List of hardy palms

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Hardy palms are any of the species of palm (Arecaceae) that are able to withstand brief periods of colder temperatures and even occasional snowfall. A few palms are native to higher elevations of South Asia where true winter conditions occur, while a few others are native to the warmer parts of the temperate zone in southern Europe, and others are native throughout temperate and subtropical locales in the Americas and Oceania. A few of these temperate climate palms can tolerate hard freezes with little or no damage. Many of these "hardy" species can be cultivated in warmer parts of temperate and subtropical climates.

Contents

The cold hardiness of palms varies by species. The hardiest species are found in the tribe Trachycarpeae, Washingtonia, and Rhapis , with species which are found in the wild in areas where the mean temperature of the coldest month of the year is not much less than 5 °C (41 °F), and Trachycarpus , with species which are found in the wild in areas where the mean temperature of the coldest month of the year is as low as 0.2 °C (32.4 °F). Members of the above palms and other genera are sometimes grown in areas where they are not truly hardy, overwintering with the aid of various kinds of artificial protection. [1]

Fan palms

Windmill palms (Trachycarpus fortunei) covered with dusting of snow on Long Island, New York After Blizzard 1.4.14 1.jpg
Windmill palms (Trachycarpus fortunei) covered with dusting of snow on Long Island, New York

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

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 Cocoseae (Butia, Jubaea) and Tribe Phoeniceae (Phoenix).

Jubaea chilensis in France Jubaea chilensis Hyeres gross.jpg
Jubaea chilensis in France
Canary Island Date Palm in southern Switzerland in central Europe Auf der Isole di Brissago.jpg
Canary Island Date Palm in southern Switzerland in central Europe

Plants referred to as palms

Some plants used in subtropical landscaping in temperate climates like much of Europe, northern China/Japan, Korea, the northern USA, New Zealand, etc. that are commonly referred to as "palms", but are not palms, i.e. not members of the Arecaceae family, include: Aloidendron barberae , Beaucarnea recurvata , Berberis eurybracteata , Cordyline australis , Cordyline indivisa , Cycas revoluta , Dasylirion , Cyathea australis , Cyathea capensis , Cyathea cooperi , Cyathea dealbata , Cyathea medullaris , Dicksonia antarctica , Dicksonia squarrosa , Dioon angustifolium , Dioon edule , Encephalartos , Macrozamia communis , Macrozamia johnsonii , Macrozamia riedlei , Mahonia oiwakensis , Musa basjoo , Musa sikkimensis , Pseudopanax ferox , Rhus typhina , Xanthorrhoea , Yucca aloifolia , Yucca gigantea , Yucca rostrata and Zamia integrifolia .

Hardiness

In general, hardy palms can only tolerate brief periods with temperatures in the range −18 to −12 °C (0 to 10 °F). As such, this generally limits hardy palm cultivation and long term specimens to hardiness zone 7a or higher. Some hardy palms can be cultivated in areas with low temperatures slightly below this range when given wind sheltering (planted on the south side of a building). In the US, hardy palm cultivation is generally attempted from USDA zones 6b/7a southward.[ citation needed ]

In very cold winter areas below zone 6b, cold hardy palms have been cultivated by partially (or completely) covering plants with mini-green house coverings and wraps. Some garden enthusiasts in severe cold winter areas have gone as far as heating the interiors of these winter enclosures. As such, there are occasional reports of hardy palms be cultivated in areas with severe winters with low temperatures below −18 °C (0 °F). [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arecaceae</span> Family of food and ornamental plants

The Arecaceae is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees. Currently, 181 genera with around 2,600 species are known, most of which are restricted to tropical and subtropical climates. Most palms are distinguished by their large, compound, evergreen leaves, known as fronds, arranged at the top of an unbranched stem, except for the Hyphaene genus, who has branched palms. However, palms exhibit an enormous diversity in physical characteristics and inhabit nearly every type of habitat within their range, from rainforests to deserts.

<i>Sabal</i> Genus of palms

Sabal is a genus of New World palms. Currently, there are 17 recognized species of Sabal, including one hybrid species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical garden</span> Type of garden

A tropical garden is a type of garden that features tropical plants and requires heavy rainfall or a decent irrigation or sprinkler system for watering. These gardens typically need fertilizer and heavy mulching.

Hardiness of plants describes their ability to survive adverse growing conditions. It is usually limited to discussions of climatic adversity. Thus a plant's ability to tolerate cold, heat, drought, flooding, or wind are typically considered measurements of hardiness. Hardiness of plants is defined by their native extent's geographic location: longitude, latitude and elevation. These attributes are often simplified to a hardiness zone. In temperate latitudes, the term most often describes resistance to cold, or "cold-hardiness", and is generally measured by the lowest temperature a plant can withstand.

<i>Rhapidophyllum</i> Genus of palms

Rhapidophyllum hystrix, the needle palm, is a palm native to coastal margins of the subtropical eastern Gulf and south Atlantic states of the United States. Populations can be found from coastal southeast South Carolina, southward to Florida and west across the coastal plain of Mississippi and southern Alabama. It is one of the most cold-hardy palms in the world, and can be found growing in several areas with warm temperate climates.

<i>Trachycarpus</i> Genus of palms

Trachycarpus is a genus of eleven species of palms native to Asia, from the Himalaya east to eastern China. They are fan palms, with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets. The leaf bases produce persistent fibres that often give the trunk a characteristic hairy appearance. All species are dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on separate plants although female plants will sometimes produce male flowers, allowing occasional self-pollination.

<i>Trachycarpus fortunei</i> Species of palm

Trachycarpus fortunei, the Chinese windmill palm, windmill palm or Chusan palm, is a species of hardy evergreen palm tree in the family Arecaceae, native to parts of China, Japan, Myanmar and India.

<i>Washingtonia</i> Genus of palms

Washingtonia is a genus of palms, native to the southwestern United States and northwest Mexico. Both Washingtonia species are commonly cultivated across the Southern United States, the Middle East, southern Europe, and North Africa, where they have greatly hybridized.

<i>Sabal minor</i> Species of palm

Sabal minor, commonly known as the dwarf palmetto, is a small species of palm. It is native to the deep southeastern and south-central United States and northeastern Mexico. It is naturally found in a diversity of habitats, including maritime forests, swamps, floodplains, and occasionally on drier sites. It is often found growing in calcareous marl soil. Sabal minor is one of the most frost and cold tolerant among North American palms.

<i>Chamaerops</i> Genus of palms

Chamaerops is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae. It contains only one species, Chamaerops humilis, variously called European fan palm or the Mediterranean dwarf palm. It is one of the most cold-hardy palms and is used in landscaping in temperate climates.

<i>Phyllostachys aureosulcata</i> Species of grass

Phyllostachys aureosulcata, the yellow groove bamboo, is a species of bamboo native to the Zhejiang Province of China. It is a running bamboo with a distinctive yellow stripe in the culm groove that is often grown as an ornamental.

<i>Trachycarpus takil</i> Species of palm

Trachycarpus takil, the Kumaon palm, is a fan palm tree that is endemic to the foothills of the Himalaya in southern Asia. It is very similar to Trachycarpus fortunei, the Windmill palm.

<i>Alsophila australis</i> Species of fern

Alsophila australis, synonym Cyathea australis, also known as the rough tree fern, is a species of tree fern native to southeastern Queensland, New South Wales and southern Victoria in Australia, as well as Tasmania and Norfolk Island.

<i>Butia</i> Genus of palms

Butia is a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae, native to the South American countries of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Many species produce edible fruits, which are sometimes used to make alcoholic beverages and other foods. The name is derived from a Brazilian vernacular word for members of the genus.

<i>Sabal palmetto</i> Species of plant

Sabal palmetto, also known as cabbage palm, cabbage palmetto, sabal palm, blue palmetto, Carolina palmetto, common palmetto, Garfield's tree, and swamp cabbage, is one of 15 species of palmetto palm. It is native to the far Southeast United States, the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, the West Indies, and the Bahamas.

<i>Chamaedorea elegans</i> Species of palm

Chamaedorea elegans, the neanthe bella palm or parlour palm, is a species of small palm tree native to the rainforests in Southern Mexico and Guatemala. The parlor palm is one of the most extensively sold houseplant palms in the world. It is one of several species with leaves that are harvested as xate.

<i>Sabal mexicana</i> Species of palm

Sabal mexicana is a species of palm tree that is native to far southern North America. Common names include Rio Grande palmetto, Mexican palmetto, Texas palmetto, Texas sabal palm, palmetto cabbage and palma de mícharos. The specific epithet, "mexicana", is Latin for "of Mexico."

<i>Sabal</i> Birmingham Palm cultivar

Sabal 'Birmingham' is a seed-propagated selection of palmetto, of unknown origin and widely thought to be a hybrid of Sabal palmetto with a yet-unidentified species. It is widely known for its extreme cold hardiness and its slow growth compared to other palmetto species.

<i>Butia odorata</i> Species of palm tree

Butia odorata, also known as the South American jelly palm, jelly palm, or pindo palm, is a Butia palm native to southernmost Brazil and Uruguay. This slow-growing palm grows up to 10m, although it is often less tall. It is identifiable by its feather palm pinnate leaves that arch inwards towards a thick stout trunk.

<i>Sabal rosei</i> Species of plant in the genus Sabal

Sabal rosei, the Llanos palmetto or Savannah palmetto, is a species of flowering plant in the palm family Arecaceae, native to the Pacific coast of Mexico, from Sinaloa to Jalisco. Hardy to USDA zone 8a, it tolerates both flooding and drought, although it is typically found in dry areas.

References

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  2. "Connecticut's Notable Trees".
  3. "Trachycarpus fortunei". hardiness.zone. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  4. "Chamaerops humilis". hardiness.zone. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  5. "SPECIES: Seranoa repens". Fire Effects Information System. US Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
  6. "Connecticut's Notable Trees".
  7. "Palms: Hardy".
  8. 1 2 Soares, Kelen Pureza (2015). "Le genre Butia". Principes (in French). 1: 12–57. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  9. Wunderlin, R. P.; Hansen, B. F.; Franck, A. R.; Essig, F. B. (16 September 2018). "Butia capitata - Species Page". Atlas of Florida Plants. Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa. Retrieved 17 September 2018. Recent taxonomy suggests B. odorata is the species naturalized in Florida, which has globose fruits, small midrib bundles completely encircling the fibrous cylinder, and does not have raphide-containing idioblasts in the foliar margin, unlike B. capitata (Sant'Anna-Santos et al. 2015)
  10. "Butia eriospatha – Palmpedia – Palm Grower's Guide". www.palmpedia.net. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
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