Livistona Chinensis as Dieback Perennial?

[knikfar]

Can anyone share their experience growing a livistona chinensis as a dieback perennial? I live in Raleigh NC, zone 7b but really close to 8a. I've seen information online where people are growing these palms in zone 7, and even lower, as dieback perennials. The leaves burn up during the winter but the plants sprout new ones each spring, similar to Washingtonia. Anyone else trying this and willing to share experience? I planted one right up against the foundation of my house, under the eves and next to where heat comes out of a pipe in winter. Trying to give it the best chance possible. 

[Chester B]

Don't bother.  They grow so slow they only start looking good towards the end of summer.  I think you'll find most people will agree with this.  For me if sheltered they don't lose the fronds but I already removed one and have two others that I'm thinking of removing as well.  These really only look good in places where the climate is mile enough for them to fully mature.   I'm in 8B and it's not a good palm here.

They do well as house plants so if you can keep it in a pot they don't seem to mind being inside in winter, but you have to slowly acclimatize them back outside in spring or all they're fronds will burn up and then see comments above.  Part sun they seem to look best.  I should've left mine in the pot they were really nice.

A Sabal minor is far superior for a low fan type palm.

[Jtee]

They grow too slow, they will be fried in the winter then take all growing season to fill out. Totally not worth it. 

[Allen]

Have not tried it but I would think they would have to grow fast enough to restore energy reserves depleted when regrowing fronds each year.  If not they will decline and die.  Fronds are a main energy reserve for a palm and if you lose them the palm will take energy from trunk/roots.  If it doesn't have a big trunk there is not much energy to restore fronds.

[Collectorpalms]

At my house they come out of winter looking good about 50% of the time. They grow reasonably fast in the south, but I wouldn't plant another, but did have 4 survive 4F, but lost a few too. It seems to be the bud hardiest of the Livistonias that have been tested. I am going to try Livistonia Alfredeii since its a Silver Palm, and sometimes those are more cold/drought hardy.

[EJPalm05]

i have one in the ground! it died back this year and it now has put out 2 fronds!

[Allen]

26 minutes ago, EJ NJ said:

i have one in the ground! it died back this year and it now has put out 2 fronds!

Do you have before pics and now pics?  Is the palm declining or getting larger or the same?

[knikfar]

I follow Palms R Kool on Youtube. Its run by a guy in Charlotte who grows all kinds of palms. He told me his chinensis usually gets burned in the winter but bounces right back in the spring, like a Washingtonia. Charlotte's climate is very similar to Raleigh's. So I'm hoping for the same results. 

[Allen]

31 minutes ago, knikfar said:

I follow Palms R Kool on Youtube. Its run by a guy in Charlotte who grows all kinds of palms. He told me his chinensis usually gets burned in the winter but bounces right back in the spring, like a Washingtonia. Charlotte's climate is very similar to Raleigh's. So I'm hoping for the same results. 

On his current video about selling the house with the yard tour where is the Livistona?  I may have missed it as I skimmed thru?

[knikfar]

38 minutes ago, Allen said:

On his current video about selling the house with the yard tour where is the Livistona?  I may have missed it as I skimmed thru?

I believe its on the right side of the driveway, when you're looking at the house. Maybe about half way between the street and the house. 

[knikfar]

41 minutes ago, Allen said:

On his current video about selling the house with the yard tour where is the Livistona?  I may have missed it as I skimmed thru?

At the 0.37 mark, look at the left side of the driveway. All of its leaves burned off in the winter but it's already pushed two leaves out. It looks small but I have mine mixed with other greenery so they aren't the only thing planted. Even if they only push out a few leaves a season, they'll still add a tropical flare. 

[ky_palm064]

IMO, here in what used to be zone 6b, besides the needle palm and Sabal minor, even with a good "micro", only a Trachy (and maybe a Mazari) at the cost of quite a bit more protection than the first two, are the options for a good sized palm.

On the other hand, for a fun project, I would recommend the Chinensis. Mine has come back for the third straight year. The fun is not a great looking plant, but in seeing if a palm with no more care than cutting to the ground each winter and maybe a little mulch, will come back after below zero f winters (and how far below zero?).

For a stand out specimen up here, try a Sabal Louisiana\Birmingham (a looong term project).

[EJPalm05]

On 6/15/2022 at 12:24 PM, Allen said:

Do you have before pics and now pics?  Is the palm declining or getting larger or the same?

it is staying the same I only planted it last year.

[Swolte]

I bought a clump of L Chinensis (about 7 buds) from Barton Springs nursery in Austin 2/3 years ago. They died to the ground in all of the winters we've had (4F and 15F mins respectively, minimal protection) but in each case, the majority sprouted back to life. I am in Central Texas 8b so we do have these hot summers.

I view them as a viable garden perennial here. Like most gardens with perennials, the winter-look is often nothing to write home about. The problem is that they do look battered in the spring (you can cut off the crispy leaves) but by summer, the unique shiny fronds are appearing that can last until the first freeze (which can be up to December here). So that means at least 6+ months of enjoyment which is good enough for a tropical-looking perennial with virtually no care for me. Every year, they appear to grow back quicker as well. 

Here is my clump at the beginning of June.

[WSimpson]

I wonder if it was protected really well when it was easy to protect and allowed to get 5-6 feet of trunk or so  , that after that it would put out a few really nice fronds a season , and become  really showy  every  year ?  

It is a beauty of a palm . Maybe buy them at the size in the picture .

Will

 

Edited June 17, 2022 by Will Simpson

[knikfar]

3 hours ago, Swolte said:

I bought a clump of L Chinensis (about 7 buds) from Barton Springs nursery in Austin 2/3 years ago. They died to the ground in all of the winters we've had (4F and 15F mins respectively, minimal protection) but in each case, the majority sprouted back to life. I am in Central Texas 8b so we do have these hot summers.

I view them as a viable garden perennial here. Like most gardens with perennials, the winter-look is often nothing to write home about. The problem is that they do look battered in the spring (you can cut off the crispy leaves) but by summer, the unique shiny fronds are appearing that can last until the first freeze (which can be up to December here). So that means at least 6+ months of enjoyment which is good enough for a tropical-looking perennial with virtually no care for me. Every year, they appear to grow back quicker as well. 

Here is my clump at the beginning of June.

This is very helpful. Thank you so much for sharing. This is what I'm hoping for myself. And considering I planted them against the foundation of my house, I don't expect they'll ever get the full effect of single digits, which don't happen very often anyway. And we definitely have the heat here in Raleigh. Temps in the 90s start in May and typically last through mid-September. First frost is something toward the beginning of November. But since mine are on my foundation, I don't expect them to experience frost until sometime later than that. 

[Jtee]

Mine was planted last year, it kinda suffered through the heat last summer as a newbie, I trimmed off all fronds this spring and this is the result so far. It’s a clump of 3. 

Edited June 18, 2022 by Jtee

[Peachs]

On 6/14/2022 at 9:21 PM, knikfar said:

Can anyone share their experience growing a livistona chinensis as a dieback perennial? I live in Raleigh NC, zone 7b but really close to 8a. I've seen information online where people are growing these palms in zone 7, and even lower, as dieback perennials. The leaves burn up during the winter but the plants sprout new ones each spring, similar to Washingtonia. Anyone else trying this and willing to share experience? I planted one right up against the foundation of my house, under the eves and next to where heat comes out of a pipe in winter. Trying to give it the best chance possible. 

Why not Livistona Nitida which is much faster growing and more resistant to cold?

[EJPalm05]

2 hours ago, Peachs said:

Why not Livistona Nitida which is much faster growing and more resistant to cold?

the main reason being they are harder to get and more expensive and they are more leaf hardy then chinensis but are less root hardy.