Distance between trees when planting?

[PashkaTLT]

Hello guys,

I'm gonna plant at least the following palms in about a week:

- Needle palm, 15 gallons 

- Sabal minor, 15 gallons

- Windmill, 15 & 7 gallons

- Washingtonia Robusta, 15 gallons

- Pindo Palm, 15 gallons

- European fan palm, 7 gallons

- Sago palm, 7 gallons

I'm thinking of planting that so that the distance between any 2 palms will be 5ft, like this (see attached).

What do you think guys? Sounds good?

[PashkaTLT]

Is 5 feet a good distance?

[Merlyn]

I have no idea about hardiness to zone 6 on those, I'm thinking some of those are not hardy below the upper teens.  But I'd recommend a more "organic" planting arrangement.  Exact triangles and even spacing doesn't exist in a natural forest, so somewhat randomized placement and spacing may look better.  As an OCD engineer I struggled with that concept, but the yard looks a lot better with curves and irregular spacing, and big palms sometimes competing with each other for space.  Just my $0.02... 

[PalmatierMeg]

1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

I have no idea about hardiness to zone 6 on those, I'm thinking some of those are not hardy below the upper teens.  But I'd recommend a more "organic" planting arrangement.  Exact triangles and even spacing doesn't exist in a natural forest, so somewhat randomized placement and spacing may look better.  As an OCD engineer I struggled with that concept, but the yard looks a lot better with curves and irregular spacing, and big palms sometimes competing with each other for space.  Just my $0.02... 

Agree with @Merlyn

With larger growing trunking palms, i.e., Washy, Butia, Trachie, 5' distance apart is not nearly enough room. My late Washy had a trunk diameter of 3+ ft. And your clustering palms, needle, Chamaerops will spread out horizontally as they grow.

Do you plan to protect any of them over winter or leave them to fend for themselves?

[PashkaTLT]

Thank you, guys. I plan to protect them well (boxes, mulch, christmas lights, etc.).  The washy will die long before it becomes very large, because it will be too tall to protect....

@PalmatierMeg what distance between palms would you recommend, considering I won't be able to protect them when they become like ~8ft tall (and will have to replace them when they die)?