Cold limit?

[csentell1924]

What is the absolute lowest temperature a Pindo Palm can take and recover? It would be alright if most fronds are lost, but as long as it could recover. There are MANY different answers online but I want to hear from people with experience pushing the limits with these things. Also, what is the lowest Phoenix Dactylifera and Phoenix Canariensis could take with the same circumstances? Thanks!

[kinzyjr]

8 minutes ago, csentell1924 said:

What is the absolute lowest temperature a Pindo Palm can take and recover? It would be alright if most fronds are lost, but as long as it could recover. There are MANY different answers online but I want to hear from people with experience pushing the limits with these things. Also, what is the lowest Phoenix Dactylifera and Phoenix Canariensis could take with the same circumstances? Thanks!

According to the Cold Hardiness Master Data compilation, the lowest number for a Pindo Palm (Butia odorata and synonym Butia capitata) was 8.78F in Cologne, Germany.  The lowest in the southeast USA appears to be several instances of survival, with varying levels of damage, at 10F.

Phoenix dactylifera and Phoenix canariensis are a little trickier.  They typically survive lower temperatures in arid and semi-arid areas than they do here in the southeast.  There is an observation in the data for Phoenix dactylifera surviving 13F in Aiken, SC with major damage.  Phoenix canariensis has survived as low as 10F and an undamaged survivor at 19F.

This is only a snippet of the observations contained in the spreadsheet at the link above and it is being updated regularly.

[jimmyt]

I have 2 P. dactyliferas survive 8 F for several hours without significant damage here is central TX.   They regularly experience winter temps into the mid teens. 

[Xenon]

There are pre-89 CIDP and pindo palms in SE TX/S LA even quite a ways away from the coast that must have survived 5-10F in the past. 

[Chester B]

My big pindo did an ultimate low of around 12F one night with almost 3 days of freezing temps.  It may have received some heat from the house as its planted in an alcove.  No damage to the palm, but I had another that was in a more exposed location that was slightly larger and it didn't make it.  The damage didn't show until the following spring when the fronds started turning brown with the oldest ones showing this first.

[Fusca]

On 4/29/2020 at 10:33 AM, csentell1924 said:

What is the absolute lowest temperature a Pindo Palm can take and recover? It would be alright if most fronds are lost, but as long as it could recover. There are MANY different answers online but I want to hear from people with experience pushing the limits with these things. Also, what is the lowest Phoenix Dactylifera and Phoenix Canariensis could take with the same circumstances? Thanks!

I agree with the others but keep in mind those ultimate low temps are for mature established palms.  I personally lost a 3-gal sized pindo (Butia odorata) that had only been in the ground for 6 months @ 15F unprotected.  Since then I learned that smaller palms need winter protection their first winter in the ground at temps they might laugh at once established.