Palms in zone 7?
 

I've been attempting to fixup the back yard and would really like a tropical look. I have 2 small banana plants but the yard is practically bare so I need something more. So now I'm checking Hibiscus and palms but have no clue what palms would work best and survive in my zone. Since I'd really rather not drag pots around, I'm hoping to find small or bush-like palms that will survive with very little protection in the winter. Btw, I know zero about palms so any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. :)

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

A large needle palm shouldnt require too much protection, but you might want to give it some for the first 2 winters. Most sabal minors are also very cold tolerant and I have also had lots of luck with windmill palms (and with protection I have also had luck with pindo palms). Musa basjoo is probably the best banana to grow in a zone 7 because it does come back. You should wrap the stem and mulch the ground so it does survive, but when its a nice clump the dead leaves alone can act as an insulator. There are cold tolerant types of bamboo and fatsia's go great with bamboo (as well as windmill palms, cast iron plants, and camellias which are all evergreen and cold tolerant in a zone 7). Crape Myrtles arent evergreen, but they are subtropical and sun loving. They have beautiful flowers in the spring and nice fall color. Southern magnolias are another great tree for a zone 7 and are evergreen. Beautiful flowers appear from june to august and very nice looking seed pods usually follow. The seed pods ripen in fall.
There are so many tropical looking plants you can add that I cant even mention them all. There are also cold tolerant (and native) passion vines that will survive a zone 7. Some gardenias also have proven to be cold tolerant in a zone 7. Live oak is another tree that is pretty cold tolerant and willing to survive a zone 7, but it wont look as beautiful as in the south and might lose some leaves in the winter.
Agaves, yuccas, and cacti all have some species willing to survive a zone 7 (especially yuccas). Knockout roses are another real beauty . They might not really look tropical, but I have seen them blooming into early december in my zone 7 during mild springs (sometimes the blooms even have snow on them!). Try to find another shrub that blooms from early april to early december!!

And you can sink tropical plants in the ground for a nice look too. Plumerias are real sun loving beauties. Philodendrons are more shade loving, but they can handle sun too. Croton, ti plants, Tropical hibiscus are just a few that can be planted in the ground and then dug up and potted for the winter.

Oh and you cant forget to add some cold tolerant hibiscus as well! Rose of sharon becomes a tree and they are VERY common by me. Confederate rose is a more tender hibiscus which can handle much below 0F, but it looks like a very nice hibiscus as well and maybe a little more unique.


There are so many other plants but this should get you started.

Heres a quick list of some palms that are cold tolerant starting from the most cold tolerant

Needle palm (bush like, eventually grows to 10 feet, needs protection the first few years but when older its bullet proof!)

Sabal minor (also bush like,. Its a very variable species with some being more cold tolerant than others. Most are small and dont grow above 5-10 feet (sabal lousianna, sabal birmingham, and sabal etonia are some other cold tolerant sabals).

Windmill palm (More tree like but not a huge palm. Cold tolerant to 5F when established but it should be protected below 20F for its first few winters so it isnt damaged. Slowly reaches 30 feet tall, but more like 15 or 20 in cooler areas (and it takes a long time!)

Stone gate palm (a rarer palm and very similar to the windmill palm except it has silver leaves)

Wagners windmill palm (Looks like a windmill palm but with stiffer leaves. Cold tolerant to about 10F (a little lower when older) but it should get protection every winter in a zone 7 just incase)

Silver european fan palm (loves to be dry and hates moisture. Very nice palm that is cold tolerant to about 10F but maybe around 5 if dry during the winter).

European fan palm (also likes to be dry but it can handle more moisture than the silver form. It is less cold tolerant however and suffers below 15F. When established it can handle down to 10F if dry. It needs protection every winter in a zone 7).

Chamedorea Microspadix and radicalis Hardy bamboo palm (these 2 chamedorea palms (check my spelling) are very cold tolerant despite there fragile and tropical look. Most members of this family are tropical but these can handle 20F with no damage. Cold tolerant to at least 15F but it should get protection when temperatures are forecasted to drop below 25F.)

Sabal palmetto (native to the southeast coast and very cold tolerant. It can handle single digits when much much older and for very brief periods of time. It loves heat and sun and is cold tolerant to around 15F with little damage. It doesnt like to remain cold which is why its really best in a zone 8)

Pindo palm (usually gets damage around 15F but its cold tolerant to 10F. Needs protection every winter in a zone 7). Possibly the most cold tolerant feather palm

Saw palmetto (native to Florida and the deep south. Small bush-like palm. A real heat lover and not too fond of cold, however, it can handle down to 20F with no damage and at least 15F. There is a green form and a silver form (the silver form is a real beauty).

California fan palm (Great for a dry zone 7 as it can handle down to 10F, but it doesnt stand a chance in a wet climate, even during the summer).

Livingstonia (chinese fan palm) (its cold tolerant to about 25F with no damage and it seems to survive down to about 18F. With protection below 25ish, it should have no problem at all in a zone 7, but it will always need protection.

Mexican fan palm (practially a sibling of the california fan palm. They are very similar but mexican fan palms are less cold tolerant, but much more moisture tolerant. It can survive down to 20F before severe damage so protection below 25F is best to keep it a nice green color).

Lots of others too! If you want success with palms, make sure they see NO moisture during the winter because they hate cold rains or snow.

Good luck!

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

Thanks!! :D I will definitely start checking those out. This is just the start I've been needing. At this point, I've managed to keep a dwarf Cavendish and an Ice Cream banana plant alive [both are small pups] and recently bought a Philodendron [a member here ID'd it for me] and was given an elephant ear. I'm not much into Agaves, Yuccas, or cactus [too desert looking] and, though I was avoiding roses, I'll definitely check out the Knockout roses! Maybe I can shape the bush and make it look sort of tropical. I might consider bamboo, too, but only in pots. To give an idea of what I'm after: something for a great party atmosphere with room to run between/around the plants.
Btw, I saw those Plumerias and Passion flowers in two different threads. I'll definitely want to include those!
Anyway, the needle and sabal palms and cold tolerant Hibiscus sound perfect! Back to checking things out.
I know that post was a lot of work and typing... It's definitely appreciated, thanks!! :) I'll be using it as my guide while I fix things up.

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

Im glad that its useful to you! Im sure once you get an idea of the tropicalsque plants out there the ideas will formulate in your head. Right now you want the extra room but if you really get hooked on the hobby, you will be using all the room you can!
Good luck! post some pics when you start adding to your yard.
Oh and one more important note is to never plant more tender plants in the fall because they need the entire season to establish itself for the winter. The best time to plant is in the spring as soon as the temperatures are warmer.

I definitely agree on the Needle Palm. I have read that it will take it to 19 below 0. Another one you may want to research is the Windmill Palm. This past winter when we got to the single digits, my Windmill flew through it with flying colors with no discoloration to the leaves at all. There were palms all over the city that died.

Also, you can plant castor beans and payaya seeds and they will get huge by the end of the summer. They are very tropical looking.

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

Definitely Windmills will work.. You'd have to cut all the fronds off a pindo and protect it. The bigger one's (30 gallon) I had had no problems w/ 13F & 0F windchill but I had one smaller one (a 5 gallon kick the bucket). Depending on what your lows have been for the last 15 years& plan accordingly. :^) If you have snow you can just build a snowman around it. :^)

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

From my personal experience, and to supplement Palmtree's excellent post, the only winter hardy banana is basjoo. The others may survive a winter or so, but will eventually succumb. But they can be easily brought inside as corms and stored for the next season. Palms- I have Needle and Windmill (Trachycarpus fortunei) that survive winter outside. I usually protect them with mulch, burlap and plastic, but didn't last winter (which was very harsh) and they all made it. I have had Sabal minor successfully, and indeed had a Chinese Fan Palm (L. chinensis) that would die back every winter but slowly regrow in the following spring/summer. It finally died, however. I had no luck keeping a Butia outside (pindo palm). I have one now (Butia capitata) that I will bring inside potted. It is indeed a beauty. I also tried Butia eriospatha (woolly jelly palm) without success. I have some silver European Fan Palms (Chamaerops humilis var. cerifera); I'm leaving one outside with protection to experiment this winter. The others are to go inside, along with my Pygmy Date Palms (Phoenix roebelenii). The other plants listed in palmtree's post are great suggestions. I have also lantana, cannas, caladiums, elephant ears,, etc. All these come inside as tubers for the winter. I love lilies, so always have day lilies, Oriental lilies, and tigers around. Passionflower maypop (Passiflora incarnata) is zone 7 hardy, but spreads everywhere. Still, it's beautiful, so I keep it. I'd also recommend looking at Chinese Rice Paper Plant, especially the large size (Tetrapanax 'Steroidal Giant). It gives an immediate tropical look to your place. It also is a spreader, but easy to control by digging out those you don't want.Try Castor Bean plant also, if you don't have kids. It's VERY poisonous. Good luck!!

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

Thanks guyz! And thanks for all the extra ideas, Howard! Definitely don't worry about photos [as I build the back yard] - I love showing off, lol. I won't be able to try the Castor bean plant since I have a 12 year old brother [brains-off]. But a lot of the other ideas sound great. As soon as I get enough time off the roof [fixing a leak], I'll start checking some of these plants and getting some ideas put together. Thanks again! :)

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

Sabal minor (Dwarf Palmetto) is native to OK so it should do great in your area.

Check out this site.

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

Cory, I have been a member of the Southeastern Palm Society for about 5 years and have read and experimented with many hardy palms. With all the information out there on the internet and the claims and "mis"information, I have still found the information in the below links to be the MOST reliable and accurate... Hope they help. If you have any questions, please feel free to pm me...
Randy4ut

Here is a "Quick Guide":

SPS Hardy Palms: A Quick Reference

Here is a little more indepth information on hardy palms in general. Actually, this is a good read and I still catch myself going back to it from time to time and rereading it!!!

http://www.sepalms.org/Hardy%20Palms...m%20Reader.pdf

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

Thanks! That will help a lot! :) I was checking threads and doing a lot of googling but yeah, it takes hours and hours and I kept getting conflicting information from googled sites. I also found an article that stated that zone 7 in our Country is not the same as zone 7 in Europe. It was getting a little confusing.

Thanks for that! :) Sabal minor is prolly a great way to start. I'm also considering the Needle and Windmill types but, since it's native here, the Sabal minor will give me a good backup.

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

Question on my Butia capitata. I'm bringing it inside in a pot, but before I dig it up, how extensive and wide will the root system be? I don't want to cut half the roots with my shovel. And while bananas grow more horizontally, how about the Butia's roots? In other words, my palm has a frond spread of about 4-5 feet. Should I dig down at the dip line, closer to the trunk, etc.? Thanks for the help, guys.

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

Palms REALLY hate being dug up! If you have to dig it up, I would start digging from wherever the crown covers. You do live in a similar zone to me, so do you think you can protect it. I protect mine with x-mas lights, a frost cloth other that, and a plastic garbage bin, but its still pretty small (about 3 or 4 feet tall) so if you have a larger palm, that might not work. They are pretty cold tolerant though, so if you can manage to keep the ground near the palm and crown of the palm dry starting now, it should survive with just a little bit of heat and something to keep the heat in. Pindos can easily handle the low 20s and high teens, especially if it isnt wet. They are safely zone 8b palms, but many grow them in a zone 8a as large plants without protection. I even heard of one growing in an exposed spot in the New York City area (zone 7) that survived last winter with no protection (and its a very large size). I would protect it below 20F-25F just to be safe. You can bring it in this year, but if you do that every year, it might eventually be stunted.

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

That is best done with planting potted plants. Plant them within large pots and it would be much easyer to dug it out. Some roots will run from pot one way or another but replanting shock will be less painfull.

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

The spread of the roots depend on how long it's been in the ground and the soil type. The roots of palms are like bananas since they're both monocots.

It's a myth that the root system ends at the drip line. If you just planted the palm this year, it probably hasn't gone far past where you dug. If it's been in the ground for years, it may have passed the drip line. Cut off a few of the fronds after you dig it up.

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

I have lost all the other Butias (capitata and eriospatha) that I have tried to overwinter outside in the ground with protection. This one is beautiful, with nice silvery fronds, so I don't want to lose another one.. It's only been in the ground since spring. I may indeed plant it in the ground next year in the pot. It's been shooting out new fronds at an amazing rate. Here's a pic from spring shortly after planting.

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

I built a mini-hot house over my Bismarckia this past January ('010) and put a 100 watt light bulb under it as well. Came out just fine. Four wood poles and some plastic. Did the same with my Meyer lemon - glad I did. It did just fine as well. I get nervous if it gets below 26F. It got down to 18F this past winter.

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

Its starting to get cold outside here! I think there is a night of 24F in the forecast so my least cold hardy palms (such as the livistona) might need protection soon. Ill post some pics of my protection (which includes X-mas lights, a frost cloth, and a garbage bin) soon.
The protection worked on my windmill palm, sabal minor, and pindo palm last year and I hope it will work on my new Windmill palm, European fan palm, Oleander, Sabal domingensis, and Livistona also! I will not let any of my palms see below 20F so I dont have to worry about too much cold damage.
Good luck!

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

Looks like I'm going to have to cover my Bismarckia and Meyer lemon again as we're getting down into the mid-20s this coming week.

Your livistona should be OK at that temp, although the fronds might get a little damaged. I've given up on protecting any. They burn, they burn. They're getting too big anyway.

You shouldn't have to protect your windmill or sabal or pindo at that temp - those are all very very very cold hardy, into the single digits even (although not for very long).

Med fans can easily take down to 15F and lower for shorter periods of time. There are sabal minors growing in Manhattan but it doesn't get very cold there. Some palms can take some real cold but duration is the key factor.

But - it is peace of mind to take the caution anyway. Oleander should be fine too - those horrible plants don't seem to die from anything.

Re: Palms in zone 7?
 

I decided to cover up some of the plants because the duration of cold is pretty bad even though the actual low temperatures arent as bad as places in the southeast on some days. Ive seen small windmill palms and needle palms survive the winter in Manhattan, which I am right near. Their are some palms growing here, but you really have to know where to look. I'll post pics of the protection I gave my plants in a few minutes :)
..........
Ill post some pics tomorrow instead!