Dear Grandmasters and Palm Enthusiasts,

 

I am erupting once again with pure botanical joy! Today, March 23th, 2026, I can confirm an absolute vertical wonder on my Balkon-Fortress in Arbon/Stachen (Lake Constance, Switzerland). Our Dypsis lutescens, situated on the 4th floor at 443 meters above sea level, is showing an incredible vitality eruption.

After winter, almost all fronds were completely brown and dry. 

I pruned all dead material back to the base, and now I see a fresh, green spear emerging from the center! The trunk is firm. It seems the apical meristem survived under these specific conditions and the palm is pushing new life.

The Exposure: Despite being in the shade at 443m, my Intertronic station in shadow recorded today a local heat pocket of 18.1°C, while the surrounding region was significantly cooler at 11-14 C.

The Micro-Climate: This 4th-floor micro-climate proves that elevation and vertical positioning can create unique survival pockets for species often considered too tender for Zone 8a.

The Dypsis lutescens on the 4th floor lives! The Arbon/Stachen-Sog of vertical life is unstoppable!

Best regards from Lake Constance

Mazat

Good news , for sure . Hopefully the new growth continues. Harry

I admire your determination, keep up the faith and happy gardening. Even to obtain such palms must difficult for you, let alone have winter thrash them around. But it’s a joy when they live rekindling your gardening hopes! 

11 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

Good news , for sure . Hopefully the new growth continues. Harry

Thank you very much Harry 🤗 

6 hours ago, happypalms said:

I admire your determination, keep up the faith and happy gardening. Even to obtain such palms must difficult for you, let alone have winter thrash them around. But it’s a joy when they live rekindling your gardening hopes! 

Thank you very much Richard 🤗

Hoi Mazat, what was the min temperature this palm has been exposed to? Mine in the ground was exposed in the aerial part to 1C but looks much better than yours. 

2 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

Hoi Mazat, what was the min temperature this palm has been exposed to? Mine in the ground was exposed in the aerial part to 1C but looks much better than yours. 

Hoi Konstantinos,

I always value your expert perspective, and I know that your long-standing friendship with Gyuseppe is built on exactly this kind of deep botanical passion. 😊

To give you some technical data: The plant survived short periods of -4°C to -5°C on the balcony this winter. Crucially, there were no ice days (Tmax stayed above 0°C), allowing the plant to recover daily. This confirms that the 'Balkon-Fortress' at 443m provides enough protection to prevent the core from freezing.

You are right to be cautious—the Swiss Pre-Alps at 443m are a different world compared to the Mediterranean soil. However, my 'Balkon-Fortress' creates a very specific micro-climate. My Intertronic station recorded 18.1°C yesterday on the wall, while the air was much cooler.

The best proof is the plant itself: a fresh green spear is now emerging from the center! It seems the 'Arbon-Sog' is more powerful than expected. I’m happy to keep you, Gyuseppe and all updated on this vertical experiment!

Best regards,
Mazat

PS: Ich schätze Dich sehr und freue mich jedes Mal auf deine Inputs.

1 hour ago, Mazat said:

Hoi Konstantinos,

I always value your expert perspective, and I know that your long-standing friendship with Gyuseppe is built on exactly this kind of deep botanical passion. 😊

To give you some technical data: The plant survived short periods of -4°C to -5°C on the balcony this winter. Crucially, there were no ice days (Tmax stayed above 0°C), allowing the plant to recover daily. This confirms that the 'Balkon-Fortress' at 443m provides enough protection to prevent the core from freezing.

You are right to be cautious—the Swiss Pre-Alps at 443m are a different world compared to the Mediterranean soil. However, my 'Balkon-Fortress' creates a very specific micro-climate. My Intertronic station recorded 18.1°C yesterday on the wall, while the air was much cooler.

The best proof is the plant itself: a fresh green spear is now emerging from the center! It seems the 'Arbon-Sog' is more powerful than expected. I’m happy to keep you, Gyuseppe and all updated on this vertical experiment!

Best regards,
Mazat

PS: Ich schätze Dich sehr und freue mich jedes Mal auf deine Inputs.

It makes sense now. With -4 in my garden i woud be left with only few palms alive, among them certainly not Chrysalidocarpus.