Cold hardiness of Caryota urens?

[feef706]

I was researching this plant and came across two different temperatures. One said 22 degrees and another said a mature plant can handle 26 degrees and a young plant must be protected from frost. Anyone have much experience with these close to the limits? Im wondering if it will live in the panhandle of florida?

[SubTropicRay]

Hi James,

C. urens might be a bit of a stretch for the Panhandle.  In my experience, these can take down to about 29-30F undamaged.  They can survive down to about 25F but will look like hell.  Frost at any temperature will make the palm look unsightly.  All of that said, it may be worth a try in a protected position.

Ray

[Walt]

I would have to closely echo Ray's opinion.

I have a small Caryota urens (click link below for photo taken last December) and it saw 27 degrees on February 14, 2006. Some of the older bottom most fronds got some browing, but 75% of the fronds were okay.

However, this was a radiational freeze and I measured 27 degrees around five feet above the ground. So my C. urens probably saw more like 29 degrees, due to air stratification (being somewhat warmer 9-12 feet off the ground at the foliage level.

This past February 16th I recorded 29 degrees(again, a radiational freeze) at five feet above the ground and the bottom fronds of my C. urens were't browned, indicating it must of been above 30 degrees around the lower most foliage.

I am of the opinion that C. urens will not survive in the pan handle, at least long term. And by long term, I'm only talking 2-5 years. Once you hit the low 20s it's bye bye C. urens most likely.

http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/5387....MG]

[Palmy]

My Caryota urens survived my horrible freeze without any protection. It looked trashed, but those things grow so fast, once they gain a trunk. Mine is just at that stage, and almost looks like nothing happen again. They are extremly slow at first, but then pick up speed, or atleast my experince. I believe we got down to 21F.

But now that I think about it, its somewhat under a tree and near a fence, if that helped. It must have, becuase 21 is quite a stretch for the caryota's.

[PalmGuyWC]

My Caryota urens came through the winter freezes, with a low twice of around 23F., but it's growing near a fence and has some overhead protection.  I also covered it with a sheet and had a 100W bulb on at its base. I was surprised at how well it survived the coldest winter in 8 years at my place.

In the freeze of 89/90 I had a larger one growing in about the same spot and it was the only palm I had in the ground that was killed after surviving several winters.  I would say they are good down to about 28 or 29, then expect trouble. The tallest frond on mine is about head high, but it's pushing out a nice new sphere. I definately don't live in a Caryota climate, but I just wanted to see how large I could grow one before it gets cut down by a freeze.

Dick

[Tomsky]

I used to have the David Barry Mountain variety of C. urens, which lasted about 20 years. In 1989, the temperatures got down to 22 degrees. The leaves were defoliated and sections of the trunk were scorched brown. The following year, new leaves arose of nearly normal size.

However, the woodpeckers kept pecking away at the soft section of the trunk. Each time I would hear them, I would turn the water hose on them. But they ultimately pecked out a huge hole about two-thirds up the trunk. I tried filling it up with cement, but it didn't really hold.

In 1991, we had a big wind storm and the top of the tree toppled onto the roof. That was the end of it. It's a shame because it was probably getting close to the dramatic flowering stage.

Jack

[glbower]

I have a 20 foot tall urens in an exposed position. It took a bad hit during that cold night Florida experienced in January. Lower leaves and a newly emerged leaf all were scorched, even though the temperature was only 33 degrees here. It won't look decent again until the end of the summer.

On the other hand, a 6 foot urens just 15 yards away and in a slightly more protected position, wasn't affected at all. A great puzzle, as far as I'm concerned, but I can't see them making it in the Panhandle after seeing what happened to mine in only 33 degrees.