Could someone please recommend some specimens that have a decent shot in Bay City, Michigan? Appears to be zone 6A. I’ve been here visiting family since last week and would like to plant something on their property as an experiment. 
 

thanks!

6 minutes ago, NickJames said:

Could someone please recommend some specimens that have a decent shot in Bay City, Michigan? Appears to be zone 6A. I’ve been here visiting family since last week and would like to plant something on their property as an experiment. 
 

thanks!

Sabal minor Cherokee and McCurtain varieties.  The variety from southern Arkansas is a potential choice as well.  Rhapidophyllum hystrix.  Both will need very preferential siting on the south or southeast side of a heated structure along with some level of active protection.

31 minutes ago, kinzyjr said:

Sabal minor Cherokee and McCurtain varieties.  The variety from southern Arkansas is a potential choice as well.  Rhapidophyllum hystrix.  Both will need very preferential siting on the south or southeast side of a heated structure along with some level of active protection.

That's your only options without protection.  Although most Sabal Minor of any variety probably will have a shot.

Try to get as large a palm as you can. Figure on someone protecting it during the depths of winter.

Forgot to mention these in my first post, but if you want something easier to protect, the Blountstown dwarf and other smaller variants of Sabal minor offer an option you could cover with a 5G bucket most or all of their life.

I responded to a topic recently like this.  I'm from Ontario, Canada, so same place in regards to climate and just across the lake.  Down along the border by Detroit/Windsor, areas of Niagara and Toronto are classified as 7A.  To my knowledge there are no palms surviving anywhere long term without protection.  Lots of articles about people who have them, and a growing interest in keeping them but its too cold for too long.  Winter protection or greenhouse storage during winter are the only options.  I'm not trying to be negative but realistic, nothing more would make me happy to have palms in the ground there on their own but its simply not feasible.

Zone 7A much further in the south is different animal entirely and makes a few select species a possibility.  In the north freezes can last weeks and palms simply don't like that.  I have lived in two zone 7A locations and 6B in Ontario and have seen Cordylines survive a mild winter but that is the exception.  For example this spring they had snow only 3 weeks ago, and my In-laws who live just north of Toronto (Zone5B) have had a couple of very late frosts this week.

 

20 minutes ago, Chester B said:

I responded to a topic recently like this.  I'm from Ontario, Canada, so same place in regards to climate and just across the lake.  Down along the border by Detroit/Windsor, areas of Niagara and Toronto are classified as 7A.  To my knowledge there are no palms surviving anywhere long term without protection.  Lots of articles about people who have them, and a growing interest in keeping them but its too cold for too long.  Winter protection or greenhouse storage during winter are the only options.  I'm not trying to be negative but realistic, nothing more would make me happy to have palms in the ground there on their own but its simply not feasible.

Zone 7A much further in the south is different animal entirely and makes a few select species a possibility.  In the north freezes can last weeks and palms simply don't like that.  I have lived in two zone 7A locations and 6B in Ontario and have seen Cordylines survive a mild winter but that is the exception.  For example this spring they had snow only 3 weeks ago, and my In-laws who live just north of Toronto (Zone5B) have had a couple of very late frosts this week.

 

Definitely worth listening to this.  I think you need site under evergreen canopy or by house as best options even for the minor and needle.

I lived in Midland for a few years. I don't believe that any palm will survive outside in Bay City without extreme protection, i.e. a heated greenhouse!

Needles are great and all with the best cold tolerance of all palms, but they require a ton of heat and humidity to grow. Even in my humid subtropic climate some baby strap leaf specimens I planted are still slow growing and barely putting out a few leaves a year. I can only imagine how slow they would be up there.

An artificial one?

Lol, no but seriously there is some good advice here. Unless you plan on extensive cold protection don't waste your time. 

I am in zone 6b in Cincinnati. There are a few old established needle palms and some sable minors around. I have a friend that has a nice sabal minor in his yard with open exposure. It defoliated during the vortex years. If the temp is expected to reach 5 degrees he covers the trunk of the plant with straw leaving the leaves exposed. Generally our harsh period in the winter is a 2 or 3 week period in late January to mid February. Sabals just seem to just survive, needles do best against a wall, even though there are some in the open. The saving grace for them is that our temps can dip low but are generally not sustained. That is definitely not the case not too far north of me in central or northern Ohio. I have family in Detroit. I used to visit frequently as a kid. Those winters up there are BRUTAL.