Rhapis Excelsa in zone 7

[Borosbobo]

Hey!

Anyone has experience in growing a lady palm planted outdoors in zone 7?

Due to not having enough space inside I will plant my Rhapis Excelsa outside. I have experience in protecting not that cold hardy palms in winter with covering and heating. 
 

Few questions I have in mind:

What light requirement does it need?

What temperature can it outstand in winter? Somewhere I read it can stand -7C° 

 

Thanks in advance!

[Dwarf Fan]

Sorry Borosbobo but the University of Florida says it is a 9A Palm.
Rhapis excelsa, the lady palm, is considered cold hardy down to USDA zone 9A (see http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/).

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP501

 

Have you considered a Needle Palm Rhapidophyllum hystrix?

[Harry’s Palms]

They like either shade or filtered sun. I have one that gets a few hours of direct sun and it doesn’t look near as nice as the one in filtered sun/shade. As far as cold hardiness, I can’t say . We get down to upper 30’s f. I have never seen cold damage to mine . I have noticed they like water! Harry

[Keys6505]

I'm in Houston and mine has seen 20° unprotected and been relatively unscathed, BUT it was also back up to 60° within a few days and the ground doesn't freeze here.  I don't think there's any realistic chance in 7a unless you erected a full greenhouse around it.  These have been known to freeze down to the ground in low 20's and grow back from the roots, but again, that's without a ground freeze.  They are also painfully slow to recover so even if it did get knocked down but survived you are probably only looking at a 12" tall plant by the time next winter rolls around.

[Borosbobo]

1 hour ago, Harry’s Palms said:

They like either shade or filtered sun. I have one that gets a few hours of direct sun and it doesn’t look near as nice as the one in filtered sun/shade. As far as cold hardiness, I can’t say . We get down to upper 30’s f. I have never seen cold damage to mine . I have noticed they like water! Harry

Oh wow they are beautiful! Thank you for your answer

[Borosbobo]

37 minutes ago, Keys6505 said:

I'm in Houston and mine has seen 20° unprotected and been relatively unscathed, BUT it was also back up to 60° within a few days and the ground doesn't freeze here.  I don't think there's any realistic chance in 7a unless you erected a full greenhouse around it.  These have been known to freeze down to the ground in low 20's and grow back from the roots, but again, that's without a ground freeze.  They are also painfully slow to recover so even if it did get knocked down but survived you are probably only looking at a 12" tall plant by the time next winter rolls around.

20 sounds good! This winter it went under 20° for like one or two days and the ground didn't really freeze where I live. If the temperature goes under that I will put some heating coat on it and it will hopefully survive it. Thank you for your answer!

[Borosbobo]

7 hours ago, Dwarf Fan said:

Sorry Borosbobo but the University of Florida says it is a 9A Palm.
Rhapis excelsa, the lady palm, is considered cold hardy down to USDA zone 9A (see http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/).

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP501

 

Have you considered a Needle Palm Rhapidophyllum hystrix?

We have a Needle Palm planted outside but thanks for the suggestion. Well I will plant it outside because I don't want to sell it or throw it out and if the weather gets cold hopefully covering and heating it will save it. :)

[jwf1983]

I have Lady Palm in the ground in zone 8 Washington, DC.  This was one of the coldest, snowiest winters in recent history, but it made it through with some damage.  Now growing again.  Typically, we have a few mild winter days to break the cold, and, typically, most nights don’t dip below freezing for more than an hour or so. There’s usually one or two extended cold snaps where, at least in our neighborhood, it bottoms out around 20 degrees to mid 20’s for 5-7 days. Half the plant was eaten last summer by rats and squirrels, so it was already compromised going into winter.  It’s small, but growing again. During a normal winter, it would likely take far less damage. Zone 7 will be pushing it though.

[KPoff]

I’m curious how the lady palm experiment in zone 7 went? I love them and have a good sized one in a pot but I’m not planting it in the ground in zone 8a. Wish I could but I’m not willing to protect it. It will live inside during the winter.

[NC_Palms]

Oh wow a Lady palm in DC? Never thought I would see the day. 

But this species is pretty root hardy. I’ve had success with them in the ground in NC as die backs but I never thought it was possible to grow them that far north. 

 

[ryjohn]

I’ve had Lady palms on my east-facing front entry way here in north Louisiana for almost two decades now, and they are surprisingly hardy through many 8a and 7B winters.  Anything much below 15 here will freeze them back to the ground, but they have spread via underground rhizomes to big 4x4” mattes.  If they don’t freeze back for a few years they will grow back to the 4-6’ height pretty quickly 

[JLeVert]

I have Rhapis "Daruma" planted outside in Augusta, GA (zone 8b).  It's been in the ground for 15 years.  Every once in a while it will get knocked back to the ground, but it keeps coming back.  I am growing in very sandy soil, so that might help a bit.