Northern Limit of Phoenix Canariensis Growth In Europe

[UK_Palms]

This thread has got me wondering what the biggest CIDP is in Wales...? 🤔

I have never really looked around on Google Maps, or seen much posted by other people. But there are clearly quite a few CIDP's in the coastal areas of Wales. Some are putting on a fair bit of height now as well...

[sped94]

19 hours ago, Mazat said:

Beauties, Than.

They are very adaptable and each individual specimen is special. In addition to the leaves, I also like the trunk, the older it gets the more impressive it becomes. The root system is also huge, unfortunately I know this for a sad reason ...

I saw the first one when I was about 6 years old near Venice, Lido di Jesolo near the beach, by the Way.

consciously perceived is better.

Let me know if you ever come to Jesolo again! I live really close by 🙂 

[sped94]

This palm tree is located in Venice and is part of the city's register of monumental plants. It is 104 years old. It has survived the coldest winters of the past century.

[IrishPalm22]

Bantry, Town Centre, West Cork, IE — Phoenix canariensis which got fried in 2010 as a sapling, now very robust and overtaking the signpost.

[IrishPalm22]

Phoenix I planted was mowed over with a tractor 🤦‍♂️, but very much alive, cut back yesterday and barricaded with landscape fabric and rocks and mulch, spears already grew up one cm or so in one day. These can grow in cool summer conditions well.

[Norwaypalmtrees]

Let me show you something pretty amazing!

This tiny Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island date palm) was planted directly in the ground last year on the island of Godøy, just outside Ålesund, Norway—at a latitude of 62°N! The island sits right on the west coast, where the warm waters of the Gulf Stream make direct landfall before spreading and weakening further north and south.

Here’s the incredible part: despite being fully exposed—no protection, no nearby walls, no added heat—this little palm not only survived the winter, but is alive and pushing out new growth. However, growth is understandably slow due to the lack of summer heat. That might be the real long-term challenge in this climate—not winter survival, but whether the palm can consistently produce enough new fronds to replace those lost each year.

Still, with a larger, more established specimen, the balance could shift in favor of sustainable growth. This one is just a baby, and it's already holding on—imagine the potential with a mature palm!

And as if that weren't impressive enough, the region just experienced its coldest winter in a decade! Even then, the lowest temperature on the island only dipped to about -5°C on the coldest day—and typically it doesn’t get colder than -3°C all year. Snow is extremely rare.

Phoenix canariensis might actually have a future as a long-term palm in these uniquely mild, Gulf Stream-warmed islands off the coast of Norway.

Here are some photos taken today Aug 20th 2025 and an illustration of the Gulf Stream.

 

 

[UK_Palms]

Just a street view update on the Liverpool CIDP at 53.4N latitude. This is a world record holder in terms of size. You almost certainly won't find any bigger specimens this far north anywhere in the world. It is probably the biggest specimen in the world above 52N. The next closest rival would be the big Dublin one, but that is a little bit further south than this one.

 

Also a street view update on the far inland Leeds CIDP which is just slightly further north than the one above at 53.8N as well. However it is impressive being so far inland at that latitude, even though it is slow growing and not very big. It has been there over a decade though now.

 

Even further north Scarborough at 54.3N latitude with a fairly sizeable specimen with a street view update...

 

Also an update on the Scottish CIDP's in Ardwell at 54.8N latitude. They have been there for at least 9 years now. Obviously planted absolutely tiny as the older street view images show. They have quadrupled in size since then but still look quite tatty.

 

Also an update on the CIDP on the north coast of northern Ireland at 55.1N latitude. This one is the furthest reliably growing specimen from the equator in the world and going into it's 17th year now. 2009 vs 2025 photo comparison. I doubt you'll find any better ones further north than this one. The Scottish ones are actually a bit further south at 54.8N. This is the record holder as it stands here in northern Ireland. 2009 vs 2025 images...

 

I wouldn't be surprised if further north ones exist and are found soon. But they must meet the criteria like the ones above...

• must be in the ground for at least 10 years really (5 years just isn't long enough)
• must be actively growing in size and not stalling, or declining gradually
• cannot receive winter protection (except for maybe once decadal freezes if the CIDP is still small)

 

[UK_Palms]

Update from Wales... 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

This is probably one of the biggest CIDP in Wales now located in Swansea. I didn't post this previously with the Wales palms.

 

It went in small, like 99% of palms in the UK (big ones aren't imported). Here is the street view from back in 2008...

[Norwaypalmtrees]

Hi @UK_Palms so the one in Waterfoot is the most northernly known CIDP that meets the criteria? Can you see any other more northernly geographical location that could host a CIDP? Waterfoot is clearly not a summer warm or sunny place, very impressive.

[sped94]

On 12/20/2025 at 9:46 PM, UK_Palms said:

Update from Wales... 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

This is probably one of the biggest CIDP in Wales now located in Swansea. I didn't post this previously with the Wales palms.

 

It went in small, like 99% of palms in the UK (big ones aren't imported). Here is the street view from back in 2008...

Wow impressive 😍

[Mazat]

On 12/20/2025 at 9:46 PM, UK_Palms said:

Update from Wales... 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

This is probably one of the biggest CIDP in Wales now located in Swansea. I didn't post this previously with the Wales palms.

 

It went in small, like 99% of palms in the UK (big ones aren't imported). Here is the street view from back in 2008...

In Wales, indeed impressive, Ben 🤗

[Norwaypalmtrees]

Mid-February 2026

Here’s an update on my two Phoenix canariensis in Ålesund, Norway (62°N). We’re nearly through the coldest winter here since 2010, and I’m happy to say the palms are looking great.

They’ve only been protected with simple boxes, plus some fleece and bubble wrap during the coldest days—nothing more. So far, they’ve come through the winter remarkably well.

[sped94]

On 2/14/2026 at 8:35 PM, Norwaypalmtrees said:

Mid-February 2026

Here’s an update on my two Phoenix canariensis in Ålesund, Norway (62°N). We’re nearly through the coldest winter here since 2010, and I’m happy to say the palms are looking great.

They’ve only been protected with simple boxes, plus some fleece and bubble wrap during the coldest days—nothing more. So far, they’ve come through the winter remarkably well.

WOOOOOW they look amazing!!! What was the minimum temperature this winter there?

[Norwaypalmtrees]

Lowest temperature outside was -7,8 celsius. Not sure what the temp was inside the wooden boxes. I had plenty of wool around the palms that day.

 

Photo from today:

[Than]

On 2/20/2026 at 5:14 PM, Norwaypalmtrees said:

Lowest temperature outside was -7,8 celsius. Not sure what the temp was inside the wooden boxes. I had plenty of wool around the palms that day.

 

Photo from today:

One man's weed is another man's specimen

[Foxpalms]

On 4/30/2026 at 7:33 AM, Than said:

One man's weed is another man's specimen

I have came to that conclusion here too. Stunning palms but I'd rather use the space for something else.

[Than]

4 hours ago, Foxpalms said:

I have came to that conclusion here too. Stunning palms but I'd rather use the space for something else.

When I was little I lived in north Greece, very far away from the sea, in an enclosed plain with temperate climate so we had no palms. Every summer we would visit my grandparents in Crete and there CIDP & Washingtonias were such a sight for me! The epitome of exotic. I would stare at them thinking how beautiful they were...

Now after spending few years in south Greece I don't even notice them. Funny how we get used to things so easily and always look for something unique.