Cold Hardy Palms for Zone 9

Did you know that in addition to 10 cold hardy palms that stretch to Zone 7 and even further, Royal Crest Nurseries also carries 10 varieties of more moderate loving palms that are good for Zone 9?  Zone 9,  stretches from Northeast Florida diagonally down to the Tampa St. Pete area.  On the east coast it cuts down to Ft. Pierce area.  Also, Southern Louisiana and Texas are part of the Zone 9 spectrum.  In our last Blog we covered the most cold hardy of palms that can go to the far reaches of the mid-atlantic and even some parts of New York and even Britain.  This week we are covering their more tender southern cousins.

The Bismarck Palm (Bismarckia nobilis).  The Bismarck Palm is arguably the most dramatic of all the palms.  With its massive fronds that can reach nearly 10’,  this palm is truly awesome  in its size and coloring.  Cold hardy to 20 degrees F (-6.6 degrees Celcius), it can get some browning on its normally turquoise colored fronds after lower temperatures,   but will recover relatively quickly.  This striking palm likes full sun, and has been notably used frequently at the Walt Disney World resort area in Florida.  Native to Madagascar, it is also drought tolerant and so would be appropriate for Xeriscaping. Learn More


The Caranday Palm (Copernica alba).  AKA; Wax Palm, Caranda.  The waxy covering of the fronds is used in manufacturing of lipsticks and car polishes, and was used by the Indians for candles.  The coloring of the Copernica varies from green to a turquoise or silver-blue color, like the Bismarck.   The trunk boots have very sharp teeth,  so handle with caution !  Its trunk is a dark chocolate color that contrasts nicely with the  fronds.  Cold hardy to 25 degrees F (-3.8 Degrees C), planting in the northern reaches of Zone 9 is taking a chance.  Prefers full sun, but will take partial shade.  A slow grower in the United States, but worth the wait, the Caranday Palm is native to Brazil. 

The Chinese Fan Palm (Livistona chinensis).  Cold hardy to Zone 8b according to some sources, this is the hardiest  of our Zone 9 palms.  The Chinese Fan will still get nipped brown by the cold (Hardy to 15 degrees F. -9.5C), but it re-flushes in the late spring to summer months.  The Chinese Fan has a dark green color to it that will yellow at first if placed in direct sunlight.  Keeping it in the shade as it matures will produce “stretched”  stems.   Speaking of stems, this palm tends to be grown as a multi-trunked palm in its youth, encouraging the full,  wide look that it’s famous for making it an excellent  potted ornamental.   The Chinese Fan Palm is often used as a ground cover in tropical settings, but its ultimate height of over 40’ Ht makes this an eventual problem.  Native to China… Surprise ! Learn More

The Coontie Palm (Zamia pumila).  Cold Hardy to 20Degrees F (-6.6 C).  The Coontie Palm, like the Cardboard palm is not actually a palm, it’s a Cycad.  This Florida native makes an excellent drought tolerant, pest resistant groundcover as it doesn’t get any taller than 3’ Ht.  As it matures, the spread can reach as high as 5’.  A deep green color, this cycad is becoming more and more popular for its low maintenance attributes and its native status.  The Coontie prefers partial shade and well drained soil.  Native to  Florida.


The Lady Palm (Raphis excelsa) aka Bamboo Palm, Ground Rattan, Fern Raphis, Mini Fan Palm.  Cold tolerant to 18 Degrees F (-7.8 C), the Lady Palm is a deep green,  understory type of Palm that can be used as a shrub or hedge.  Like the more cold tolerant Windmill palm, the Lady palm has a matted fiber on its trunk that makes it easy to mistake it for the Windmill or the Needle Palm in its youth.  Short compared to many palms, it only reaches 7’ of ht at the most.  Often used as a containerized ornamental, this palm makes an excellent accent piece and is popular as an indoor plant. Learn More

The Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii).  Aka Dwarf Date Palm, Mini Date Palm, Roebelenii Palm.  The least hardy, of our cold hardy palms.  The Roebelenii Palm will brown easily if temperatures go below 25 Degrees F (-3.9C).  Widely used, this palm is seen almost always as a multi-trunk of 2, 3, 4 or 5 trunks., making it a striking example of what a Phoenix can do.  The fronds have a wispy look to them, giving a strong weeping appearance.  As the name implies, this is a short palm that rarely gets taller than 10’.   Native to southeast asia. Learn More

The Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana). AKA, Cocos Plumosa, Arecastrum, chiriva, jeriba, but, mainly called a “Queen Palm”. The Queen Palm is enormously popular in Florida and can be found all over most of the towns and cities of central and south Fla. The queen palm grows very quickly, and offers an elegant and tropical look without the risk of frost damage that its cousin, the Royal Palm poses. Topping out at 30’-40’ Ht, the Queen palm looks better as it gets older reaching majestic height and appearance.  Hardy to 24F (-4.4C), but will recover. Native to Brazil and Argentina. Learn More

The Ribbon Fan Palm (Livistona decipiens).  AKA, weeping cabbage palm, fountain palm, ribbon palm.   A bit more cold hardy than  the Queen Palm, the Ribbon Palm can get as low as 23F (-5C) before suffering damage.  Getting its name from its wispy, ribbon like fronds, the Ribbon Palm is disease resistant.  It  tends to dislike being moved ,  so caution should be taken when digging and moving a Ribbon Palm.   Dig a large rootball, keep well hydrated,  top-dress with fertilizer and backfill with  root enhancer.  Native to Australia. Learn More

The Paurotis Palm (Acoelorrhaphe wrightii).  AKA, Everglades Palm, Silver Saw Palm, hairy tom palmetto, guano, preto, tasiste, tique.  Wow, lots of pseudonyms !  Native to Florida and the Carribean, this palm can only get as low as 22F (-5.6C) before damage occurs.  As one of its pseudonyms  implies, this palm is a frequent part of the Everglades scenery and behaves naturally as a cluster.   This is one of the few palms that will tolerate poorly drained soil.  Ultimately the Paurotis does get very tall and wide, so any use must be able to accommodate this fact.

Posted by Luc at 6/4/2009 10:29 AM
Categories: uncategorized
 

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