Gran Junction, Colorado

[Palmfarmer]

I looked a bit into this place after watching some crime documentary. To me it looks like a climate similar to ABQ area so perhaps Filifera, Brahea, Trachies, butia etc could grow there. Could this be transformed into Colorados only Palmy city/town? 

[SeanK]

Guys in CO's coal-mining industry refer to GJ as the "banana belt". I guess that in western CO it's recognized as a mild winter locale.

[Palmfarmer]

5 hours ago, SeanK said:

Guys in CO's coal-mining industry refer to GJ as the "banana belt". I guess that in western CO it's recognized as a mild winter locale.

Yes and there is probably some good microclimates near the River. hope someone from the area could Chime in. 

[SeanK]

Farmington, NM looked like a mild area, too.

[Xerarch]

Don't let that desert-like scenery fool you, Grand Junction is still pretty darn cold, with an elevation of around 4,600 ft it isn't low enough to get a milder climate like you get down downstream at Lake Powell whose elevation is a good 1,000 ft lower.  I've never seen any palms survive upstream from Lake Powel, but there are a handful in the region around the lake. Even on the perhaps generous 2023 USDA zone map, Grand Junction is listed as 7a.

[jwitt]

Grand Junction 

 

[Palmfarmer]

On 8/17/2024 at 10:45 PM, jwitt said:

Grand Junction 

 

Nice find, I wonder if Filifera would grow there.

[Las Palmas Norte]

The NOAA describes Grand Junction as,

 

CLIMATE: The Grand Junction area is a semi-arid climate. Grand Junction sits in a large area of high desert lands in Western Colorado. The average annual precipitation is 9.42” per year. Winters are cold and dry, with a January mean temperature of 27.4 °F. Lows drop to 0°F or below approximately 3 nights per year. Snowfall averages are approximately 19” per year, which is low compared to the other parts of the state. Summer is hot and dry. Grand Junction averages 64.5 days a year with temperatures at 90 °F and above with an average 6.5 days attaining 100 °F or more. Sunshine hours are abundant, even in winter and total just over 3200 hours per year.

[jwitt]

"Lows drop to 0°F or below approximately 3 nights per year."

Wouldn't that infact make Grand Junction zone 6b?

 

[Southwesternsol]

Junction is a notch colder than ABQ, so Washingtonias, Braheas and Butias would be pushing it but Dwarf Palmettos and Trachys (probably with a little protection) are absoutely doable. I live not too far from Junction in a slightly cooler climate and my Dwarf Palmetto recovered from a well below average winter. My best friend lives in GJ, and I've been trying to get him to redo his front yard with some natives and maybe a dwarf palmetto or a trachy for show.

On 8/17/2024 at 6:12 PM, Xerarch said:

Don't let that desert-like scenery fool you, Grand Junction is still pretty darn cold

I wouldn't say so. It has plenty long hot summers with short, fairly mild winters. The days are rarely below freezing, and typically 45-50. It just gets kind of chilly at night. The high and dry climate and solar irradiance also helps with zone pushing.

On 8/20/2024 at 7:30 PM, jwitt said:

"Lows drop to 0°F or below approximately 3 nights per year."

Wouldn't that infact make Grand Junction zone 6b?

 

FWIW I've only seen Junction dip below zero once in like, I think almost 10 years of observing the weather. And that was only like -1. Maybe there was a day I missed though. Even this last winter Junction only got down to 4 degrees. I believe western colorado has been one of the fastest warming regions due to climate change, so that data is probably somewhat obsolete.

I ran across this blog a while back talking about some exotic stuff planted around the Junction area.

https://kentonjseth.blogspot.com/2019/08/palms-bananas-and-wacky-tress-in-grand.html

[SeanK]

On 8/20/2024 at 9:30 PM, jwitt said:

"Lows drop to 0°F or below approximately 3 nights per year."

Wouldn't that infact make Grand Junction zone 6b?

 

I agree. It'd be 7a if it got that cold only once every 10 years. Given less than 10 inches annual precip, it probably goes above freezing every day except those 3 quoted.

[Palmfarmer]

On 8/22/2024 at 11:53 AM, Southwesternsol said:

Junction is a notch colder than ABQ, so Washingtonias, Braheas and Butias would be pushing it but Dwarf Palmettos and Trachys (probably with a little protection) are absoutely doable. I live not too far from Junction in a slightly cooler climate and my Dwarf Palmetto recovered from a well below average winter. My best friend lives in GJ, and I've been trying to get him to redo his front yard with some natives and maybe a dwarf palmetto or a trachy for show.

I wouldn't say so. It has plenty long hot summers with short, fairly mild winters. The days are rarely below freezing, and typically 45-50. It just gets kind of chilly at night. The high and dry climate and solar irradiance also helps with zone pushing.

FWIW I've only seen Junction dip below zero once in like, I think almost 10 years of observing the weather. And that was only like -1. Maybe there was a day I missed though. Even this last winter Junction only got down to 4 degrees. I believe western colorado has been one of the fastest warming regions due to climate change, so that data is probably somewhat obsolete.

I ran across this blog a while back talking about some exotic stuff planted around the Junction area.

https://kentonjseth.blogspot.com/2019/08/palms-bananas-and-wacky-tress-in-grand.html

thanks for the inside info. 

"The high and dry climate and solar irradiance also helps with zone pushing."

Thats spot on I think Durango is technically 9A however we can grow 9b and some 10A stuff like Royals and Dominican bananas to name a few.

[RFun]

On 8/17/2024 at 3:56 AM, Palmfarmer said:

I looked a bit into this place after watching some crime documentary. To me it looks like a climate similar to ABQ area so perhaps Filifera, Brahea, Trachies, butia etc could grow there. Could this be transformed into Colorados only Palmy city/town? 

Wouldn't hurt to try some of those New Mexico Filiferas from the Las Cruces area.  They have proven themselves to take some severe cold.  You can always add protection if it gets out of hand in the Grand Junction area.

Needle Palms and Sabal minors are also worth a try.  Probably want to get some from the Western U.S.

[Southwesternsol]

3 hours ago, RFun said:

Wouldn't hurt to try some of those New Mexico Filiferas from the Las Cruces area.  They have proven themselves to take some severe cold.  You can always add protection if it gets out of hand in the Grand Junction area.

Needle Palms and Sabal minors are also worth a try.  Probably want to get some from the Western U.S.

Yeah, you could always try. I'm just saying it would be borderline and would likely need some moderate to heavy protection. Sabal Minor and Needle palm would only need light protection on some colder than usual winters. My Dwarf Palmetto recovered from over a week of below freezing temps and a night at -6f. Either way, I would definetely like to see more of a push towards warm-temperate/subtropical landscaping in these parts (leaning more so native, but I'm not a purist). Too many people around here think it's far colder than it actually is so people play it safe with a really boring (and sort of out of place) palette of Aspens, Spruces and invasive elms.

The elms in particular are depressing (not just cause they're invasive) as they make the cities here look miserable in the winter time.

[RFun]

19 minutes ago, Southwesternsol said:

Yeah, you could always try. I'm just saying it would be borderline and would likely need some moderate to heavy protection. Sabal Minor and Needle palm would only need light protection on some colder than usual winters. My Dwarf Palmetto recovered from over a week of below freezing temps and a night at -6f. Either way, I would definetely like to see more of a push towards warm-temperate/subtropical landscaping in these parts (leaning more so native, but I'm not a purist). Too many people around here think it's far colder than it actually is so people play it safe with a really boring (and sort of out of place) palette of Aspens, Spruces and invasive elms.

The elms in particular are depressing (not just cause they're invasive) as they make the cities here look miserable in the winter time.

Lots of rocks and walls you can put plants by to zone push there.  The sun always helps.  Some plants take dry cold better than others.  I know that Filiferas handle dry cold well to a point.  The cold snaps have to be in short duration though.  None of that week or more under freezing stuff.

[Southwesternsol]

6 minutes ago, RFun said:

Lots of rocks and walls you can put plants by to zone push there.  The sun always helps.  Some plants take dry cold better than others.  I know that Filiferas handle dry cold well to a point.  The cold snaps have to be in short duration though.  None of that week or more under freezing stuff.

Cold snaps on th Colorado Plateau are usually pretty short lived, and often only at night, but we can get occasional bouts of severe weather once in a blue moon.

[Palmfarmer]

On 8/24/2024 at 3:40 PM, Southwesternsol said:

Cold snaps on th Colorado Plateau are usually pretty short lived, and often only at night, but we can get occasional bouts of severe weather once in a blue moon.

Its the same here. had 30-60 minutes of 24f one time at night. Minor to moderate burn on the Royals in town and my Majesty defoliated and had spear pull, but recovered fairly fast. my biggest surprise was my bottle even though it did stay under an overhang near my house. Think 1 or 2 fronds went bad. I think the I suspect it is a Gaussia bottle too and I hear they are slightly hardier than regular ones.