So you’re interested in cold hardy palms but you’re not sure what to choose?   There are some questions to ask yourself as you embark on your northern based tropical look. 

Just how cold does it get where you live or where your palm will be installed? Obviously you want to choose something that would not die during an ordinary winter in your area.  Not everyone is totally clear on the zone they live in, but everybody knows what’s unusually cold for their hometown, so I’m going to cover the range by Temperature not zone. The low temperatures vary, but the lowest temperature at which these palms will show no affect of cold (no yellow, no drooping or no browning) from these species of palms is as follow:

Bismarck Palm (Bismarckia nobillis): 28F  

Canary Island Date (Phoenix canariensis): 21F

Chinese Fan Palm (Livistona chinensis): 20F

European/Mediterranean Fan Palm (Chamaeropshumillis): 16F

Lady Palm (Rhapis humilis): 22F

Needle Palm (some now call it Native LadyPalm) (Rhapidophyllum Hystrix): 5F

Pindo Palm (Butia capitata): 14F

Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana): 26F

Ribbon Fan Palm (Livistona decipiens): 23F

Dwarf /Blue Stem Palmetto (Sabal minor):15F

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens): 15F

Sylvester or Wild Date or Indian Palm (Phoenix Sylvestris): 22F

Washingtonia Palm or Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtoniarobusta): 22F

Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei): 10F

As you can see,the European Fan, the Needle, the Pindo, the Blue Stem Palmetto, the Saw Palmetto and the Windmill Palm are the big winners for cold hardiness.  All of these come in under 20F without skipping a beat. The Bismark and queen are the least likely to get through a bitterly cold night with no browning. 

Another issue to consider for cold hardiness is the proximity to your home that the palm has.  Our homes and buildings put off some heat during a cold night, obviously……because they are heated and also accumulate heat during the day. This can change the temperature for the plant or palm in question by several degrees to the point that it will survive even though the actual temperature is lower further from the building.  It wouldn’t be toasty  warm for your palm, but it could make the difference for its survival or prevent it from browning as it would otherwise.

Also, what type of area is the project in?  If it is in the city close to a lot of concrete and traffic, this can make a difference in the heat surrounding the property. A heavily traveled highway can hold enough heat in the asphalt, from street lights, and from the friction of cars traveling that the cold temperature never quite reaches the palm in question. If,you are near a body of water such as the ocean, a lake or pond, this often can put off heat during the cold night to keep your palm from suffering the worst effects of a cold night. 

Pay attention to the tolerance of your palm in question and ask yourself where you intend to place the palm in order that you or your client will have the nicest looking landscape.  You’ll look with pity at the neighbors who didn’t research and didn’t plan and now have a big brown bushy stick in their yard ! 

Happy Planting!