Hardy palms

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Dwarf Palmetto Sabal minor in snow, Congaree National Park, South Carolina.
Dwarf Palmetto Sabal minor in snow, Congaree National Park, South Carolina.

Hardy palms are any of the species of palm (Arecaceae) that are able to withstand colder temperatures and thrive in places not typically considered in the natural range for palms. Several are native to higher elevations in Asia and can tolerate hard freezes with little or no damage. Many of these species can be cultivated at high latitudes, and in places that regularly see snow in winter.

The hardiest species are found in the genera Rhapidophyllum, Sabal, and Trachycarpus. Members of these and other genera are sometimes grown in areas where they are not truly hardy, overwintering with the aid of various kinds of artificial protection.

[edit] Fan palms

The fan palms (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae; palms with fan-shaped leaves) include all of the hardiest palms.

  • Trachycarpus palms (Trachycarpus fortunei, T. takil, T. wagnerianus) - the best known cold-hardy trunking palms, these tough species are native to the Himalaya and east to central China, where although not growing so far north (to about 31°N) as the Needle Palm, they do grow at high altitudes where temperatures are cool. The Chusan Palm (T. fortunei) is hardy to −27.5 °C, survived by four specimens planted in Plovdiv, Bulgaria during a severe cold spell on 6 January 1993. It is also tolerant of low summer temperatures (15 °C) in oceanic climates. This enables it to be cultivated further north than any other palm, with mature trees successful as far north as 58°N in northern Scotland. Mature specimens can also be found in and around Knaresborough, England, Vancouver, Canada, Tokyo, Japan and Tasmania, Australia. A tree of T. fortunei has been growing at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York City since the 1980s, albeit protected by a plastic wrap during the coldest months. Trachycarpus fortunei is also being grown experimentally in Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands (62°N), with young plants growing well so far (Højgaard et al., 1989).
  • Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) - This clustering and usually trunkless palm is native north to South Carolina in the United States. It is considered hardy to USDA zone 6 and can be cultivated without protection as far north as New York City. They have proven hardy in the Tennessee valley region and up into the Ohio Valley and Mid-West areas with hot summers. During the winter, it can tolerate temperatures as low as −23 °C. The needle palm is very slow growing and rarely reaches heights of over 1 metre.
  • Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) - Native to Florida, this bushy palm is hardy to about −15 °C.
  • Sabal palms (palmettos; 13 species) - These palms are native to the southeastern United States, Central America, and the Caribbean. The Dwarf Palmetto (S. minor) is the hardiest species in the genus. The McCurtain variety is considered the hardiest, to USDA zone 6, like the needle palm. It can tolerate short periods of temperatures as low as −22 °C. One of the possible reasons that the dwarf palmetto is so hardy is that it forms a subterranean trunk, and in the coldest of climates grows very slowly, rarely producing much of a noticeable trunk (but in warmer climates can attain up to 3 m of above-ground trunk). The Cabbage Palmetto (Sabal palmetto), the state tree of both Florida and South Carolina, is very common on the southeast coast of the US. The species is considered hardy to USDA zone 8, and may survive short periods of temperatures as low as −14 °C. The Mexican Palmetto (Sabal mexicana) is a close relative of the Cabbage Palmetto, native to southern Texas and northern Mexico. It looks like a more robust version of the Cabbage Palmetto, with a larger trunk, although they may be difficult to tell apart. Cold hardy to about −9 °C, and grown throughout Texas in cities such as San Antonio, Austin, and even Dallas.
  • Mediterranean Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis) - The only palm native to southern Europe, and very drought-tolerant. Hardy to −12 °C, but does prefer hot summers. Despite the fact that this palm is less hardy than many palms listed here, it has the northernmost native habitat because of the mild Mediterranean climate.
  • Washingtonia palms (Washingtonia filifera, W. robusta) - These palms are native to southern California and northwest Mexico, growing as high as 30 m in their native habitat. California Washingtonia (W. filifera) is hardy to −12 °C; it prefers a dry Mediterranean climate, and will not grow taller than 12-15 m in a humid area. It is sometimes grown in containers or planted as short-term specimens in areas where it is not hardy. Mexican Washingtonia (W. robusta) is somewhat less hardy, native to northern Mexico and southernmost California. It has a more robust trunk and stiffer leaves than W. filifera, and is hardy to −10 °C. It has been grown in Houston, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • Mazari Palm (Nannorrhops richtiana) - This palm, native to the dry, mountainous terrains of Afghanistan and surrounding regions, is also thought to be extremely cold hardy (perhaps to about −20 °C), though also requiring hot summers and dry soils. However, due to its limited availability in cultivation, not much is known about this palm.
  • Rhapis excelsa is hardy to about −7 °C.

[edit] Pinnate-leaved palms

Few palms with pinnate leaves tolerate much frost. They belong to several tribes of the Arecaceae, with the species listed here belonging to Tribe Areceae (Chamaedorea), Tribe Cocoeae (Butia, Jubaea) and Tribe Phoeniceae (Phoenix).

  • Butia Palm or Feathery Palm (Butia capitata) - Possibly the hardiest known pinnate-leaved palm. It is hardy to −12 °C, and has been experimentally cultivated in Delaware and Washington. Thrives in humid subtropical climates.
  • Chilean Wine Palm (Jubaea chilensis) - Also a contender for the hardiest pinnate-leaved palm, it is also hardy to about −12 °C and has been cultivated successfully as far north as Torquay in southwest England (50°30'N). This palm does not perform well in hot, humid climates but has proven hardier than Butia capitata in cooler, maritime climates in such places as Britain and the Pacific Northwest.
  • Chamaedorea microspadix and Chamaedorea radicalis are the hardiest known species in the genus Chamaedorea. Both species come from Mexico and are considered stem hardy to about −11 °C, although they will lose their leaves at temperatures below about −6 °C.
  • Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis) - This species is hardy to about −10 °C, and is grown on the Scilly Islands in southwest England (50°N). This palm is one of the most commonly grown palms in the world.
  • Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) - This relative of the Canary Island date palm, and producer of the edible date, is also hardy to about −10 °C, but does not tolerate very wet areas.
  • Cretan Date Palm (Phoenix theophrastii) - Another species of Phoenix which may show similar frost tolerance, native to Crete and southwest Turkey, but has not been adequately tested.
  • Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) - Hardy to about −8 °C. Probably the most tropical, exotic looking palm for subtropical areas. Formerly named Cocos plumosa, it has graceful, flowing plumose fronds.

[edit] References and external links

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