Coconut tree too close to the house?

[Fusion]

just planted this after a year and a half in a pot. It was way too root bound and I should have put it out last summer but never got around to it. My wife thinks it is way too close but I think it will be fine. Thoughts?

[Palmarum]

It will adapt. I have seen them planted even closer and turn out fine. As it grows it will angle itself away from the house. I had one planted a mere 3 ft. away from a wall and it angled out fine, gaining a nice curve to the base of the trunk. The only problem I could foresee, is if you have a large overhang with your roof. Over time when it has significant trunk, it may bounce against the edge of the roof during high winds.

Ryan

[kinzyjr]

@Fusion Yeah, mine are way closer than that and no issues at all.

[GottmitAlex]

I don't see it an issue. 

[James B]

Alex knows a thing or two about Coconut palms. He has me thinking about trying one in my courtyard that gets blasted by mid day sun and traps in ambient heat between the two wall on either side. They would love it in summer. But in winter where it gets dark at 445pm is the question.

[Fusion]

I am not too worried about the cold. The weather station in my backyard hasn't seen a sub 30 temp yet in the last 3 years, and with some c7s and some wrap along with a tarp and a space heater I think I can keep it up for the 1 or 2 nights I might see 35. Think I am just too close to water to see some of the Temps some others might see in jax. but if not i will at least say I gave it a good shot lol.

[GottmitAlex]

Sub 30's? Does it snow in Jacksonville?

[RedRabbit]

41 minutes ago, Fusion said:

I am not too worried about the cold. The weather station in my backyard hasn't seen a sub 30 temp yet in the last 3 years, and with some c7s and some wrap along with a tarp and a space heater I think I can keep it up for the 1 or 2 nights I might see 35. Think I am just too close to water to see some of the Temps some others might see in jax. but if not i will at least say I gave it a good shot lol.

I suggest a beccariophoenix alfredii instead. Coconuts don’t really have a reasonable chance in Jacksonville. Even if your low temp isn’t below feeezing, Jacksonville is far enough north to where an extended cold period will kill it.

Edited April 24, 2020 by RedRabbit

[Oviedo_z10b_lol]

I approach cocos in north/central florida with a Drago-nian attitude. It’s an unfortunate matter of when, not if. Otherwise they’d be planted everywhere. Looks good for the time being, though. 

[Steve the palmreader]

It needs to be on the southside of your house in Jax to have a chance to survive, Good luck

[redant]

10 hours ago, Fusion said:

I am not too worried about the cold. The weather station in my backyard hasn't seen a sub 30 temp yet in the last 3 years, and with some c7s and some wrap along with a tarp and a space heater I think I can keep it up for the 1 or 2 nights I might see 35. Think I am just too close to water to see some of the Temps some others might see in jax. but if not i will at least say I gave it a good shot lol.

Not to be the grim reaper but there is very little chance of this going long term for you. Our recent past winters have been extremely mild but sooner or later we are bound to get wacked.

Edited April 24, 2020 by redant

[PalmatierMeg]

10 hours ago, GottmitAlex said:

Sub 30's? Does it snow in Jacksonville?

More often than you might think, sometimes with accumulations of 1" plus. A coconut palm in Jacksonville should be considered an annual/biannual. If you decide to protect it next winter, wrap it in fabric/fleece before putting on a tarp. Plastic directly on a plant will actually transmit cold and cause damage. Figure on supplemental heat, too.

[NickJames]

I grew up in Jacksonville. It did not “snow” in Jacksonville in my lifetime. The last incidence of snow with accumulation was 12/25/1989. I was born in 1993. 
 

There have been reports of “flurries” which sadly never fell at my home as a child. Looking back now, I’m probably not so sad considering the damage it may have caused to the now 25 year old queen palms at my childhood home. 
 

Having said that, my childhood home experienced 14 hard freezes in a row In 2009-2010. There was no damage to the Phoenix robellinis or queen palms. I distinctly recall going to Friendship Fountain in Downtown Jacksonville (on the riverfront) and there being ICE in the fountain from the sustained cold. 
 

Most recently, when I lived in Fernandina Beach (north of Jacksonville), we had a close call. The air aloft was too warm for snow but it was 32 degrees on my weather station and heavy raining. That alone would probably be not so good for it. 
 

Having said all that, you will want to plant close to the home for the best chances. What is your specific neighborhood? PM me if you want. I’ve heard rumors of tropical palms located off Girvin Road in a desirable microclimate but I could never find them. 

[NickJames]

Also put way more mulch, darker pine bark, or even dark rocks like Mexican beach pebbles around it for best heat preservation. 

[ck_in_fla]

18 hours ago, Fusion said:

just planted this after a year and a half in a pot. It was way too root bound and I should have put it out last summer but never got around to it. My wife thinks it is way too close but I think it will be fine. Thoughts?

I wish you the best of luck on your Coconut palm.  In Jacksonville, it is probably a long shot to expect it to last more than a year or two.  But, if you don't try, you will never know.

The responses in this thread are all 100% accurate.  I live in one of the Northern suburbs of Orlando and I have been pushing the limits here since 1983.  My 40 foot tall Royal palm is a testament to the effort I have put forth.  When it was a seedling (in 2001), I protected it whenever the temperature was expected to drop below 30F.  But, since it started to tower over my house, it has been on its own.  I had two Coconut palms in pots for several years.  Since they are now too large to drag into the garage when it gets cold, I decided to roll the dice and planted them in the ground.  This past winter, there was no cold weather that even caused me to think about dragging them into the garage.  So, even though my winter temperatures are normally higher than yours, I feel like I am rolling the dice.  But, we will see...

The bottom line is to read the responses and learn from them.  Then, do what you want and see what happens.  I am hoping you succeed for at least a few years!

[Kim]

The fronds on my barely-trunking coconuts are about 20 ft. long. This is on Hawaii Island. But since you are in a challenged climate, I don't think you need to be too concerned about that problem. Good luck with your cocos.

[shminbabe]

2 hours ago, NickJames said:

I grew up in Jacksonville. It did not “snow” in Jacksonville in my lifetime. The last incidence of snow with accumulation was 12/25/1989. I was born in 1993. 
 

There have been reports of “flurries” which sadly never fell at my home as a child. Looking back now, I’m probably not so sad considering the damage it may have caused to the now 25 year old queen palms at my childhood home. 
 

Having said that, my childhood home experienced 14 hard freezes in a row In 2009-2010. There was no damage to the Phoenix robellinis or queen palms. I distinctly recall going to Friendship Fountain in Downtown Jacksonville (on the riverfront) and there being ICE in the fountain from the sustained cold. 
 

Most recently, when I lived in Fernandina Beach (north of Jacksonville), we had a close call. The air aloft was too warm for snow but it was 32 degrees on my weather station and heavy raining. That alone would probably be not so good for it. 
 

Having said all that, you will want to plant close to the home for the best chances. What is your specific neighborhood? PM me if you want. I’ve heard rumors of tropical palms located off Girvin Road in a desirable microclimate but I could never find them. 

I read with alarm the earlier post that described multiple incidents of snow in Jacksonville, Florida.  I was relieved, then, to read this post, which closely mirrors my own experience of winter in the Jacksonville, Florida area. I moved here from Michigan in 2000.  I do live very close to the water, though, so I benefit from that, and more, we are protected from the cold by a large live oak canopy. We've had hard freezes here just as ^ he described,  and I did cover my pygmy date palms back in 2008-2010, and then they grew too big.  I never remember protecting my two Queens and now they are huge and majestic, flanking the garage.  (But SO messy.). A friend is encouraging me to try a a coconut palm here but I know I just don't have enough sun so that it would grow fast, and I don't want it to die!  I did plant a Spindle palm that I'm emotionally invested in now,  so I'll be wrapping her up if it gets cold enough here.  No longer will I be praying for a hard freeze haha.

Anyone else here have coconut palms in the northeast Florida area?

[Steve the palmreader]

On 4/24/2020 at 1:36 PM, shminbabe said:

I read with alarm the earlier post that described multiple incidents of snow in Jacksonville, Florida.  I was relieved, then, to read this post, which closely mirrors my own experience of winter in the Jacksonville, Florida area. I moved here from Michigan in 2000.  I do live very close to the water, though, so I benefit from that, and more, we are protected from the cold by a large live oak canopy. We've had hard freezes here just as ^ he described,  and I did cover my pygmy date palms back in 2008-2010, and then they grew too big.  I never remember protecting my two Queens and now they are huge and majestic, flanking the garage.  (But SO messy.). A friend is encouraging me to try a a coconut palm here but I know I just don't have enough sun so that it would grow fast, and I don't want it to die!  I did plant a Spindle palm that I'm emotionally invested in now,  so I'll be wrapping her up if it gets cold enough here.  No longer will I be praying for a hard freeze haha.

Anyone else here have coconut palms in the northeast Florida area?

There were a couple on A1A in St. Augustine beach the lasted about 5 years but they died in 2000