Hardiest Archontophoenix Species?

[Pee Dee Palms]

I have been looking to see what people think is the hardiest Archontophoenix species out there. I am trying to find one that could possibly be hardy to zone 9A or a weak 9B. I have heard some people say it is A. tuckeri or A. purpurea. I am thinking about trying to zone push one of these in zone 8B with a lot of protection. Currently I have one immature A. cunninghamiana that is still just sitting inside. So does anyone know any Archontophoenix species that are really hardy? And does anyone know if I could zone push one of these in 8B with lots of protection?

[Ben in Norcal]

A cunninghamiana is the most hardy, but there's not much between any of them. 

None will take much below 26 or 27, and that's with damage.  So they will need very heavy protection to make it very long in 8b, IMO.

[Happypalm]

Hi, I'm wondering which is the most cold tolerant Archontophoenix after Cunninghamiana? Maybe A. Myolensis and A. Tuckeri? Any experiences?

[Patrick]

Anybody in the CA bay area recall what Inga's special tree in Castro Valley could take? I it made it through the 89 freeze. It's a cunninghamia. My child of this palm is just flowering for the first time this summer. Very exciting.

[Tropicdoc]

On 7/11/2022 at 1:04 PM, Patrick said:

Anybody in the CA bay area recall what Inga's special tree in Castro Valley could take? I it made it through the 89 freeze. It's a cunninghamia. My child of this palm is just flowering for the first time this summer. Very exciting.

Just so hard to compare California cold

to gulf coast cold….. so different

[Fusca]

7 hours ago, Tropicdoc said:

Just so hard to compare California cold

to gulf coast cold….. so different

True the cold is different but doesn't change the fact that cunninghamiana is the hardiest.  Ultimate low it can handle will be different in different regions.  I've read that maxima can grow out of severe cold damage faster but not necessarily more cold hardy.

[Blueman]

On 7/9/2022 at 11:58 AM, Happypalm said:

Hi, I'm wondering which is the most cold tolerant Archontophoenix after Cunninghamiana? Maybe A. Myolensis and A. Tuckeri? Any experiences?

Myolensis & tuckeri are in low elevation tropics, scratch those.  What makes Archontophoenix cold hardy is higher elevation, which occurs in both NSW & Queensland.  I've read Inga Hoffman's hardy  cunninghamiana was carefully selected by her from a high elevation in Queensland.   

Archontophoenix can survive in 9B FL under evergreen canopy, since all 6 species get tall, the canopy has to be tall too.  From my experience in 9B & 10A, all will succumb to frost in exposed locations in 9B, and few can survive the occasional heavy frosts in 10A.  I had ten 8-10' tall Illawara cunnninghamiana in the open that were all killed by the 1996 freeze in a warm part of 9B FL. 

I don't see any way Archontophoenix could survive in 8B or 9A.  The best bet for crownshafts in those zones is shorter growing species that can be covered and heated.  

[kinzyjr]

Jungle Music has Archontophoenix teracarpa from an unknown lineage.  They have a bunch of them at Hollis Garden that are noticeably hardier than the Archontophoenix alexandrae that dominate the skyline.

[Foxpalms]

14 hours ago, Blueman said:

Myolensis & tuckeri are in low elevation tropics, scratch those.  What makes Archontophoenix cold hardy is higher elevation, which occurs in both NSW & Queensland.  I've read Inga Hoffman's hardy  cunninghamiana was carefully selected by her from a high elevation in Queensland.   

Archontophoenix can survive in 9B FL under evergreen canopy, since all 6 species get tall, the canopy has to be tall too.  From my experience in 9B & 10A, all will succumb to frost in exposed locations in 9B, and few can survive the occasional heavy frosts in 10A.  I had ten 8-10' tall Illawara cunnninghamiana in the open that were all killed by the 1996 freeze in a warm part of 9B FL. 

I don't see any way Archontophoenix could survive in 8B or 9A.  The best bet for crownshafts in those zones is shorter growing species that can be covered and heated.  

I bet if you had it near the house and under canopy maybe double canopy a taller tree and small one and had it under that a warm 9a might get away with an archontophoenix cunninghamiana but not an 8b without serious protection. Also the Illawarra variant are less cold hardy but more cool tolerant but the normal one is still very cool tolerant in my opinion.