Chamaedorea plumosa

[Palm crazy]

I keep seeing Ch. plumosa taking low temp in the 20’s, anyone in 9a growing this nice tropical looking chamaedorea? How has it done in cold weather events?

Can it handle below 25F for short duration?

Edited October 15, 2015 by Palm crazy

[Pal Meir]

I had an over 2 m / 7' tall Ch. elegans only one night in Feb 2002 outdoors at freezes below -12°C / 10 F: it survived, but lost all its leaves. Even half a year later in August it didn’t look very happy:

[Austinpalm]

From previous experience here in central Texas, they can handle a nighttime low of 25F, followed by a subsequent daytime high of 40F or more without much difficulty. Lower the nighttime temp, extend the duration of the cold, or lower the subsequent days high temp and significant damage or death is likely.

 

I am trialling 2 Ch. plumosa here again, next to the house and under some canopy. Two years is the record to keep one alive in my yard. Time to see if I can beat that record.

[Palm crazy]

Pal Meir thats really interesting that it survive that low of a temp. Good thing you brought it back inside. 

Austinpalm I don’t have your year round warmth so I’m going to keep mine in the house for winter. I thought about planting one in the future in the ground with a greenhouse over it in winter, but I really don’t want to hassle with it now. The one I have has three trunks in one pot.  Really nice looking palm. 

thanks for the reply 

roger., 

[Pal Meir]

Pal Meir thats really interesting that it survive that low of a temp. Good thing you brought it back inside.

Normally I wouldn’ have left a Ch. elegans outdoors in February, but I was just moving and couldn’t bring all my palms inside my home … A really cold-hardy Chamaedorea is Ch. radicalis: It suvived here even longer freezes of -10°C / 14 F (and not only one night). Once it got completely defoliated by a heavy wet snowfall, but suvived that too.

[DoomsDave]

I had an over 2 m / 7' tall Ch. elegans only one night in Feb 2002 outdoors at freezes below -12°C / 10 F: it survived, but lost all its leaves. Even half a year later in August it didn’t look very happy:

MEIN GOTT that's cold!

What's it look like now?

[Pal Meir]

I had an over 2 m / 7' tall Ch. elegans only one night in Feb 2002 outdoors at freezes below -12°C / 10 F: it survived, but lost all its leaves. Even half a year later in August it didn’t look very happy:

MEIN GOTT that's cold!

What's it look like now?

As this palm’s trunk was growing too tall for indoors I had to cut it twice. In 2008 I gave it away to friends as a little palm with a trunk of ca. 30 cm / 1’ and ca. 10 fronds. If it has survived since I don’t know …

[Josh-O]

I keep seeing Ch. plumosa taking low temp in the 20’s, anyone in 9a growing this nice tropical looking chamaedorea? How has it done in cold weather events?

Can it handle below 25F for short duration?

Maybe if you put it under some protection. They can handle frost here in california.