I just updated my website of cold hardy palms growing at my house in zone 8.

I grew all the palms unprotected from small seedling plants.

http://dallaspalms.com/Tony's%20garden,%20Best%20of.htm

wow,amazingly tropical-looking.very impressive.even a little bit of balinese wood carving!

(TonyDFW @ Dec. 14 2007,14:54)

QUOTE

I just updated my website of cold hardy palms growing at my house in zone 8.

I grew all the palms unprotected from small seedling plants.

http://dallaspalms.com/Tony's%20garden,%20Best%20of.htm

Would you happen to have that list in tabular text form?

Very nice, Tony. How old would you say most of these palms are? Did you protect them at all when you got any cold snaps, and what would you say the coldest temps were that these palms went through-esp when they were young seedlings?

What would you say is your warmest weather palm?

Love all the bamboo and palms together... is that a killer jub' I see? Nice!

Either you are in a great microclimate, or you've created one. You've obviously put a lot of work into the place!

Just more incentive for me to push the envelope in z8 as well.  Boo and palms, what a beautiful combination.  I have recently began doing this palm thing since maxing out with 90 types of boo.  I doubt I will ever see my palms to that size since I am growing them all from seed, but it is a goal none the less.  Beautiful pics.

Chris

Tony,

Excellent garden.  Great place for people as well as plants.  The Butia looks great and I'm surprised to see that the oleander got as large as it did (not frozen back).

Jason

Thanks Fellas for the compliments.

I'm glad to inspire others as I've been by those before me.

I've been growing palms at my house for over 21 years, but the majority were planted in the past 12 years.

The largest palms in the pictures are the most fast growing ones.

In the past 18 years most annual winter lows have been 18°F or higher, with the exception of 1996 where the temp went down to 11°F. Every few years we also experience two or three consecutive days where the temp doesn't go above freezing.

We have lots of summer heat, with an average of 15 days a year with temps at or above 100°F

Annually we also get some sort of frozen precipatation: sleet, snow, freezing rain, but it doesn't add up or last long. 2 days at the most.

All palms while in the seedling stage are coverd with a blanket when the temps go below 20°F for the first two winters in the ground. After that they are on their own to battle the cold temps and such.

There are several varieties of cold hardy oleanders. My favorite is cold hardy pink and the fragrant calypso. Texas A&M has developed some new varieties currently on trial here in the Dallas area and they should be introduced shortly. They include some new salmon colors and dwarfs with long bloom times.

I planted my Jubea as a seedling about 12 years ago. It has been very cold hardy.

I like boo too. Phyllostachys viridis "Robert Young" is what you see with the bright yellow canes in my yard and is contained by an underground barrier.

Some of the palms I'm growing.

T. fortunei

T. takil

T. wagnerianus

T. princeps

T. latisectus

T. martianus

R. hystrix

G. argyrata

C. microspadix

C. radicalis

J. chilensis

JubeaXbutia hybrid

B. capitata

S. uresana

N. richtiana

S. mexicana

S. minor

S. minor louisiana

S. Xtexensis

P. theophrasti

W. filifera

W. filibusta

B. moorei

L. chinensis

C. humilis

C. humilis cerifera

With a typical sized urban lot, I have run out of room so I bought the house next door and have continued my gardening there.

I originally started out with defined beds, but as I acquired newer and rarer items I put them into whatever space was best suited to their growth.

I had no idea that the palms would do as well as they have and therefore have them crowded together. It requires lots of pruning with some  of the faster growing species.

Also, as the garden ages, more shade is created. I have several large live oaks and their canopy expansion is cutting into some of the palms sunlight. Next year I'm going to do lots of Live Oak thinning.

We make the best of what is available to us and are happy and appreciate  those things that do well.

The fact that they are all from seedling, Tony, is extremely commendable. They look great!

Collection of pics is impressive.

I've been amazed at how fast they have grown too.

It may be from the deep fertile prarie soils, long hot growing season and regular water during the growing season.

Here is an image of the front yard in 1999.

http://dallaspalms.com/images/Tony'sya...ront-dal-99.jpg

and here it is 8 years later.

http://dallaspalms.com/images/Tony2007/Sept2007Dallas.jpg

Pretty fast growth!

No special fertilizer, just a 10-10-10 twice a growing season.

Tony,

Regardless of your climate, you have created a very tropical and colorfull garden. With your carefull use of plants as fillers and understory plants your garden looks as tropical as the best of them.

I read your palm list with interest becuause, give or take a few, you and I grow the same kinds of palms. I wonder what your neighbors think seeing a garden like yours in Dallas? Some of mine look at me like I'm a nut, while others stop to chat and ask questions. It seems my bamboo grove generates more interest than the palms.

I thin the bamboo in the spring and leave the canes out by the street. Some people stop to ask if they can have some, while others just take it. I had a large pile recently, and someone cleaned it out in one night. It saves me from going to the dump. I find many uses for the bamboo and I use it to make frames for winter cold protection. My abandoned green house is full of drying canes and I've run out of room to store it.

Let's hope for a mild winter, but so far California has started out cold.

Dick

very nice looking yard and a great list of cold hardy palms for your area.    With the growth of your tropical paradise, I am a bit surprised that some of your palm trees did not end up on George Mitchells list of steroid users.  Nice work.

Hey Dick..

Collecting palms is great fun, but I've also tried to create tropical looks for parts of my garden. In the front I have a more traditional lush tropical look and in the backyard of my rental next door a dry tropical. Though, with this year's  50 inches of rainfall, even my xeric garden turned lush.

I got many of the accent plants from fellow gardeners in similar climates throughout the US. Pass along plants you might say.

I've had the same experience as you with Bamboo.

Most people in Dallas are familiar with the small culmed golden bamboo. When they see the giant Timber bamboo, it creates a sense of awe.

Over the years I've had many people come to my backyard, to admire my HUGE thick bamboo as they sat on my deck. Robert Young does very well in my yard. Mine is 6-7 inches in circumference.

Timber bamboo is being used more often in Dallas and they have many plantings at public spots like the Dallas zoo and the Nasher sculpture garden.

Over the years I've taught many classes at garden clubs and the Dallas arboretum and such and have provided lots of education on the appropriate types of palms to plant and what accent plants you can add that look tropical but can take our winter climate and return as perrenials. Lots of middle class people have created beautiful pockets of tropical corners in their garden.

But you have to see what the Ultra-wealthy have created. Lots of big bucks here in North Texas, where expense is no concern have created exotic Shangrilas.

I get called in to consultant with the head horticulturalists of many estates to give advice on what is appropriate to plant successfully in our local climate.

Here are some images from Dallas of what lots of money can create for a tropical cold hardy look.

Tony,

I sure like "what lots of money" can do, but the beauty of plants and palms is it doesn't take a lot of money to create a palmey, tropical effect. Many can get a start just like you did, growing them from seeds. Some of my nicest non-palm plants came from tip cuttings and rooting them. I used to buy annuals in 6 packs, but now I grow them from seeds, and end up with more than I can use. Just a little protection in the winter and they out grow the six packs and I can select plants that are not normally available in the local nurserys.

Dick

(TonyDFW @ Dec. 14 2007,23:17)

QUOTE

Thanks Fellas for the compliments.

I'm glad to inspire others as I've been by those before me.

I've been growing palms at my house for over 21 years, but the majority were planted in the past 12 years.

The largest palms in the pictures are the most fast growing ones.

In the past 18 years most annual winter lows have been 18°F or higher, with the exception of 1996 where the temp went down to 11°F. Every few years we also experience two or three consecutive days where the temp doesn't go above freezing.

We have lots of summer heat, with an average of 15 days a year with temps at or above 100°F

Annually we also get some sort of frozen precipatation: sleet, snow, freezing rain, but it doesn't add up or last long. 2 days at the most.

All palms while in the seedling stage are coverd with a blanket when the temps go below 20°F for the first two winters in the ground. After that they are on their own to battle the cold temps and such.

There are several varieties of cold hardy oleanders. My favorite is cold hardy pink and the fragrant calypso. Texas A&M has developed some new varieties currently on trial here in the Dallas area and they should be introduced shortly. They include some new salmon colors and dwarfs with long bloom times.

I planted my Jubea as a seedling about 12 years ago. It has been very cold hardy.

I like boo too. Phyllostachys viridis "Robert Young" is what you see with the bright yellow canes in my yard and is contained by an underground barrier.

Some of the palms I'm growing.

T. fortunei

T. takil

T. wagnerianus

T. princeps

T. latisectus

T. martianus

R. hystrix

G. argyrata

C. microspadix

C. radicalis

J. chilensis

JubeaXbutia hybrid

B. capitata

S. uresana

N. richtiana

S. mexicana

S. minor

S. minor louisiana

S. Xtexensis

P. theophrasti

W. filifera

W. filibusta

B. moorei

L. chinensis

C. humilis

C. humilis cerifera

With a typical sized urban lot, I have run out of room so I bought the house next door and have continued my gardening there.

I originally started out with defined beds, but as I acquired newer and rarer items I put them into whatever space was best suited to their growth.

I had no idea that the palms would do as well as they have and therefore have them crowded together. It requires lots of pruning with some  of the faster growing species.

Also, as the garden ages, more shade is created. I have several large live oaks and their canopy expansion is cutting into some of the palms sunlight. Next year I'm going to do lots of Live Oak thinning.

We make the best of what is available to us and are happy and appreciate  those things that do well.

Tony, thanks for the text lists.  It really helps those new to the game that are looking for a safe variety of palms to try.  I am a little warmer than you, but not that much, and certainly not tropical.  I said it another thread, but will say it again here, your garden is an inspiration for those of us non Zone 10 folks wanting the tropical look.   Keep up the pictures.

Thank YOU Keith.

That is what is great about the internet, being able to learn from others willing to share.

I forgot to add earlier, some  other palms I have are:

Sabal birmingham

and

Brahea brandeegei

Thanks so much for all the info, Tony. Its a wonderful garden that you have, and isn't it amazing how fast tropicals grow? I have two different bamboos that I still have in containers that I have yet to plant. One is black bamboo, which should not take over the yard, although it is not a clumper, but because we are  near the end of its zone growth, will not grow as vigourously as in warmer places. Still makes me nervous though. I quickly began to respect bamboos ability to take over, from living in Hawaii and seeing what it could do there. Also I don't want to go to the trouble of putting in a barrier. The other bamboo is Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Kerr' and I am hoping that with some warm winters and maybe some extra mulch it will do all right here. That one is a clumper. Anyone trying Alphonse Kerr?

Very nice garden, keep up the good work

Robbin

Terry,

I have both the black bamboo and Alphonse Kerr.  The black bamboo is actually a temprate bamboo and will take quite a bit of cold. It can become quite invasive and get away from you before you know it. It does not do well in S. Fla. as it's to hot for it.

Alphonse Kerr is less hardy, probably damaged in the upper teens. Make sure you plant the Alphonse Kerr in full sun as that will make the canes color up. Grown in in the shade you don't get much color.

Dick

Tony, as other said you are a grea tinspiration to us folks with zone 8 climates and hard freezes yearly.  I am glad to hear you bought the house next door to continue.  Maybe one day every houe on your street will look like yours?

A few of my neighbors ask me about my plants while driving by and I have notcied a small trend in palm plantings in my neighborhood since I started my garden 3 years ago. AS they grow more people will notice them also and my goal is to help turn my neighborhood and city into a more palm rich enviroment!

thanks again for your photos and expertise

Luke

Dick,

thanks for the info. I have seen older black bamboo in friends yards around this area, and its not too bad in terms of controlling-more random popping up of spears-but a spreading bamboo is still a spreading bamboo in my mind....

If the Alphonse Kerr is damaged in the upper teens, I may have trouble protecting it, aside from extra mulch at the base-but I do love that yellow/green stalk-thanks for the tip about the full sun. that is very helpful.

Tony--

Awesome pics there! I'm working in Austin now, and though I've seen my share of hardier palms here, I haven't seen a yard like that! Looks like a SoCal landscape.

Keep up the good work!

Tony, I really enjoyed seeing the post.  It's been fun to track the growth of the palms in your yard during the few short 5 years that I've been in this hobby.  As a zone 8a/7b palm grower, I am on the fringe of most members on this board, but at this point in Atlanta I have 52 species of palms growing outdoors (about 65% with some form of protection).  Seems like I've asked you about this before, but don't you have a nice silver Nannorhops R.?  Maybe I'm confusing it with that spectacular Brahea Armata.

(fastfeat @ Dec. 17 2007,07:28)

QUOTE

Tony--

Awesome pics there! I'm working in Austin now, and though I've seen my share of hardier palms here, I haven't seen a yard like that! Looks like a SoCal landscape.

Keep up the good work!

fastfeat, what are you seeing around Austin.  I know what I see driving up and down I-35, but haven't really scoped out a majority of Austin.  Around my house, I see lots of mature washingonias, both Filifera and Robusta (mostly hybrids), lots of Sabals, Mexicana and Palmetto, a Livistona every now and then, quite a lot queens, some very large for being post 1989, quite a lot of mature Phoenix, mainly canariensis, but occasionally another kind, such as Dactylifera.  See also an occasional Butia, but they aren't planted too much for some reason, although I have one.  And of course large Trachycarpus.  I saw a large foxtail planted in someones yard the other day, but I am not expecting long term survival on that one.  I will keep checking on that one.  Home Depot always sells big foxtails and bottle palms, I might be tempted if they go on discount.  I see queens being planted everywhere, big ones, in new residentual and retail shopping areas.  Anyway, just wondered what you see up there in Austin

(PalmGuyWC @ Dec. 15 2007,08:51)

QUOTE

Tony,

Regardless of your climate, you have created a very tropical and colorfull garden. With your carefull use of plants as fillers and understory plants your garden looks as tropical as the best of them.

I read your palm list with interest becuause, give or take a few, you and I grow the same kinds of palms. I wonder what your neighbors think seeing a garden like yours in Dallas? Some of mine look at me like I'm a nut, while others stop to chat and ask questions. It seems my bamboo grove generates more interest than the palms.

I thin the bamboo in the spring and leave the canes out by the street. Some people stop to ask if they can have some, while others just take it. I had a large pile recently, and someone cleaned it out in one night. It saves me from going to the dump. I find many uses for the bamboo and I use it to make frames for winter cold protection. My abandoned green house is full of drying canes and I've run out of room to store it.

Let's hope for a mild winter, but so far California has started out cold.

Dick

So, now that Tony has given us a text listing of Zone 8 palm, how about one from you, Dick.  Please, please, please

Ok, Keith, I will, but I'll have to walk around and take an inventory.  I'll try to do it tomorrow. Keep in mind, I have several varieties of the same species, such as Rhapis and Chamaerops. Go to travel log and pull up Dick Douglas garden and you can see some of them.

Dick