Zone 8 - Raleigh, NC - Home Garden

[NC-Key-Bar]

I started my “palm garden” in 2024 after moving to a new home. I wanted to make a thread to share some pics and posts as I go.

first, my hurricane cut palmetto. Fully unprotected. Showing hurricane cut pics after install, and 1 year out. Home weather station read 12.9F this year as the low.  Maybe 5 times total sub 20F.  Honestly, most the brown on it was there at end of summer. Very little damage noticed.

second group - 1 year of growth on my L. Nitida. Now in-ground as of March. 
will show my other nitida later. 
I love these things, and want them to work so bad. Fingers crossed.

Then, some windmills.  Palmettos are my love. so the windmills feel like “yogurt, when I really want ice cream”.  Ya know?
Being zone 8, windmills are plentiful in the area, and do well here. I didn’t always love them, but they are growing on me, for sure (literally). 
 

working on a Z9 garden now. Mostly doing some robustas and cycads. And an CIDP I ordered from Etsy.  I also have a ton of Oleander blooming. And others In the mix. 
 

Comments and critiques are very welcome. I tried to share info to answer the sort of questions I had last year. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fusca]

44 minutes ago, NC-Key-Bar said:

Then, some windmills.  Palmettos are my love. so the windmills feel like “yogurt, when I really want ice cream”.  Ya know?

I get it!  I'm not a fan of Trachycarpus fortunei.  To me it's one of those palms that are nice looking while juveniles but not so much as they age.  These in the photo look good though.  Just my opinion but I don't like the open crown of leaves and how the leaflets start pointing every which way.  There are some decent looking ones in Texas that are in part shade but many in mostly to full sun look bad because they don't get enough water.  Pacific Northwest has much better looking specimens than here in Texas and NC palms look better too.  Your palms and other plants look good!

[JohnAndSancho]

Nice. I am digging the blank canvas threads on here. I'm feeling inspired. I need to get more cold hardy stuff since my indoor space is getting full. 

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

@NC-Key-Bar Looking great. It will be beautiful once everything fills in, especially the pool setting!

[Las Palmas Norte]

Rock ground cover keeps the neighborhood cats from using it as a litter box.  A+

[NC-Key-Bar]

My frustrations with the Livistona nitida:
The first image is from December 2024 when I brought this nitida inside for a hard freeze.  I had 2 plants like this, one in ground and one in pot.

I was optimistic this winter, as my in-ground specimen stayed green right until we had a dip down to 13F.  Then inevitably burned up, and I eventually trunk cut it.  It has since recovered, but is a weed compared to what it was.  This one (pictured) was kept in the garage through hard winter.  My hopes being that more vegetation, bigger rootball, and a warmer spot in the yard would give it more success.  I planted after the last freeze, and have been waiting patiently...

Since then, It wen't through a triple spear pull and very slow growth.  It has spent most of the last month pushing up this new frond, and frankly, I have become too impatient.  This weekend, I scrapped the idea of a nitida, and moved in a W. filifera.  Multiple reasons, but most of my reading has led me to believe that the nitida has good survivability into the teens, but each year would be starting from scratch.

I've made some mistakes with my palm garden.  Shoulda, woulda, coulda done different.  One mistake was to assume this bad-boy was idle all that time....The roots had sprawled out in ever direction and the plant was probably ready to take off.  But i'm moving on....

In this section I have Oleander nerium, Agave Ovatifolia, and a young W. filifera.  It's on fake slope in the yard, with a rock cover.  I know (now) there are a lot of mixed feelings on rocks, but hoping this leads to success in a swampy zone 8, and can help keep the feet dry.


 

[NC_Palms]

wow nice i love !!

[JohnAndSancho]

@NC-Key-Bar are you just gonna repot the Livistona and move them in when it gets cold or are you like DONE done with them? I kinda figured they'd be hardier too. 

And as for someone who also lives in a swamp, I'm here for the rocks. 

[NC-Key-Bar]

3 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

@NC-Key-Bar are you just gonna repot the Livistona and move them in when it gets cold or are you like DONE done with them? I kinda figured they'd be hardier too. 

And as for someone who also lives in a swamp, I'm here for the rocks. 

Still undecided. I have 2 others that I will continue to babysit.  And still working on a larger rock bed, so it may work its way in there. 
The spot above is a premium spot in the yard. Full sun, drains well, and high visibility. I wanted something that is different, but would also look good most-all-year.  

[Toddmin]

On 7/21/2025 at 3:20 PM, NC-Key-Bar said:

Since then, It wen't through a triple spear pull and very slow growth.  It has spent most of the last month pushing up this new frond, and frankly, I have become too impatient.  This weekend, I scrapped the idea of a nitida, and moved in a W. filifera.  Multiple reasons, but most of my reading has led me to believe that the nitida has good survivability into the teens, but each year would be starting from scratch.

Have you grown a Filifera before?  I read they do not like being wet in the winter.   

[NC-Key-Bar]

29 minutes ago, Toddmin said:

Have you grown a Filifera before?  I read they do not like being wet in the winter.   

I have not, but there are some having success in the area. My hope is that the sloped rock bed will help keep it dry. I recently went to a local Agave Festival (at PDN) and got some ideas from ppl growing them in my area. 

[NC-Key-Bar]

Part of my never-ending yard work this summer has been extending an existing rock bed along my retaining wall.  This section of the wall faces E/SE and receives really good sun throughout the day.  Plus, Is well hidden from the road...

(Trigger warning) I had an HOA complaint about my large palmetto not fitting the aesthetics of the neighborhood.
(there's a lot to be said about that last statement.  Just gonna let it simmer here for a while)
I have added more palms since the complaint, but i've been cognizant not to make them highly visible to the road.
Tough though, cause most the hidden areas of my yard are low-light;  less than 6 hours of sun.

I continued the rock here for a few reasons.  1.) I personally like it, and eliminates a lot of weed eating! 2.) Attempting to dry the area up, 3.) Keeping the kids off the wall! - After killing 8-10 black widows in June along this wall, I decided to fill the bed in completely to keep everyone from sitting on the ledge.

This bed has 2 Washingtonias I picked up from a local Lowes (will be protected), a $25 Butia, Dioon edule (also protected),  then some z7/z8 agave, and drought tolerant flowers in the mix from Plant Delights.  1-3 inch Indian River rock.

Next up - the other side of the steps - featuring a Chamaerops humilis var. argentea

[JohnAndSancho]

I think the answer to your HOA problem is to buy a bunch of giant palmettos and plant them everywhere. Aesthetic this. 

[Rubberboots]

@NC-Key-Bar need some more Cali palms?...pay the shipping and ill send them.

[NC-Key-Bar]

Last hour of August sun. 
 

[NC-Key-Bar]

End of the Season 2026 - These are all the "New Arrivals" this year...it's a lot.  We moved into the home in at the end 2023, so only a few palms got planted last summer.  Most of of my gardening efforts we're spent on weeds and water drainage.
This year, I got my rock bed & pine straw beds established.  Planted a ton of new palms all over the place.  And have now become more focused on the "other" plants i'm going to add in next year - for color and contour.
Most of my rock bed is heavy sun, pine straw gets a mixed.
just added some much around all the bases - and anything less-hardy than the palmettos will get burlap protection this year.

Sabals:
sp. Defuniak i got on sale at Plant Delights open house for like $12

rosie - actually got 2 just like this for free from my "agave-friend".  Inevitably, also from the PDN seed source.

 

brazoriensis - I paid real money for this one.  Forget how much - but spend some time with Gary Hollar who sold me this one, and the birmingham.

said birmingham 

b


Washingtonia - 

A pair of robustas (heavy at least) planted in June - purchased from Lowe's for $75
All of the fronds present have poped out since being planted - something like 12/13 total





filbusta "Fayetteville" - I have a few like this in pots - but only one in ground.  Seeds were picked up from the site when I was there in March. 

 

 

filifera - 

Purchased from Palmpeii in Hampstead when I was there ($30 ea).  Not bare root plants online, but local pickup.
*i have had 4 bare root filiferas die on me in the past that I ordered online.

Others:

L. nitida i purchased from @Sabal King..man, the rootball on this thing was insane.  It went from the 1qt transplant container to filling up a 25 gallon container in just a few months.  I was going to leave it in that container for 2 years, but saw a root coming out the bottom. I dug a grave-size hole for it this week, and going to add in some protection for the winter.


 

Others:

Butia x Jubaea hybrid from @Joe NC along with a Dioon he gifted me - which flushed this week for the 2nd time.

 

last but not least - my favorite non-palm addition this year - the Mangave "Snow Leopard" from PDN.  Basically went from nothing to this over the summer.  Beautiful color and adding some impressive size.  

last last one - S. palmetto I pulled out of a muddy ditch.  I planted this one next to our swing set.

[Las Palmas Norte]

Well that's a fine selection of exotics. Well done.

[KPoff]

I dig the dioon! Are you going to have to protect that there? Are they as hardy as revoluta?

[NC-Key-Bar]

12 minutes ago, KPoff said:

I dig the dioon! Are you going to have to protect that there? Are they as hardy as revoluta?

I’ve read mixed reviews on overall hardiness. Mostly that they are very hardy, but will burn up and need multiple years to look good. 
 

Dioon, Washingtonians, and bxj will all have mulch, lights, and wrap. 
The nitidia will also get some added protection. 

[NC-Key-Bar]

Part 2 - These are the Windmills and S. palmetto that went in ground April 2024.  I wish I would have taken some reference pics of the trunks when planted. 
The windmills exploded in growth (and girth) this year.  They have thoroughly enjoyed the cool fall we've had - it seems like they actually grow quite a bit more in the transitional seasons than in the heat of summer.
My transplant palmetto  has done well - im really happy with how much the crown has grown out in only 2 summers.  All of the fronds present are new - It's got a couple of seed stalks that are beginning to brown up - and i have 5-6 offspring from last years batch in containers.
No protection - last years low was 13F - thats where most of the discoloration came from on the palmetto.

 

 

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

8 hours ago, NC-Key-Bar said:

Part 2 - These are the Windmills and S. palmetto that went in ground April 2024.  I wish I would have taken some reference pics of the trunks when planted. 
The windmills exploded in growth (and girth) this year.  They have thoroughly enjoyed the cool fall we've had - it seems like they actually grow quite a bit more in the transitional seasons than in the heat of summer.
My transplant palmetto  has done well - im really happy with how much the crown has grown out in only 2 summers.  All of the fronds present are new - It's got a couple of seed stalks that are beginning to brown up - and i have 5-6 offspring from last years batch in containers.
No protection - last years low was 13F - thats where most of the discoloration came from on the palmetto.

 

 

I especially love that palmetto! They all look great! 👍