Cold Hardiest Crownshaft Palm

[Phoenikakias]

Imo the Rhopalostylis oceana is surprisingly cold hardy and even more surprisingly it tolearates also hot summer, when at least outplanted and shaded.

[Albey]

For me Dypsis decipiens so far.

[Sandy Loam]

On ‎2‎/‎5‎/‎2013‎ ‎10‎:‎40‎:‎41‎, ghar41 said:

Thanks Jim and Jason, great description of the famed Inge King Palm. Inge Hoffman has provided seed and inspiration to so many!

 

I have been growing Inge Kings also.

 

For many years I was unimpressed, and felt they were wimpy in the cold, no better than the standard King. Ive always preferred the Illawaras simply because they've grown so fast for me as well. But over the last few years the Inge Kings seemed to have held up better in the freezes- this year being the best yet. Ive had three nights at 27-28F and 15-20 days below 32F. Some of my Inge Kings have minor damage, others have more- while my Illawaras are almost completely defoliated. I have to note that the Illwaras stick out above the house, where its colder, and the Inge Kings that grew more slowly, still reside in the mid levels of my garden. Still, I am a convert- I believe the Inge's are more freeze hardy.

Glenn, those are strong words of praise for the "Inge Hardy King" palm.  I contacted Flora Grubb Gardens recently and, if I understood correctly, they are still waiting for their mother stock (growing in fields near San Diego) to produce more offspring of the "Inge's Hardy King" for market.  As a result, Flora Grubb Gardens no longer has any in stock, temporarily at least. 

Since I will be in California this summer, I was considering knocking at the door of Inge Hoffman's home where the mother Archontophoenix Cunninghamiana is still located, in the hope of collecting seed (I have the address).  Yet: (a) I am not exactly sure when that tree would be producing seed; (b) I would have to come by with a ladder in hand; and (c) the current home owners might slam the door on my face.  The idea is just seeming like too much trouble right now, so I will look to the future when Florida Grubb Gardens has this tree for sale again.                  

I love hearing the praises for this tree though.

 

[Sandy Loam]

By the way, here is the PalmTalk link to JeffM's experiment with Archontophoenix Cunninghamiana seed that might turn out to be more cold-tolerant than the Inge Hoffman variety.  JeffM shares his story about how he collected seed from a high elevation region in the Yabbra National Forest in NSW, about 35 km south of Urbenville:      

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/35620-searching-for-frost-hardy-archontophoenixbungalow-palm/

We need to ask JeffM for an update in a couple of years because his trees are still too young to offer conclusive proof of their cold-hardiness. Nonetheless, last winter they tolerated 26 degrees in December 2013 without any damage at all.