We are building a new house on the Mississippi Gulf Coast (zone 9a). The house is about 98% done, and we are working on the landscaping. Tomorrow, 12 hours from now, we are having planted:

- Four sable palmettos
- Four mule palms
- One four-trunk bottle palm
- One four-trunk pigmy date palm
- Various fruit trees (mostly citrus)

On the lot there is a pre-existing Mexican fan palm, and two clusters of what we think are dwarf palmettos.

I am very concerned about the bottle palm. It was expensive: $260 from Lowes. My wife wants to plant it beside the pool enclosure beneath a second floor deck. It would be heavily shaded here. The area receives a little sun in the morning and a couple of hours of sun in the evening filtered through two layers of bug screen. I also worry about rainfall, which must pass through the gaps in the decking above.

The photo shows the tree roughly where my wife wants it planted. Is this a bad location? Thanks!

I don’t know how fast those grow in your area. I would be concerned if maybe it would run out of room. Those with more knowledge of your area and the growth of those particular palms will advise. Harry

Thanks, Harry!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the bottle is in no way a zone 9 palm.  If you can manage to keep it potted so you can drag it in when the temp gets in the low 30's I'd highly recommend, otherwise it's likely just a very pricey annual.  But to answer your original question, yes that would be too much shade.

15 minutes ago, Keys6505 said:

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the bottle is in no way a zone 9 palm.  If you can manage to keep it potted so you can drag it in when the temp gets in the low 30's I'd highly recommend, otherwise it's likely just a very pricey annual.  But to answer your original question, yes that would be too much shade.

I'll pass along that phrase to my wife: expensive annual. Maybe it's not too late to get our money back.

Yeah this is really a bad siting all around.  As I understand it, these things like getting roasted in full blazing sun and are not a 9a palm, nor one for shade.  I've seen pics of decent ones around here before the freeze, but this is solid 10a for 30-year stretches.

6 hours ago, Keys6505 said:

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the bottle is in no way a zone 9 palm.  If you can manage to keep it potted so you can drag it in when the temp gets in the low 30's I'd highly recommend, otherwise it's likely just a very pricey annual.  But to answer your original question, yes that would be too much shade.

 

6 hours ago, ahosey01 said:

Yeah this is really a bad siting all around.  As I understand it, these things like getting roasted in full blazing sun and are not a 9a palm, nor one for shade.  I've seen pics of decent ones around here before the freeze, but this is solid 10a for 30-year stretches.

I would also consider that Pygmy Date Palm to be another “expensive annual”. I live in zone 9b and they die here during the freezes along with the Bottle Palms, (but ignorant landscaping companies and “big box” stores still push them on naive home owners every year. 

Sorry jpg, but the good news is your Sabal palmettos and Mules will be Cold Hardy in your zone.

Blue and Orange have probably duped millions of customers over the years by knowingly selling NON-Cold Hardy Palms/Plants every year throughout frost zones in America. It must be a winning business model with the bean counters in accounting I am sure, but it seems unethical and morally bankrupt in my opinion. Corporate America has about as much integrity as the Govt when it comes to money these days,,,

This is directly from the University of Florida:

Pygmy date palms are adaptable to a wide range of soil types. They are considered to be cold hardy to USDA zone 10A (30°F), but are widely grown in zone 9B (25°F).

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST441#:~:text=Pygmy date palms are adaptable,9B (25°F).

Bottles need full sun. They are not cold hardy below 30F and will suffer foliage damage at temps below 45F. They are not fast growers so any cold/cool damage they suffer will take all year to grow out. Just in time for next winter.

You can leave it potted but not placed under the deck. Invest in a sturdy hand truck so you can wheel it indoors when polar cold fronts are predicted. Do the same with pygmy dates as they are not cold hardy where you live.

Have you considered a Butia? You might have a chance with one of them. And Butias are pinnate.

The Lowe’s and Home Depot in my area quit selling Hyophorbe a few years ago. I would see them and , after being told by my Palm mentor not to try them , I passed. Then I get a text from a  friend of a picture of one at Lowe’s. I told him not to bother , it will die. The guy at Lowe’s told him it would do very well so he bought it, never heard anything about it after that, I’m pretty sure it died. There are folks who can pull it off but I want to grow palms that have a fighting chance in my area. I don’t know the area that @jpg is in well enough to advise but I know this area and I try to help people but sometimes they hear from a garden center what they want to hear , not necessarily the best advice. Harry

Looks like you've been given the bad news. Bottles need sun but won't take cold or frost. 

Only good thing is that they're easy to protect. IMO, Pigmy dates would give you 5F° of margin and are small enough to box in for two months.

I would add that there are some outrageously cool Sabal species and varieties (i.e. ‘Lisa’, causiarum) that would do great in your area long-term and really make a statement in your landscape.

Sadly I have to echo what others are saying and the bottle and pygmy date palms are not hardy for your area.  Best to keep in pots.

planted 1 gallon 2019, current pic 9/25… will get burned by frost, i usually just throw a king size blanket over it. tough as nails otherwise… jax beaches..