Palm Recomendations for Jacksonville, FL

[Moose]

I have a friend who is building a home on Amelia Island close to Jacksonville, FL. Getting close to start making the landscape plans. Please lets hear your recommendations of palms that will definitely thrive in the area. These are not people who would be willing to do anything extra in the winters, so try not to zone push with your suggestions.

Thanks.

Moose

[Palmsbro]

12 minutes ago, Moose said:

I have a friend who is building a home on Amelia Island close to Jacksonville, FL. Getting close to start making the landscape plans. Please lets hear your recommendations of palms that will definitely thrive in the area. These are not people who would be willing to do anything extra in the winters, so try not to zone push with your suggestions.

Thanks.

Moose

Most Sabals as well as most Butias, Rhapidophylum hystrix, Chamaerops humilis, Trachycarpus fortunei should do well there.

Amelia Island is USDA zone 9a and since it should have warmer winters than Jacksonville (by a couple of degrees or so due to it being an island; Jacksonville is also 9a), almost any palm designated 9a hardy or less should do just fine (though some just never thrive in Florida weather due to humidity, etc...).

[kinzyjr]

Record Low in this area is somewhere between 4F (Jax) and 14F (Atlantic Beach).  10F is a safe bet since they are near the coast. 15F is an OK mark for a "bad" winter.  USDA regards this as a 9a, so 20F if you go by that.

Safe bets: Sabal (palmetto, minor, urseana?), Butia (capitata, eriospatha, odorata, yatay), Rhapidophyllum hystrix, Chamaerops humilis, butyagrus hybrid (Mule Palm)

A little less restrictive: Butia praguayensis, Livistona chinensis, Phoenix (canariensis, dactylifera, theophrasti), Serenoa repens 'silver', Sabal mexicana, Chamaedorea (radicalis, microspadix), Trithrinax compestris?

Experimental: @DoomsDave's Franken braheas?, Nannorrhops ritchiana (with good drainage)?

Above is not meant to be all inclusive.

Full 9a list from a DB query attached.

9a_palms.xlsx

[Palmsbro]

6 minutes ago, kinzyjr said:

Record Low in this area is somewhere between 4F (Jax) and 14F (Atlantic Beach).  10F is a safe bet since they are near the coast. 15F is an OK mark for a "bad" winter.  USDA regards this as a 9a, so 20F if you go by that.

Safe bets: Sabal (palmetto, minor, urseana?), Butia (capitata, eriospatha, odorata, yatay), Rhapidophyllum hystrix, Chamaerops humilis, butyagrus hybrid (Mule Palm)

A little less restrictive: Butia praguayensis, Livistona chinensis, Phoenix (canariensis, dactylifera, theophrasti), Serenoa repens 'silver', Sabal mexicana, Chamaedorea (radicalis, microspadix), Trithrinax compestris?

Experimental: @DoomsDave's Franken braheas?, Nannorrhops ritchiana (with good drainage)?

Above is not meant to be all inclusive.

Full 9a list from a DB query attached.

9a_palms.xlsx

Nice list!

There would be problems with planting some of these on Amelia Island, though.

[kinzyjr]

Just now, Palmsbro said:

Nice list!

There would be problems with planting some of these on Amelia Island, though.

I certainly agree.  If you want "bulletproof", you are talking anything marked 8a or lower on the list for that region.

[RedRabbit]

Mule palms all the way... They've really grown a lot on me lately, I'd definitely get several if I lived up there.

[Moose]

7 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

Mule palms all the way... They've really grown a lot on me lately, I'd definitely get several if I lived up there.

I'm pushing for mule palm selection. They live blocks from me so their experience with feather leaved palms giving that tropical look is imbedded.

[Mightycanes]

Lowe’s sells Washingtonias down there for $24.  Check their website.  I think they are robustas.

Mules can be had from St Aug and they look good.  I got some from them myself.

thats what id be doing in Jax with some sabals as a backup plan.

[Nj Palms]

Try mules and Washingtonias they would look really nice along with some pindos and Sabal palmetto.Also trachys silver saw palmetto, date Palms, and maybe even a high plateau coconut palm!

[Nj Palms]

Chilean Wine palms

[Sandy Loam]

3 hours ago, Nj Palms said:

Chilean Wine palms

Chilean Wine Palm will hate Jacksonville heat, rain and humidity, won't it?

If these people moving to Amelia Island are not prepared to go searching far and wide for rare palms that are not readily available in decent sizes, they should stick with the standard stuff does fine on Amelia Island:

- Queen palms

- Washingtonia Robusta

- Canary Island Date Palm (I am less a fan of Sylvestris)

- Chinese Fan Palms

These species will all be inexpensive and will do fine on Amelia Island, near the Florida-Georgia coastal state line.  They can be purchased all over the region without difficulty.

For added protection against Fusarium Wilt, your friends could stick to Chinese Fan Palms and forget about the first three listed above.  Other (taller) Livistonas are hard to find in the greater Jacksonville area.

It would be surprising for temperatures to drop below 20 degrees more than once a decade on Amelia Island, even though historical records may show much colder temperatures.