Question about Washington Filifera

[mazarishal]

Hello. I just bought 35 seeds for Washington Filifera Palm tree, and I want to grow them. I live near Rasht, Iran, and the hardness level is around 8a or maybe 7b.

Does the Washington Filifera grow as fast as the Washington Robusta?  Also, will the Washington Filifera survive, because it doesn't get very cold, but it snows frequently.

 

Thank you for help

[Xerarch]

2 hours ago, mazarishal said:

Hello. I just bought 35 seeds for Washington Filifera Palm tree, and I want to grow them. I live near Rasht, Iran, and the hardness level is around 8a or maybe 7b.

Does the Washington Filifera grow as fast as the Washington Robusta?  Also, will the Washington Filifera survive, because it doesn't get very cold, but it snows frequently.

 

Thank you for help

Hi, welcome to Palmtalk! W filifera grow very fast, but not as fast as robusta.  W filifera does well in 8a climates especially if they are dry, from the looks of it your climate is pretty wet, getting 52 inches a year if the Wikipedia write up is correct.  So all in all I'd say you may be borderline for a Washingtonia filifera, a good indication would be if there are any others around town, are there any of these or other palms around town? The snow wont bother it, just ultimate lows.

[mazarishal]

Yes there I see them in the main city area. How much do they grow in year?

Edited January 24, 2023 by mazarishal

[Xerarch]

9 minutes ago, mazarishal said:

Yes there I see them in the main city area. Thank you

You should be ok then, they are pretty tough palms, good luck!

[mazarishal]

How much they grow in a year, thank you

[jwitt]

They grow about 1 to 1.5 feet of height per year for me in a dry 7b from seed.  

[MSX]

18 hours ago, mazarishal said:

Hello. I just bought 35 seeds for Washington Filifera Palm tree, and I want to grow them. I live near Rasht, Iran, and the hardness level is around 8a or maybe 7b.

Does the Washington Filifera grow as fast as the Washington Robusta?  Also, will the Washington Filifera survive, because it doesn't get very cold, but it snows frequently.

 

Thank you for help

Hi from Uzbekistan. Well, looking at your city average winter lows and highs I'd say you are in USDA zone 9a/b or even 10, you might want to look for Rasht airport history weather data to calculate your exact hardiness zone, knowing this information will help you to manage your future plantings, not only palms. Check out my topic to see the progress and growth of Washingtonia filifera seedlings when you start them from seeds:

Also they're growing much faster in the ground with regular watering

Edited January 24, 2023 by MSX

[mazarishal]

Thank you. I live very south of Rasht, Near mountains, so that is why 8a or 8b. Will it grow well outside? It snows frequently.

[MSX]

9 hours ago, mazarishal said:

Thank you. I live very south of Rasht, Near mountains, so that is why 8a or 8b. Will it grow well outside? It snows frequently.

Snow doesn't kill them, the freeze does. I think it's worth trying them in your area just as well as anywhere in Caspian Iran.

Edited January 25, 2023 by MSX

[sonoranfans]

they of course grow fastest in the heat and that is when you need to water them well for fast growth.  This is a palm that grows faster as it develops a mature root system.  about half the speed of a robusta, but much more biomass per height with that thick(3-4') trunk when mature.  Properly watered, it will weight more than a robusta in a decade.  Growth rate can be with respect to height or it can be mass, and on mass the filifera grows pretty quiickly.

[sonoranfans]

On 1/24/2023 at 10:39 AM, MSX said:

Hi from Uzbekistan. Well, looking at your city average winter lows and highs I'd say you are in USDA zone 9a/b or even 10, you might want to look for Rasht airport history weather data to calculate your exact hardiness zone, knowing this information will help you to manage your future plantings, not only palms. Check out my topic to see the progress and growth of Washingtonia filifera seedlings when you start them from seeds:

Also they're growing much faster in the ground with regular watering

 

I would put down 4-5" thick mulch around the roots(2-3' radius) just prior to each winter.  This will help keep the roots warmer and give them extra cold resistance.  Recovery from cold shock each winter will be faster.  These palms dont like being continually wet in the cold so water sparingly in the coldest months.