. The last time we had a freeze I lived in Katy which is one of the colder spots. I typically limit myself to $100 for zone pushers. I made an exception for the royal and paid $200 for it. 

[Jeff985]

20 minutes ago, necturus said:

Good luck with those palms. I think a lot of those are going to be challenging here even in the best environments like Galveston, but as shown in this thread and elsewhere there are some impressive long-term survivors in the greater Houston area. I think majesties and kings in protected areas are probably the best zone pushes we can manage.

If the warming trend continues, they’ll be fine. If it doesn’t I’m prepared for that. They’ve survived in Galveston for 30 years. Where I live is typically only a degree or two colder than Galveston. My royal survived the 2018 freeze in a nursery pot. But if they freeze to death one day, odds are I won’t live in this house when it happens so it’ll be the next guy’s problem. 

[chinandega81]

4 minutes ago, Jeff985 said:

Thanks. Houston would be more like Jacksonville than Orlando. I live southeast of Houston. Two blocks from Galveston bay. Slightly warmer than the UHI. I haven’t protected anything the last two years. I didn’t have any of this stuff the last time we had a freeze. The last time we had a freeze I lived in Katy which is one of the colder spots. I typically limit myself to $100 for zone pushers. I made an exception for the royal and paid $200 for it. 

Would you try a mango or royal poinciana or golden shower tree? I guess your yard is only so big though. Being near the bay must help. What does the water temperature drop to at it's lowest? Is it deep or shallow? I hope your neighbors are inspired by your yard!

[chinandega81]

BTW royals sprout in South Florida in parking lot landscaping underneath larger trees. If you ever visit you could simply yank a few out for free and of course pick up cheaper small tropicals to take home. 

[Jeff985]

5 minutes ago, chinandega81 said:

Would you try a mango or royal poinciana or golden shower tree? I guess your yard is only so big though. Being near the bay must help. What does the water temperature drop to at it's lowest? Is it deep or shallow? I hope your neighbors are inspired by your yard!

I’d give pretty much anything a try if it was cheap enough and I had the room for it. The bay near my house is about 10 feet deep and in January  it gets down to the upper 50’s (58-59). Most of my neighbors love what I’ve done with my yard, but one doesn’t. In fact one time when I was unloading a palm from my truck she rolled her eyes and said “this isn’t Florida “ . I replied it would be a lot cooler if it was. 

[chinandega81]

52 minutes ago, Jeff985 said:

I’d give pretty much anything a try if it was cheap enough and I had the room for it. The bay near my house is about 10 feet deep and in January  it gets down to the upper 50’s (58-59). Most of my neighbors love what I’ve done with my yard, but one doesn’t. In fact one time when I was unloading a palm from my truck she rolled her eyes and said “this isn’t Florida “ . I replied it would be a lot cooler if it was. 

That seems like a reasonable temperture to help moderate the area.  And what a grinch of a neighbor...tell her this isn't North Dakota so why live on the Gulf Coast if you dislike palms? Plenty of places in the US and Texas that are palm free!