Hardy Palms - Cold Weather Survival Report

Hardy Palms - Cold Weather Survival Report

By Published June 06, 2001 Updated April 28, 2022

Shop for Hardy Palms and Cycads at Plant Delights Nursery

We have recently been planting more hardy palms in our new display beds, and since our collection is getting larger, thought it might be of interest to let folks know which ones survived for us. In 2000/2001, we had one of the most severe winters since 1996. While we only reached a low temperature of 9 degrees F., we barely topped the freezing mark for three consecutive weeks and saw the ground freeze for the first time in nearly a decade. The winter was marked with a number of dead and damaged plants. We do no winter protection of palms. Plants are grown in open ground beds with a pH of 6.5. Here is a report of how the winter hardy palms planted here at Juniper Level Botanic Gardens fared. 

 

Brahea


B. mollis - burned but ok (1 plant) (near brick wall)

Butia


B. capitata - severe burn (2 plants)

Chamaerops


C. humilis - severely burned (1 plant)

Guihaia


G. argyrata - unhurt (1 plant)

Nannorrhops


N. ritchieana (2 plants unhurt) (2 plants killed)

Rhapidophyllum


R. hystrix - unhurt (4 plants)

Sabal


S. aff. domingensis? - tip burn (2 plants)
S. ‘Birmingham’ - unhurt (1 plant)
S. etonia - unhurt (6 plants)
S. louisiana -unhurt (5 plants)
S. minor 'McCurtain' Oklahoma Form - unhurt (11 plants)
S. minor Talledega Alabama Form - unhurt (5 plants)
S. palmetto Bald Head Island Form - tip burn (3 plants)
S. palmetto Rock Hill Form - tip burn (2 plants) (1 dead)
S. palmetto 'Tifton Hardy' - unhurt (3 plants)
S. uresana - unhurt (1 plant)
S. x texensis (syn. S. ‘Brazoria’) - tip burn (3 plants)

Trachycarpus


T. fortunei Charlotte Form - unhurt (10 plants)
T. fortunei Taylor Form - unhurt (1 plant)
T. fortunei Greensboro Form - severe damage, but alive (1 plant) (2 dead)
T. fortunei Norfolk Virginia Form -little damage (5 plants)
T. latisectus - burned badly (3 plants)
T. martianus Nepal Form - dead (3 plants)
T. nanus - burned (2 plants ok) (1 dead)
T. princeps (1 dead)
T. takil (true) - unhurt (3 plants)

Palm trees killed in previous years


Brahea armata
Brahea bella
Brahea nitida
Chamaedorea radicalis -high elevation collection from Mexico (3 killed @ 10degrees F)
Serenoa repens
Washingtonia filifera

Palm Trees To Kill in the Future


Butia yatay (seedlings)
Chamaedorea microspadix x radicalis (seedlings)
Chamaerops humilis var. cerifera (planted spring 01)
Jubaea chilensis (seedlings)
Livinstonia chinensis (seedlings)
Phoenix dactylifera (seedlings)
Sabal bermudiana (seedlings)
Sabal domingensis ( seedlings)
Serenoa repens hardy form (seedlings)
Trachycarpus fortunei Bulgaria Form (planted spring 01)
Trachycarpus wagnerianus (seed)
Washingtonia robusta (seed)

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