Spring recoveries after 5 degrees with no protection

[NMPalmjunky]

I have lost many palms over the years to freeze damage. I have used various methods of protection with mixed results, but I stopped protecting about 5 years ago. My area is officially 7b, but it has been a decade since it has hit 5 degrees at my house. I had some minor bronzing before the cold event. Almost everything showed some damage two days later. There have been no losses and things are starting to look much better despite the surprise snow today. 

[jwitt]

I was wondering how your butia did. 

I like!

Any suggestions for those in our climate/soil?

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

@NMPalmjunky Is your locale colder than Albuquerque? That's crazy to have snow this late. Didn't look like much though, to put a positive spin on it.

[NMPalmjunky]

20 hours ago, Zone7Bpalmguy said:

@NMPalmjunky Is your locale colder than Albuquerque? That's crazy to have snow this late. Didn't look like much though, to put a positive spin on it.

@Zone7BpalmguyRio Rancho is a suburb of Albuquerque and is pretty much the same zone as the west side. I am at 5100’ in elevation. Albuquerque ranges in elevation from 4900’ to 6300’ in the city limits alone. This covers zones 6b to 8a with some microclimates probably being a solid zone 8b. 9 degrees was the coldest that I have recorded at my house over the last 5 years until the 5 degrees that we hit this year. Believe it or not, this is the most snow that I have had at my house since early November.

[NMPalmjunky]

On 4/19/2025 at 4:54 PM, jwitt said:

I was wondering how your butia did. 

I like!

Any suggestions for those in our climate/soil?

The smaller one did better than the larger one. Exactly the same conditions. 

[NMPalmjunky]

On 4/19/2025 at 4:47 PM, NMPalmjunky said:

I have lost many palms over the years to freeze damage. I have used various methods of protection with mixed results, but I stopped protecting about 5 years ago. My area is officially 7b, but it has been a decade since it has hit 5 degrees at my house. I had some minor bronzing before the cold event. Almost everything showed some damage two days later. There have been no losses and things are starting to look much better despite the surprise snow today. 

Decent growth in May

[JohnAndSancho]

Nice recovery 👍

[palmofmyhand]

that microclimate must work wonders? or are those palms all just secretly hardier than most people ever thought?

[Atlanta Area Palm Guy]

1 hour ago, palmofmyhand said:

that microclimate must work wonders? or are those palms all just secretly hardier than most people ever thought?

It looks like a little of both there.  I'd expect a bit more damage on some of them from 5 degrees (but still not too bad).  Certainly, they are perfectly alive and well.  Some damage is to be expected with cold snaps in that area.

[Atlanta Area Palm Guy]

3 hours ago, NMPalmjunky said:

Decent growth in May

The palms look great.  The microclimate looks like it helped a bit.  I'd expect some more damage on some of those from 5 degrees.  But, still not too bad.  Looks like the cold snap didn't last long.

[NMPalmjunky]

On 5/31/2025 at 5:45 PM, Atlanta Area Palm Guy said:

The palms look great.  The microclimate looks like it helped a bit.  I'd expect some more damage on some of those from 5 degrees.  But, still not too bad.  Looks like the cold snap didn't last long.

@Atlanta Area Palm Guy thank you. The wall faces east, but it still helps with blocking wind and it warms up faster in the morning. I imagine that the same layout on a south facing wall would be optimal. 

[jwitt]

Was it 2 nights at 5f(or near)?

[NMPalmjunky]

7 hours ago, jwitt said:

Was it 2 nights at 5f(or near)?

@jwittI had 5 degrees and 7 degrees the second night on my home weather station, but both nights were colder than initially forecasted. They were also the coldest readings that I have seen since I started tracking about 5 years ago. Fortunately, both days were sunny and well above freezing. It was also exceptionally dry in January. 

[SailorBold]

From my neck of the cactus..

[jwitt]

@SailorBold You are in the tropics!

And your yard shows it!

[Ltapia]

Give us a future update palms look great !

[palmofmyhand]

On 6/3/2025 at 8:24 AM, SailorBold said:

From my neck of the cactus..

hey what website is this? I have yet to find a site where it lists the lows of every individual day?

[NMPalmjunky]

My smaller Med was almost completely defoliated, but growth has been phenomenal over the last few months. 

[SailorBold]

20 hours ago, NMPalmjunky said:

My smaller Med was almost completely defoliated, but growth has been phenomenal over the last few months. 

Looking great.. !  How is your Washingtonia?

[SailorBold]

On 6/6/2025 at 11:17 AM, palmofmyhand said:

hey what website is this? I have yet to find a site where it lists the lows of every individual day?

Sorry late reply..  this is weather underground..

[SeanK]

On 6/3/2025 at 8:24 AM, SailorBold said:

From my neck of the cactus..

So, even with a 6° night, both days were above freezing.

[jwitt]

2 hours ago, SeanK said:

So, even with a 6° night, both days were above freezing.

Extremely rare for the area/neighborhood(nmpalmjunky, sailorbold, jwitt) to have highs below freezing. Extremely rare. 

It does happen, like in 2011, but even then the neighborhood triumphs.  Our high at that period was about 14f, compared to 7-9f in warmer parts of ABQ.  Hence the local palm zone 

This last January event was very short, and the temperature was actually lower than predicted in our neighborhood.  We bottomed out at 4-6f with no protection. For us, it was not a big deal, more a learning experience. 

Next time, we may throw a tarp on something and escape unscathed from mid single digits. 

 

Abq

Local neighborhood (notice highs)

[KPoff]

7 hours ago, jwitt said:

Extremely rare for the area/neighborhood(nmpalmjunky, sailorbold, jwitt) to have highs below freezing. Extremely rare. 

It does happen, like in 2011, but even then the neighborhood triumphs.  Our high at that period was about 14f, compared to 7-9f in warmer parts of ABQ.  Hence the local palm zone 

This last January event was very short, and the temperature was actually lower than predicted in our neighborhood.  We bottomed out at 4-6f with no protection. For us, it was not a big deal, more a learning experience. 

Next time, we may throw a tarp on something and escape unscathed from mid single digits. 

 

Abq

Local neighborhood (notice highs)

I’m thinking this year if it gets below 15 F here to protect my chamaerops I’ll do frost cloth and a tarp. Last year I only did frost cloth. One of them got through completely untouched and one had about 50% frond burn. I don’t want to use lights unless we get extreme lows outside of our normal 8A expectations. I’m thinking the one that didn’t take damage here will be even tougher this year and it’s grown 1’ easily over the summer so far. I also have a cerifera/argentine form to compare to the humilis. Every bit of evidence and experience points to them being more cold tolerant so I’m excited about that one. I wonder if anyone has crossed a humilis and cerifera?

[NMPalmjunky]

16 hours ago, SailorBold said:

Looking great.. !  How is your Washingtonia?

Thanks @SailorBoldMy Washingtonia is also doing well. 

[jwitt]

5 hours ago, KPoff said:

I’m thinking this year if it gets below 15 F here to protect my chamaerops I’ll do frost cloth and a tarp. Last year I only did frost cloth. One of them got through completely untouched and one had about 50% frond burn. I don’t want to use lights unless we get extreme lows outside of our normal 8A expectations. I’m thinking the one that didn’t take damage here will be even tougher this year and it’s grown 1’ easily over the summer so far. I also have a cerifera/argentine form to compare to the humilis. Every bit of evidence and experience points to them being more cold tolerant so I’m excited about that one. I wonder if anyone has crossed a humilis and cerifera?

My green form starts to show damage in single digits.  I had about 50% frond damage after 2 nights at 4f.  Back to back winters of -10f and 0f both completely defoliated it.  Never have protected it, although I did move it to a south wall from a north wall after the -10f/0f winters. 

Yeah, they are tuff!  

[NMPalmjunky]

Labor Day weekend update.

[KPoff]

9 hours ago, NMPalmjunky said:

Labor Day weekend update.

Everything looks great!

[SailorBold]

Dude.. is that a goat????   Looking great...no doubt the rain has helped!!

[NMPalmjunky]

@SailorBold I was trying to figure that out myself. Lol. I guess it’s a goat, but I’m not 100% sure. My neighbor also has a tin agave that is pretty cool. 

[ABQPalms]

@NMPalmjunky Everything is looking great!! 

[jwitt]

That goat looks healthy too!

Still stuck on the goat.

[NMPalmjunky]

10 month update.

[Than]

10 minutes ago, NMPalmjunky said:

10 month update.

Great stuff! This wall helps a lot I bet. I would add a couple of hooks on it and use them to quickly add a frost cloth in the winter. Btw is that an oleander? It will quickly cover everything around it! 

[NMPalmjunky]

@Than Thank you. The wall helps, but it has provided a false sense of confidence. I have unsuccessfully tried zone pushing skinny robustas and a majesty palm in the past. Tarp covering on a really cold night is now my protection limit.

I have a regular white Nerium Oleander and a “Petite Red” oleander. I trim the petite red every year a bit, but it doesn’t get much taller than what you see. I have thought about removing it due to space constraints, but I love the flowers plus it helps support the fronds on my Butia (hybrid?) The white oleander is a monster at about 15’.

 

[Ltapia]

1 hour ago, NMPalmjunky said:

@Than Thank you. The wall helps, but it has provided a false sense of confidence. I have unsuccessfully tried zone pushing skinny robustas and a majesty palm in the past. Tarp covering on a really cold night is now my protection limit.

I have a regular white Nerium Oleander and a “Petite Red” oleander. I trim the petite red every year a bit, but it doesn’t get much taller than what you see. I have thought about removing it due to space constraints, but I love the flowers plus it helps support the fronds on my Butia (hybrid?) The white oleander is a monster at about 15’.

 

They look great do you just throw a tarp over them on cold rainy nights to keep them dry ?

[ABQPalms]

@NMPalmjunky, everything is looking great! Soon we will be able to see your Washingtonia from the street, just like the one down the street from you!

[ChrisA]

Impressive to see oleander still flowering this time of year in the 505! When I lived in Albuquerque I never had issues with oleander taking over as they would get frozen back severely every few years. Is that white one a Sister Agnes? How is that able to make it to 15’ after this past winter when it got down in the single digits? So cool!

[NMPalmjunky]

On 11/18/2025 at 11:07 AM, Ltapia said:

On 11/18/2025 at 9:30 AM, NMPalmjunky said:

@Than Thank you. The wall helps, but it has provided a false sense of confidence. I have unsuccessfully tried zone pushing skinny robustas and a majesty palm in the past. Tarp covering on a really cold night is now my protection limit.

I have a regular white Nerium Oleander and a “Petite Red” oleander. I trim the petite red every year a bit, but it doesn’t get much taller than what you see. I have thought about removing it due to space constraints, but I love the flowers plus it helps support the fronds on my Butia (hybrid?) The white oleander is a monster at about 15’.

 

They look great do you just throw a tarp over them on cold rainy nights to keep them dry ?

@Ltapia I haven’t protected at all the last five or six winters, but I’ll try securing some tarps this year if I see an intimidating forecast. Otherwise, only the seedlings get the special treatment.

[NMPalmjunky]

On 11/19/2025 at 6:03 AM, ChrisA said:

Impressive to see oleander still flowering this time of year in the 505! When I lived in Albuquerque I never had issues with oleander taking over as they would get frozen back severely every few years. Is that white one a Sister Agnes? How is that able to make it to 15’ after this past winter when it got down in the single digits? So cool!

@ChrisA Thank you. I’m not positive if the white one oleander is a Sister Agnes, but it has always been hardier than the little red oleander which was supposed to be less cold sensitive. Oleanders are much more common than palms in my neighborhood. Almost all of them had some leaf burn this spring, but my little red is the only one I know of that almost died back completely. Maybe that is why it is still blooming. The pic of the white oleander is old. It stopped blooming a few weeks ago.