PalmsNorth.com

This new thread is a continuation of three older threads and I'm combining them for my convenience. In short, I'm planting cold-hardy palms at my parent's coastal cabin in Manzanita, Oregon (46 oN latitude). Zone 9 as ~1 km from the Pacific and on the south aspect of Neahkhanie mountain. They will get none winter protection of any kind, not even mulch, and will be rain-soaked all winter.

Photos of some of them from this week:

Shaving-brush palm (Nikau palm), southern-most palm in the world:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/11192968543" title="shaving brush palm dec 1 2013 by Erik Terdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7289/1119 ... 3a0c_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="shaving brush palm dec 1 2013"></a>

Chameadorea radicalis, from seed collected in Tamaulipas, Mexico:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/11192858114" title="Chameadorea radicalis palm dec 1 2013 by Erik Terdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7393/1119 ... 7a7664.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Chameadorea radicalis palm dec 1 2013"></a>

Sago cycads (flushing!), strap-leaved Sabal minor, the C. radicalis (plus old Hydragea shrub):
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/11192866976" title="sago and others dec 1 2013 by Erik Terdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5515/1119 ... 57185a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="sago and others dec 1 2013"></a>

The CIDP I hauled out in May:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/11192968903" title="CIDP nov 1 2013 by Erik Terdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2882/1119 ... d426b3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="CIDP nov 1 2013"></a>

The lowest in the forecast for the coming week is -4 oC. With wet plants and no protection, think any of these will have a problem?

I don't know "Nikau Palm" but the thing sure looks like it'll face a challenge. Wonder how a Juania would do there, if there is ever one available that is.

Paul,
one of the old threads I'm lumping in here is this one:
viewtopic.php?t=5155

In brief, the southern-most palm, but from coastal New Zealand. A mild maritime climate, much like the Oregon coast. However, the -6 oC forecast for Saturday morning in the area is too cold for a zone 9b plant such as this, especially new (planted in June) and unprotected. Gulp. I'm counting on a favorable microclimate.

Strangely enough I have just been reading a thread about the Nikau Palm on the European palm society forum. The New Zealand members have advised that the Palm can get damaged at -3C and can be killed at -5C. Everything else should survive comfortably. Juania's are sometimes sold in the UK but are snapped up before you can say jack rabbit. Kev Spence a moderator on GOTE (growing on the edge) forum has a couple. He has managed to keep his alive for a few years now. That palm seems to thrive in temps from -5C min to 25C probably higher. Like the Nikau palm repeated or prolonged frosts will kill them if not protected

Poor timing. Manzanita has just received its coldest weather in decades. Only a dusting of snow, not enough to make a difference. I'll get photos of the palm carcasses next week, but not optimistic. Yesterday had a low of -9 oC and a high of -1 oC. Today, low of -6 oC and forecast high of +1 oC.

Not a problem for Trachycarpus or Sabal minor. Iffy for Sagos. Won't outright kill Chameadorea radicalis (this individual survived -14 oC in a heated greenhouse in 2011, but was defoliated), but not good for it. Not sure about CIDP. I expect the shaving brush palm to be dead.

This is what weather.com reports for Manzanita for December 6 - 9:

Fri
6
OBSERVED

Hi 32°F
Lo 26°F
Precip (in)
0.07in.
Sat
7
OBSERVED

Hi 30°F
Lo 15°F
Precip (in)
0in.
8
OBSERVED

Hi 29°F
Lo 14°F
Precip (in)
0in.
9
OBSERVED

Hi 32°F
Lo 24°F
Precip (in)
0.04in.

Those temps should have killed a lot of palms. But, my parents are now, for the first time since then, at their cabin where they are planted. Mom says all the palms (including her favorite, the CIDP) look fine. I take the to mean the the favorable microclimate I was counting on in my planning kept temps in the 20s oF (i.e., it was functionally zone 9, not zone 8, during that cold snap).

She didn't have a camera so I won't get photos for a while, which may reveal cold damage that takes longer to show up. but for now, hopeful.

Lows of 15 and 14 F
Fingers crossed.

And probably getting some snow again today, but not enough for insulation.

Even inverting cardboard boxes over the Chamae and Nikau would help.

Barb

I assume the nikau is dead but just not showing it yet. That may be true of the CIDP, too. The C. radicalis is up against the house, which may have help a tiny bit. Hoping someone with a camera can get down there over the holidays.
As for me, heading south!

Enjoy Belize, Eric.
Looking forward to your pics again.

Barb

Have a great time in Belize!

Sid,
I'm having a great time in Belize!
---------------------------------------
Got an email from my dad RE: palms I planted at his Oregon beach house. Here it is:
"The temperature at the beach reached in the high teens for a few days. The palms you planted were quite upset about the weather and fell over backwards and twisted to the ground."

TerdalFarm wrote:Sid,
I'm having a great time in Belize!
---------------------------------------
Got an email from my dad RE: palms I planted at his Oregon beach house. Here it is:
"The temperature at the beach reached in the high teens for a few days. The palms you planted were quite upset about the weather and fell over backwards and twisted to the ground."

ugh!, such utter devastation and tragedy! We have all been pretty spoiled for the past few years I guess...I'm afraid to go down to our house in Cape May, but at least the temps were not as brutal along the bay....I'll see this Friday pm when I go down for the weekend......

What did you plant down there?

RE: CIDP, my mom hastened to add that it looks fine. Hope so.

TerdalFarm wrote:What did you plant down there?

RE: CIDP, my mom hastened to add that it looks fine. Hope so.

well i left bananas , castors, mexican petunias and cold hardy passion fruit vines in the ground...well see what happens.

You'll be fine. Musa basjoo is easily root-hardy. Mexican petunias? Can't kill 'em. The U.S. native Passiflora won't have a problem, either, assuming they took hold. Haven't grown Ricinus (pay attention, NSA) so don't know about them.

TerdalFarm wrote:You'll be fine. Musa basjoo is easily root-hardy. Mexican petunias? Can't kill 'em. The U.S. native Passiflora won't have a problem, either, assuming they took hold. Haven't grown Ricinus (pay attention, NSA) so don't know about them.

LOL, NSA....

LOL, NSA..

Ditto laughter.

fell over backwards and twisted to the ground."

oh crap.
It rarely gets that cold on the west coast but when it does, their wet conditions destroy tender plants.
Glad the CIDP is good.

Barb

Well, hope the CIDP is good. Might just be taking it's time to die.

As for Ricinus, seriously, I would not grow it in the U.S. Just asking for trouble. Pretty, but, well, we live in a police state down here.

TerdalFarm wrote:Well, hope the CIDP is good. Might just be taking it's time to die.

As for Ricinus, seriously, I would not grow it in the U.S. Just asking for trouble. Pretty, but, well, we live in a police state down here.

Funny you say that there in every other yard around here and no one even give it a second thought

i think it is still legal in most places. ....it makes a nice tea too!

makes a nice tea too! icon_eek.gif

Poison tea? Holy crap.

lucky1 wrote:

makes a nice tea too! icon_eek.gif

Poison tea? Holy crap.

cut it with tequila and you're good to go! ;lol

You are so bad, Sid!