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Survival of the fittest!

Cocothrinax eckmanii one tough palm!

See if your local Home Depot or Lowe’s stock heater cables for pipes. They are thermostat controlled to switch off above freezing and a lot less likely to trip a GFCI or breaker than incandescent lights.wrap the heater cable around the trunk focusing on the growth point as the priority. Then wrap it in a tarp. You can leave the thermostat portion outside the wrapping so it will stay on while freezing outside and not just under the wrap. If you think the fronds will burn in your lows, which is likely, you can cut the fronds off in advance and wrap the tarp over the growth point. https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Frost-King-6-ft-Electric-Water-Pipe-Heat-Cable-HC6A/202262328?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&fp=ggl&pla=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=vantage&utm_campaign=106880&utm_content=109927&mtc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-D25H-Multi-NA-FROST_KING-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-MK731149001-106880-NBR-1577-NA-VNT-FY25_Q1_Q4_ThermwellProductsCo_FrostKing_D25H_RM_ES_AON_BAUOpportunity&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-D25H-Multi-NA-FROST_KING-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-MK731149001-106880-NBR-1577-NA-VNT-FY25_Q1_Q4_ThermwellProductsCo_FrostKing_D25H_RM_ES_AON_BAUOpportunity-23224722228--&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23224724871&gbraid=0AAAAAolLu9_JuRJlIkxQSOHXZIEwdlr1o&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3MDk6u2vkgMVR3R_AB30qCBLEAQYAyABEgLXA_D_BwE

The NWS is forecasting a low of 26F and 29F over the weekend. I'm thinking about how I'm going to protect my coconut palm. I don't think Christmas lights are going to be enough, probably need a hotter lamp and a lot of blankets.

Schippia concolor anyone!

For some reason or other it split in two and is loving the situation it’s in. Constantly getting water from the laundry room, all the grey water it can drink and it loves every last drop. It’s the only one around that loves washing day!

Cant help myself, I gotta get that plant fix in for some more tropical goodies. First up a couple off wettinia quinaria Reinhardtia latisecta Calyptrocalyx flabellataDypsis poiveana Anthurium effusilobumPhilodendron Bob see This lot should see a bit more of the tropical look getting around the garden!

Glad to hear they grew for you! How about an update?

I do plan to protect in some fashion tomorrow. In the 2018 freeze, I nearly lost my coconut at 28F. At that time, it was young and only had Christmas lights wrapped by sheets. I've moved on to better, stronger methods so I'll post pics once I get it set up tomorrow. I was holding out hope that the forecast would change or somehow models pick up on a different wind shift. Oh well, time to protect. A few things I'll be watching: 1) I'm typically in a microclimate a quarter mile off a large lake. W to NW winds favor me and the lake is 63F right now. It's advective cold so even 1-2 degrees could help. 2) The last events I've fared slightly better. than forecast. Does that hold this weekend? Wed forecast = 33F, MBY = 35F. Thurs forecast = 35F, MBY = 38F Last night forecast = 30s, MBY - 40F Wishing everyone good luck!

I think this am was the 4th night into the 20s this year. It's still alive somehow. It was badly damaged last year at 27 and was starting to look good again now it's all beat up. I'm not protecting it it will.be dug out in the spring unless it somehow lives. Picture taken this am with frost mwkting dripping off it.

Not the best pictures but enough to get Impression 😊. Two Thitrinax on rainy cloudy day on 43N

Its crazy how someone whongets paid to know this stuff doesn't but just some guys who wanna grow some cool palms do lol. 20 deg currently off of Denton Ave. 28 here

That’s one problem you won’t have, not getting drunk, but growing coconuts in Tasmania.

Don't pass out drunk on a pile of coconuts! You've been warned.

Sabal SP. details

Welp, the damn Brahea pic from above mention failed to post, my bad. So here it is! I think it did fine. Update: Finally a couple of days in the 40s has allowed for melting enuf to get out and run errand. Pretty remarkable as 2"snow on top of almost 2" sleet made for a doozy slurry so most of region shut down, lots of acxidents for those that dared! Power outages were minimal thanks to dumb luck (no freezing rain) I will keep coverings on palms a couple weeks and make sure b4 another surprise atrack, if any come but Momma Nature plays dirty tricks🙃

Let's not and say we did 😁

This too shall pass. Real world cold tolerance information gathered here will be amazing, and we all love stories of recovery . Peace, stay warm, and think about Summer 2026 😎

Chrysalidocarpus titan beginning to gain more height. No trunk yet, easily 15ft. tall. Had to get a pic with the blooming vireya.

Took a bit of time, but this little Fiji palm is looking rather elegant as of late. It was acquired as B. microcarpa, but it keys out as B. seemannii. I’ll have to look at the next seed batch more closely. Any one else growing Balaka? Tim

I have generated some probability maps for those in central and southern Florida for Sunday morning, which looks to be the worst as far as low temperatures go. All maps below are using data from NWS Blend of Models. Starting in central Florida, here is the probability of seeing temperatures less than 32F. Probabilities are quite high for at least a minimal freeze: Next up, the probability of seeing a temperature of less than 25F. Probabilities of this occurring are at least moderate, especially in the vicinity of Osceola County. Areas north of I-4 stand a greater chance: Lastly for central Florida, the probability of seeing temperatures below 20F. These probabilities are very low, but not zero. The greatest chance (still quite low), is north of I-4: Now for south Florida. Only doing 2 maps for this region. The probability of seeing temperatures less than 32F in south FL is particularly high around Lake Okeechobee. Areas in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale areas have a very low chance of seeing a light freeze as it stands right now: Lastly, the probability of seeing temperatures of 25F or lower. These probabilities are quite low, but any chance of this happening is generally confined to areas north of Lake Okeechobee: Take of this data what you will. As time moves closer, we will see how things trend, hopefully it trends warmer for everyone in the state.

The SoCal mid winter munch making a go at it.

A view from my deck ! 15 years old and my largest of 4 Lepidorachis.

A spot of pruning and turning around the old kerriodoxa was beaming. And the sallehana is starting to put out a new leaf and likes its new home!

Things are starting to get dicey at Disney, though the Foxtails are still looking good. Not for long, I bet the last remaining bottle palm in Adventure land in Magic Kingdom is not long for this world. I hope they protect that beautiful Satakentia adjacent to Pirates Of The Carribean. Took this the other day at Animal Kingdom.

Cyphosperma naboutiniense. Tim

Yes, when they fall or I cut them down, I made a circular border around the mulch bed. 2 years ago in May, I realized one sprouted. Kept it in a pot year 1 but had to plant it in the ground this summer because you know how the roots quickly outgrow pots. Here is it in Oct. The 30s in Nov damaged it so I have kept it covered with lights on cold nights since. I also since build a raised bed as I realized I didn't plant it deep enough. i have much more protecting to do tomorrow

I know there are older threads with similar themes, but hopefully we can get this forum moving again. Post your pics before the snow melts.

@Jimbean It's growing really well. I'd focus on keeping the growing point alive like @Walt did in Lake Placid. His method kept his palm alive down to 20F. Good luck over there! We're supposed to basically have two nights of December 2010/Jan. 2018 here with howling wind and lows in the mid-to-upper 20s. My coconut palms have held up decent so far, but this one will be a nail-biter. The two largest have a few C9s below them, but that's all. Whatever goes, goes, and is replaced in the spring by tougher stuff. Also, good advice from @sonoranfans for those who heed it. Good luck down there as well, Tom. May we soon have the wind at our back while we're facing north.

About twenty years ago, with a friend I was on a tour visiting big importers of (sub)tropical plants in the region of Aalsmeer overhere in Holland. To my surprise, one of them had six foot tall Cyrtostachys renda/lakka, prized in the Howea forsteriana range! And two hours later I had a beautiful red palm in my kitchenroom. That's a space with bright light and I gave the palm lots of water, food and misted it every day! I thought that to be the right treatment because the botanic garden in Leiden had one with it's feet in the pond where they kept their Victoria regia. After a year I sold it at a good prize, a decision I regret until today because I have never seen it in the trade since!😡

Well I definitely won't be trying any more coconuts here! Hahahahah it had a good run though and if I had the time coudl have done more to save it. I'm going to be planting a ton more cold hardy stuff has canopy from now on.

Grey water. Often an untapped and overlooked resource. Especially in this dry continent. That ramsayi is amazing.

In different countries though, it is a situation similar to Prespes.

In my experience, I agree that the lagenicaulis is slightly more resistant than the verschaffeltii (spindle palm), while the two Latania are decidedly less resistant than the two Hyophorbe, several attempts have failed.

Badly. Reading everything above about what has happened already north of here and what is about to come down the state is crazy. Ugh. The worst is still coming. I have dryer vent hoses running through the garage and floor heaters at the ready. I wonder if an old toaster would work if I isolated it away from everything 'toastable'... Hmm. If you are in Florida and post a photo of your palms covered in snow or ice, you are allowed to curse on the Forum. Thinking warm thoughts. Ryan

The hourly forecasts are starting to show up and the wind speeds that night near me won't be as bad as further east closer to the low. I'm hoping my practice and these past few years being cold at my spot have me prepared better than I was last year. That damage was pretty nasty and I don't want/can't afford a repeat a second year. Even with good care that's a death sentence for some plants but I'm starting to think I lost the wimps right away and have less to worry about. I'm not adding heat or anything active, just thick blankets and, if I can, a weed mat stapled up as a windbreak between the blanketed palms and the wind. I'll get pics if I get it to work. With the wind speed Saturday being up over 30 mph as the front moves in it may not happen. I have the stapler and clamps to hold it when done though so it's possible. I'm also going to move some other plants if the forecast gets worse here, it IS north Pasco after all, and it gets cold when the wind dies in these events.

good thing you are digging it out now josue. i got one from patrick which was supposed to be b x j and i just let it grow even with my suspicions and too lazy to dig out and now 15 years later, i have a huge full blown butia.

Don't know about Greece, but on the other side of Southern Europe, Spain, there are nurseries growing all these palm species in various sizes. They have become quite common in garden centers and among landscapers along the Mediterranean coast and on the islands.

Your welcome the species name I do believe is arenbergia, I have a few different ones that are a bit tricky to remember. Radicalis pop up all over my garden most I leave and the same with plumosa, adscedans, elegans in fact all chamaedorea species pop up, some wanted and a few unwanted. I have sefritzii throughout the garden but never any seeds on them. I still say you need some adscedans in that garden, I got a stack more seeds maturing in the garden, I might have to get those craftwork beads abroad. Your garden is always well maintained one advantage to a house garden, pick a spot in my garden and work that area and move onto the next spot first chance you get it never ends! Richard

I agree with 10a for bottle but I thought spindle was more cold hardy. I just planted a large spindle in November and already have a bottle survive 27°F twice with no damage. Both times I protected it.

We bought them in 2023 at Lowe's

I woke up to 24.8 this morning. Yesterday's low was 22.8. This is what they looked like yesterday:

Very brief dip to 25F this morning. Washies are not happy campers. Bizzy not showing any signs of damage but I know it will soon. Queens look mostly fine, front yard queen burn might be the result of that really dry wind. Backyard queen looks fine for now.

I planted my last 1 i had in a pot and they are no faster in the ground or a pot painfully slow they are growing but slow cant wait till they decide to get going

Has anyone else had this happen?

Heres the 1 having a wig out in the pot twisting around

Hard to get a good picture as its buried in behind a few things but after 10 years in the ground from a 8 inch seedling its starting to get moving prob 5ft tall hasnt split yet but growing well all year round, ive got another in a pot that fell over and started growing up whilst on the ground hates being stood up really strange what its doing

Cymbidium season has begun in my garden. They are dependable color.

I forgot i visited the big Butias along "palm avenue"(old Gaston Av) that has some huge old Butia species that have made it so far this brutal decade! prob also will have many dead leaves again. Tony's unprotected Mex blue palms give me hope my beauties will be ok as they have a lightbulb protective the center bud! Brahea armata in winter coat & bulb the Sabal bermudana only mulched. Here is a couple others in the white ness of this cold Jan!