PalmsNorth.com

Post your favortie plant that is completely hardy in your area. Obviously the wamrer the zone the better the choices. I'm going to define hardy as able to survive without any protection.

In USDA zone 5a, my favorite plant would have to be Yucca elata! Hopefully the hardiness remains when the start to trunk! I'd have said Miscanthus gigantus, but I have to mulch the roots, thus disqualifying it!
Yucca elata. 4th year in ground (I think):
<img src="http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/14789 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC01655">
Miscanthus (at just over 10' here, it topped out at 13.5'):
<img src="http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/8705/ ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC01633">

Yucca Brevifolia

Love the Joshua trees! Mine was OK with moisture protection, but failed when exposed to our 'true' winter. Maybe I should try some more seedlings?

I guess if it has to be "hardy"I will say my "Giant" Sequoia
<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -08015.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -08015.jpg" border="0" alt="Sequoia"></a>
Heres a pic of it now-
<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -08005.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -08005.jpg" border="0" alt="12-21-08"></a>

I love the Sequoia, there is a large one in Boise. Very cool.

Sequoias really do grow on you too.I would say my favorite cold hardy palm would be Trachycarpus and as far as succulents probably A.parryi or A.havardiana but also any of my cactus while they are blooming could be moved to the top,I guess anything that can"survive"a winter here,even though they do get some help.

Not my only favorites, but certainly reliably hardy here are Trachycarpus forunei and Chamaerops humilis.
Here's two shots from my garden.

Cheers, Barrie.

Those look awesome Barrie

I would have to say Yucca rostrata as I`ve seen them survive here without protection. I`ll be planting some this year.

John

I would have to say my rostratas and my yucca recurvifolias.

My Yucca rostrata took a beating here on Vancouver Island this year. A potted one in an unheated coldframe looks just fine, which leads me to believe they're much more suited to low winter rainfall areas.

Cheers, Barrie.

My favorite proven hardy plant would be a Belamcanda chinensis which has survived completely unprotected and bloomed consistently for 5 years.

I have 2 bushes that have survived consistently without protection but have not bloomed --yet--. So far this has been the mildest winter in terms of actual temperature and I am hopeful that the wisteria will bloom this spring. The Kolkwitzia has grown slowly and is still years from blooming.

My Yucca elata and Agave parryi have been unprotected this winter and I will know in about a month if they made it.

Allen