Royal Palms (and other tropical plants) in Phoenix Valley

[Cantoaz]

Hey everyone! 
I live in Queen Creek Arizona and currently have mule palms and pigamy date palms in my yard. I just spent a week in Hawaii and fell in love with the tropical palms and plants here. I have a big area on the east side of my house that is currently empty and gets afternoon shade. I would like to plant a Royal Palm as well as a papaya tree, banana tree and birds of paradise. Am I crazy or is it doable? Any advice on how these plants do in the Arizona desert or how to take care of these plants to make sure they survive? Or any ideas where I can purchase these plants in the valley? 
 

thanks in advance! 

[aztropic]

Unfortunately,Queen Creek is an outlier of the valley of the sun,and it is often several degrees colder there than other areas over our winters. It only takes 1 night below 30F to outright kill the more tropical material if not protected. While all of the plants on your list can be easily grown,(especially inside the loop 101 corridor) your area is probably going to be a challenge at least for the papaya,and possibly royal palm. While I would love to sell you a royal, I couldn't actually recommend it in good faith. You might be able to get away with it for a season or two,but the cold there will eventually take it out.🤷‍♂️ 

Here is an all Arizona thread that may help with understanding some of the limitations we have dealt with in the past, and will eventually have to deal with again.

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 4/12/2024 at 12:02 AM, Cantoaz said:

Hey everyone! 
I live in Queen Creek Arizona and currently have mule palms and pigamy date palms in my yard. I just spent a week in Hawaii and fell in love with the tropical palms and plants here. I have a big area on the east side of my house that is currently empty and gets afternoon shade. I would like to plant a Royal Palm as well as a papaya tree, banana tree and birds of paradise. Am I crazy or is it doable? Any advice on how these plants do in the Arizona desert or how to take care of these plants to make sure they survive? Or any ideas where I can purchase these plants in the valley? 
 

thanks in advance! 

Expand  

Would take a look at / contact the owner of Queen Creek Tropicals  to get a feel for what he has had success with ..not so great success with in the ground out there.  Knew a couple people trialing Royal Poinciana and some other stuff out there but lost contact w/ them a few years ago.

Several here in Chandler, where some folks thought they couldn't be grown.

You'll definitely be in a better position if closer to the 202 rather than out by the Canal, or down closer to San Tan where it can get quite chilly at times.

White ..and Orange  Birds can work.. Nursery i'd worked for years ago out there sold them.. but need afternoon shade to look decent.

Even if you may not be able to grow really tender stuff, plenty of other things that provide " the look " to choose from that will handle those worse than typical winters.

Welcome to the forum

[Cantoaz]

  On 4/12/2024 at 1:06 AM, aztropic said:

Unfortunately,Queen Creek is an outlier of the valley of the sun,and it is often several degrees colder there than other areas over our winters. It only takes 1 night below 30F to outright kill the more tropical material if not protected. While all of the plants on your list can be easily grown,(especially inside the loop 101 corridor) your area is probably going to be a challenge at least for the papaya,and possibly royal palm. While I would love to sell you a royal, I couldn't actually recommend it in good faith. You might be able to get away with it for a season or two,but the cold there will eventually take it out.🤷‍♂️ 

Here is an all Arizona thread that may help with understanding some of the limitations we have dealt with in the past, and will eventually have to deal with again.

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

Expand  

I’ve tried to do a bit of research on all the plants I mentioned and from my understanding it’s not the heat or sun that would get them but the cold. I’m willing to try to take all measures necessary to make them work, if during the winter I was able to cover them or warm them you still think they would would fail? I really do love the look of all of them and am considering taking the chance and trying everything I can to get them to survive even if the odds aren’t in my favor.  

[Cantoaz]

  On 4/12/2024 at 1:23 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Would take a look at / contact the owner of Queen Creek Tropicals  to get a feel for what he has had success with ..not so great success with in the ground out there.  Knew a couple people trialing Royal Poinciana and some other stuff out there but lost contact w/ them a few years ago.

Several here in Chandler, where some folks thought they couldn't be grown.

You'll definitely be in a better position if closer to the 202 rather than out by the Canal, or down closer to San Tan where it can get quite chilly at times.

White ..and Orange  Birds can work.. Nursery i'd worked for years ago out there sold them.. but need afternoon shade to look decent.

Even if you may not be able to grow really tender stuff, plenty of other things that provide " the look " to choose from that will handle those worse than typical winters.

Welcome to the forum

Expand  

I will definitely have to look into queen creek tropics. Do you have any suggestions on similar looking plants that may do better in the climate? 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 4/12/2024 at 3:10 AM, Cantoaz said:

I will definitely have to look into queen creek tropics. Do you have any suggestions on similar looking plants that may do better in the climate? 

Expand  

Would look into some of the flashier, more tropical looking desert staples like Tecoma ( yellow bells, and numerous red / orange flowering cultivars ) Traditional Hibiscus: ..Some cultivars perform better here than others,  but they will grow ..even if you might see a little extra winter damage during colder years than i might see.

Canna lilies: While more seasonal than green all year, they grow great here.. ..As do some of the Elephant Ears / Taro ( Alocasia / Colocasia ) ..Do need water to combat burn from summer heat / dry air though. More afternoon shade = better for them.

Hardy Gingers in the Genus Alpinia, Hedychium, and Zingiber  are also do -able here, in more shade esp...

Have seen Split leaf Philodendron in a couple yards here, which surprised me. Know of folks located in areas of the country that can get colder than Queen Creek who have grown them and had their plants return after being frost damaged.

If you start them early enough, Papaya can grow/ fruit within a season here.. You can also start them in the fall, keep them indoors for the coldest part of winter, and plant after any threat of frost has passed the following spring.

Bananas are pretty easy, but need lots of water to lessen sunburn.  See Sugar Cane everywhere around here, if you want a big, tropical looking grass, that is also edible.

Believe it or not, but there are even some Plumeria cultivars considered more cold tolerant that you could try..  Out there, i might get my hands on some of the dwarf cultivars like " Divine " or " Mini Me " ..those that could be easily grown in larger pots you could move under a patio ..or into a garage on the coldest nights. Eastern exposure, where they get shade in the afternoon is ideal here, though i know of some growing in more sun that seem to do fine.

You mentioned that your yard is shaded in the afternoon..  That shade provided more by tree canopy or a nearby house / yours?  Watched a lot of the newer homes go in out there since moving here in '16 and realize some neighborhoods are packed in a bit tightly

If on a bigger lot and your yard is shaded by trees, consider yourself lucky ..Can get away with more stuff if you have tree canopy during the summer, and also -if evergreen/ nearly evergreen-  that tree canopy can help keep the temperature of your yard a few deg. warmer on those colder nights in winter.

That's just a quick, fairly basic list of things i've seen or heard of other people succeeding with.. There are numerous other plant options that originate just south of AZ that look tropical, but are also fairly hardy. Some are easier to find, some might require a trip to a good nursery in Tucson.

If new / newer to the area, ..or you just have never thought to visit,  highly recommend a trip to Boyce Thompson, about a half hour to your east, and / or a couple of the bigger Botanical gardens in Tucson.  Both Boyce Thompson and Tohono Chul park have pretty decent palm collections, by Desert standards.  Nothing all that tender, but some interesting palms you don't see to often here, but should,  that will help create the desert version of a tropical oasis you're looking for.