Palms of Dallas

[TonyDFW]

[TonyDFW]

[TonyDFW]

Cold hardy palm trees in Dallas zone 8a at 15F after sleet storm. 🌴🥶

[PAPalmtrees]

@TonyDFWThis is a really cool picture did you take it yourself , or did you find it?

[TonyDFW]

Aftermath of Arctic outbreak in Dallas zone 8a. we only bottomed out at around 15°F and not the 6°F that was predicted thanks to cloud cover. Only 50 hours of consecutive hours below freezing than the 85 predicted.
Now that we are above freezing, some frond damage is already apparent. 
The only palm that is showing leaf damage at this time is Sabal  uresana green form. 
This is very preliminary and More foliar damage will appear with the arrival of warmer April temperatures. 🌴
These pix are meant to  educate folk about how some cold hardy palms handle prolonged freezes. Some species here will never show any damage after these recent conditions like Sabal minor. Others will show some damage on oldest leaves and a few will mostly defoliate. All these palms  should survive.  The winter of 2025’s low temp was 12F so the palms in these images reflect one growing seasons growth. We love to share pix of our palms when they are healthy and vigorous but it is also very helpful to see how they look when stressed by climate. That way we can make better choices for our own new garden plantings. 🌴

washingtonia filifera

Sabal Lisa 

 

Sabal Lisa

Sabal Louisiana 

sabal minor

 

 

 

chamaedora microspadix ceratozamia hildae

Sabal Birmingham 

Sabal uresana blue form 

Sabal uresana green form 

Sabal brazoriensis 

 

nannorhops richtiana 

Sabal mexicana 

Chamaerhops Humilis cerifera 

[TonyDFW]

Dallas zone 8a palms in January 2020 before 3F and 135 consecutive hours below freezing. 

[jwitt]

@TonyDFW

"Dallas zone 8a palms in January 2020 before 3F and 135 consecutive hours below freezing. "

Zone 7a temps in a zone 8a, or temps 1 zone colder than average does not seem too bad. 

The 2 weeks below freezing on the other hand....

At least Texas has quick warmups.

[Swolte]

@TonyDFW Wonderful pics! Your B Armata goes unprotected through single digits, correct? I was wondering, did you have a B. Clara and, if so, what is your experience with her in your climate?

[TonyDFW]

Washingtonia and S. Mexicanas after the Dallas ice storm and 50 hours below freezing 

[csuehs]

Does survival in Dallas select for Washingtonias that have no robusta introgression? (i.e. is there selection for pure filifera?)

[TonyDFW]

[Meangreen94z]

On 1/31/2026 at 8:18 PM, Swolte said:

@TonyDFW Wonderful pics! Your B Armata goes unprotected through single digits, correct? I was wondering, did you have a B. Clara and, if so, what is your experience with her in your climate?

They are supposedly slightly less hardy than armata , but I’m going to try anyways . They are definitely faster growing than armata, atleast in Texas . 

[TonyDFW]

Zone 8a palms after a sleet storm and a  15°F low with 50 consecutive below freezing and almost 2 inches of ice in Dallas 
Today was 71°F

early February Dallas temps 2026

[TonyDFW]

[TonyDFW]

In September 2018, about 7.5 years ago I planted these palm hybrids from Patric S. 
Here they are in February 2026
Dallas zone 8a. Both survived 3°F with only a tarp over them.  The palm  by the AC is the trigeneric: butia X Jubea X syagrus. 
The palm by Miss Holly is ( Butia x Jubea) X Jubea. 
 

[Austinpalm]

Thank you for sharing all the great pix TonyDFW. Your pix and discussion provide valueable insight into just how hardy some palms really are and how a tropical looking garden can be created in places where many might think it is not possible.  Please keep up the good work.

[TonyDFW]

Sabal mexicana at different sized plants and brahea decumbens.

It’s been a week since the article blast and we have had several days in the 60°F and 70°Fs and so far no signs of cold or frozen precipitation damage 2.4 inches. In Dallas zone 8a low of 15°F and 50 consecutive hours below 32°F.

[TonyDFW]

February 5,2026 was 71°F

[Allen]

Not too bad of temps this go round, all looks good

[TonyDFW]

These pesky self seeded Trachycarpus fortunei seedlings pop up everywhere and of course handle the cold and ice with no problems in Dallas zone 8a. Last week was 15°F with 2 inches of ice for 4 days and 50 consecutive hours below freezing. They reveal themselves this time of year when the vegetation they  were growing among dies out.

[TonyDFW]

Images of Dallas zone 8a, unprotected palms in 2021 with a winter low of 3F and in 2026 when the low was 15°F

 

 

 

sabal palmetto Lisa 

sabal Louisiana 

Washingtonia filifera

 

[TonyDFW]

[TonyDFW]

[SeanK]

Weather guy says 80°F today in DFW. What are the bookies saying?

[TonyDFW]

Crazy Texas weather and it effects on Dallas zone 8a cold hardy palms, a couple of weeks and a few 80°F days after the ice storm with 2.4 inches that shut the city down for 4 days with a low temp of 15F
All unprotected and they were covered with frozen precipitation. 🥶
Chamaerhops Humilis cerifera my three specimens 

[TonyDFW]

Crazy Texas weather and it effects on Dallas zone 8a cold hardy palms, a couple of weeks and a few 80°F days after the ice storm with 2.4 inches that shut the city down for 4 days with a low temp of 15F
All unprotected and they were covered with frozen precipitation. 🥶
Sabal palmetto Lisa 

[TonyDFW]

Here are some images of how my cold hardy palms came though the last coldest event of the past 20 years in 2013  Minimum of 11F and 4 consecutive days below freezing.
None were protected None died but many were severely damaged. 

[TonyDFW]

Chamaerhops Humilis cerifera in Dallas zone 8a in 2005 and in 2026.  Never protected 

[TonyDFW]

Unprotected Washingtonia filifera after 15F and 50 consecutive hours  below freezing in Dallas zone 8a

[TonyDFW]

(butia x jubea)X syagrus on the left and  ( Butia x Jubea) X Jubea on right after 15F and 50 consecutive hours  below freezing in Dallas zone 8a  bother were planted at the same time 6 years in ground. 

[Allen]

3 hours ago, TonyDFW said:

(butia x jubea)X syagrus on the left and  ( Butia x Jubea) X Jubea on right after 15F and 50 consecutive hours  below freezing in Dallas zone 8a  bother were planted at the same time 6 years in ground. 

Where did the one on right come from?

[TonyDFW]

2 twenty foot, seedling grown,  Trachycarpus fortunei in Dallas zone 8a

[Gallop]

3 hours ago, TonyDFW said:

(butia x jubea)X syagrus on the left and  ( Butia x Jubea) X Jubea on right after 15F and 50 consecutive hours  below freezing in Dallas zone 8a  bother were planted at the same time 6 years in ground. 

Looks like there is a good chance spear will pull on your Butia/Jubaea x Queen. Spear pulled on mine last year 18°f consecutive days. I treated with copper fungicide but trunk still wanted to rot. I had to cut trunk back and find good tissue. It pulled through but barely hanging in there.

[TonyDFW]

1 hour ago, Allen said:

Where did the one on right come from?

The same place. Patric S in California 

[TonyDFW]

20 minutes ago, Gallop said:

Looks like there is a good chance spear will pull on your Butia/Jubaea x Queen. Spear pulled on mine last year 18°f consecutive days. I treated with copper fungicide but trunk still wanted to rot. I had to cut trunk back and find good tissue. It pulled through but barely hanging in there.

Mine pulls every year but quickly regrows I don’t treat it with anything 

[Gallop]

3 minutes ago, TonyDFW said:

Mine pulls every year but quickly regrows I don’t treat it with anything 

Interesting. With the amount of rain I get warm temp / high humidity mine rot easy. Good news is once they trunk my spear stopped pulling.