Hi everyone. I live in Martinsburg, WV (6b) and have been very interested in the topic of growing palm trees and other "tropical" plants here in my zone 6b climate. I look forward to reading the posts, participating in the discussions, and sharing my gardening life with everyone.

Here are the nutty things I have growing in my yard.

🙂 Larry

Here's a Trachycarpus Fortunei: 3rd summer in the ground. Behind it is my experiment for the year - a European Fan Palm. Really only hardy to zone 8 so I don't have high hopes but it is in the most protected spot I have so we will see...
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My Musa Basjoo waking up for the season. I started with 4 three years ago and have over 25 sprouts coming up now.

Sabal Minor from the Outer Banks.

Two sabal minor that I picked up at Wal-Mart three years ago.

A Trachycarpus Fortunei (newly planted) in the foreground with a bunch of needle palms behind it.

Sabal Louisiana: I love this plant. It has done remarkably well here without much protection save a layer of leaves which don't ever cover the plant.

Here's a flower coming up on one of my needle palms. Two of them are doing this. Last year only one did.

Two sabal birmingham

Sabal sp. Tamaulipas: Barely anything there. I planted it as a strap last year and it is growing again this year. I put an upturned pot on it over the winter.

A trachycarpus fortunei (that has been through hell and back) (left) and a sabal minor var. Talladega Alabama.

Three summers ago I picked some Trachycarpus Fortunei seeds from a tree in the Outer Banks. Some of the seeds sprouted so I just stuck them in a clump in my garden. I never thought that three years later they'd be alive.

Trachycarpus Wagneranius

A nice potted sago palm and two yucca recurvifolia

my potted pygmy date palm and two trachycarpus

Here's a miserable looking sabal palm. I grew it for several years in a pot from a strappling and two years ago decided it had to go in the ground. I have too many house plants. Well, it looks terrible but it's alive and growing.

I love this mexican fan palm. It looks a little sad now from being indoors all winter but in a month it will look lush. It grows so fast. Another trachycarpus planted in the ground.

Colocasia gigantea - Thailand Giant strain: I just planted this. It'll never survive the winter but I am hoping for a cool show this summer!!