The Lowes up here only carry the Ph. Roebelenii's. But then again, they are not cold hardy one bit. Mine is toast, I'll be uploading a video soon. I've even tried to find some one-off's across the border in Buffalo, either at Depot or lowes... none.

Hey 905!

There are a few nurseries around here that have palms some more hardy than others. I got a 5.5' windmill palm from a Nursery in Ancaster marked way down to $60 this summer. If you want to drive a bit further there is a Nursery in Kitchener that has a wide variety of Hardy and non-hardy plams I got 2 sabal minors last year from them for $7 each end of the year blow out and a 3' Windmill for about $35 (all of which are shivering in in my back yard under protection right now) there is also a really good Nursery just past St. Kitts as well they have all sorts of interesting stuff there as well I got my In laws a Windmill palm and a Musa Basjoo and I got myself a Bismarckia from there as well.

Here is my backyard in Waterloo back in warmer times

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9egUZziJn7o

If you're interested I can look up the names of these places and let you know where you can get something a bit more tolerant of our conditions. (My phoenix is resting comfortably in my basement under some grow lights until spring.)

Hey Teebee,

That's a great vid of your yard, those palms look very happy there along the fence. Wind is a killer and they look well sited. I was out in Markham where the nursery deals with many palms including a 12' Biz. Must weigh a ton, however they had all these exotic Tropicals (foxtails, bottles, coconut, etc), but no temperate ones. One's you'd often see inside an atrium or mall. They also had Oleanders of epic proportions, I'm a fan of those also.

I've received mine from the Niagara area lately.

I'm often in your area for my daughters sports etc. I would like to check out the place with the Sabal Minors, you can PM me the info if needed.

Here's a clip from my backyard today about the Pheonix R. Feel free to check out the other video's on my channel. Cheers!

Ph. Roe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1tebmOLJ-w

Sabal Minor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sbs150VmyQ

Barb, I have always said I would not heat my palms , but that will change when the bizzy goes in the ground. But it will be for just one palm!

905, your protection methods look good. Glad you can return that pygmy date palm. 😯

Teebee, nice yard you got going there. Cant wait to see more updated photos this summer. I sure you posted some this past year I just never had a day off. I didnt even get to complete any projects around my yard.

Scott, I think a bizzy will be dead at 28F were we live. Maybe farther south it can see lower temps for a min then warm up but not here. To have this palm in the ground I will have to go all out with lights and a thermocube.

This wouldn't be fun hobby if we all didn't experiment and push limits! Maybe in a year or two I'll take one of my Bizzy seedlings and plant in the ground with root heat and a cage and see what happens. If my Pygmy date palm makes it this winter, I might have some success with a Bizzy.

I have never had any trouble out of the blue pots but I never get them at lowes either. I get mine from my local wal mart who has some kind of hate on for watering there plants..they also don't understand cold hardy so they put the blue pots inside..the lack of water and being inside really helps and I get a few each year..usually for half price at seasons end. Nver came across a cerfa yet just the "silver" meds..did see some Sylvesters in blue pots this time around though.

I picked up a TON of bizzy seeds when I was in clearwater this year but none popped. I got about 10 foxtails to pop but they got left in the cold due to space restictions this winter

Seedbank CFP&CS is where I got my Bizzy seeds from(30) and took just under 3 months for the first one to germinate. Have the in self watering plastic drinking bottles and soda bottles in just spagham moss in a warming tray with a tall plastic dome over it. The first one that popped grew so fast had to take bottle out of the bottom heat tray and put in a inside plastic greenhouse where it stays around 80 deg. It grows in height like crazy, much faster than I would have thought. Others in the tray are showing massive root systems in the water, but not yet sprouts out the top. Would like to get at least 50% germination and see how many I can then get to grow in regular palm soil. I've had really good luck with the seeds from CFP&CS as they are always very fresh.

Trying my luck at some Old Man Palms and Mc Caw palms now that I just got.

Up till a few weeks ago our walmart still had some blue pots. I just dont have any good spots to plant palms right now. I know it sounds bad, I need for a palm to die and make room for a new one. And of course I dont want that. I have been experimenting with growing palms in shade. Minors and windmills both have been performing well.

Get you a waggy palm chad. I got one last season and I love it..growth speed is good..as hardy as a normal windmill and the upright leaves give it a completely different look. If your still looking for another that takes a bit of shade I can get you a "hayes stiffie" windmill in the spring.

Have a small seedling that is growing opposite from where the takil was. I might end up another now to replace the takil that pulled already. The waggie came from PDN 3yrs ago and has refused to grow. So I finally planted it and it started moving. But now I am worried that the surrrounding plants ( climbing hydrangea and a dwarf crape Myrtle) will choke it out. I have been thinking about transplanting come spring to a sunnier location ( where the hesper palm was). Any ideas our conerns?

mines grows where ever I put it. got it from steve here on the board. it has done so well in a pot I will plant it out this season. when it got really hot I put it in shade the later hours of the day and it seems to like that alot. it also seemed to like alot of water..bout all I can tell you. they grow fantastic over in the uk where the summers are not to hot and the winters are wet if that gives you any help

Thanks, guess I am not use to seedlings as small as this was. Since it was mail order, and one I didnt pick it out myself at PDN. But because of its slow growth rate, I didnt buy a chammy ' vulcano' last time I was there. I truly would prefer to get Steve's info and order from him again.

I sent a email to corporate Lowe's to ask why they don't have cold hardy palms at my store and they had the store manager call me just today saying he's from the SW so knew of the palms I mentioned and said he was going to call their supplier on Friday to see if they were available to be shipped to the store in the spring. Promised a call back on Friday or Saturday. If it would work out SWEET! and will let memebers here know the outcome so other members that live in the midwest and northern states can get a better variety than the dreaded Majesty palms

You might find this link interesting:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_380101-1513-NURSERY_0__

I called them and they can order plants by request. I'm thinking about getting one this spring.

Yes, I did hear back from the manager just today. He said that he talked to his Costa Farms Rep to HIS store and was told that they could special order all the palms on my list except the Chinese windmill Palm(Trachy) but not till March...which would be just fine with me. We'll see though.

It sounds strange that they can get them but no stores around actually did. Our garden manager said it was because they didnt sell and they had to discount them. IDK.