Palms That Are Hardy To Oregon

[Chester B]

It doesn’t show in this picture due to the sun but this palm was very blue compared to most of them there. I picked a smaller one because I’m tired of planting and the thought of putting in a big palm doesn’t excite me. 

[Chester B]

Microspadix in their new habitat. 

[Chester B]

[Chester B]

Sabal Louisiana 

[Chester B]

Tetrapanax leaves are starting to get big. 

[PlantDad]

On 8/10/2019 at 8:05 PM, Chester B said:

I went to Raintree today. I was impressed with the large selection of plants and prices. He basically gave me these Chamaedorea microspadix for free so I grabbed 10. They are up to 5 feet tall and will be planted en masse in my garden.  Some even have seeds.  I also picked up a Sabal Louisiana and a nice Butia eriospatha so added in 3 more palm species to the collection. In spring I may go back for something special and maybe one of their large tree ferns.

I had a look at their big takils but in my opinion they were Trachycarpus nanital. Hairy, huge trunks, stiff fronds and lots of papery ligules. We discussed these palms and they were very receptive to my opinion and were going to do some further research on them. 

Overall it was a very nice afternoon and I enjoyed spending time talking things over with them.  Much more enthusiasm then you get at a typical nursery. I look forward to my next visit. Highly recommend to anyone in the local area. 

I am glad that you liked the place. I saw those palms there every time i go.  Are they hardy to zone 8b? If they are i may have to get some also.

[PlantDad]

[PlantDad]

The first picture is of my Butia capitata, the second is of my Chamaerops humilis var. cerifera, the third is my Trachycarpus wagnerianus, and the fourth is my Trachycarpus takil

[PlantDad]

i got all of those palms from raintree tropical also.

This is my clump of Musa bajoo. I got a sucker from a nursery in Connecticut. it seems smaller and have slimmer pseudostems than those that are locally cultivated. The picture of the one in a pot is a sucker from my grandfather's plant. His was bought at a local nursery and it grows faster and is thicker. That is a sucker and its stem is almost as thick as the largest pseudostem on my clump. The leaves of the sucker are also small for the size of the stem.  

[PlantDad]

for some reason it wont let me post the pic of the potted sucker. my apologies

[PlantDad]

On 8/1/2019 at 7:28 PM, PlantDad said:

thank you so much for sending them to me

[PlantDad]

On 8/1/2019 at 7:28 PM, PlantDad said:

thank you so much for sending them to me

This is a pic of the Chamaedorea radicalis you sent me. I gave 3 of them away to a friend. I am unsure how to grow them, so if i can get some helpful pointers that would be great. Also i put the seeds into damp potting soil in a ziploc bag and i am storing it in a warm dark place. How long will it take for them to germinate?

[zoli]

1 hour ago, PlantDad said:

This is a pic of the Chamaedorea radicalis you sent me. I gave 3 of them away to a friend. I am unsure how to grow them, so if i can get some helpful pointers that would be great. Also i put the seeds into damp potting soil in a ziploc bag and i am storing it in a warm dark place. How long will it take for them to germinate?

They took a while for me. About 4 months at around 80F. I read a paper once that recommended closer to a constant 90F for best results. Here's mine, about 1 year after germination:

As for care, I'd keep them out of direct sun while they're young. Oregon's sun is brutal, especially in the afternoon. If you're going to keep them in pots for a while, then I'd move them indoors before first frost and keep them inside until spring. Once they reach 1 gallon size, I'd consider planting them out in the garden in a protected spot. I'd keep them moist, but would let them dry out a little between waterings.

[Chester B]

12 hours ago, PlantDad said:

I am glad that you liked the place. I saw those palms there every time i go.  Are they hardy to zone 8b? If they are i may have to get some also.

Yes, they like a sheltered location.  Not too much sun and when it the temps drop below 20F they may have damage.

Can you take a pic of the Takil's trunk?  After seeing those big palms out front that they thought were Takil, if yours came from seed from them then it is Trachycarpus fortunei "Naini tal".  Still a nice palm either way.  After seeing their Naini Tal's I have one fortunei that looks to be the same, with the super thick trunk and dark stiff leaves.

Edited August 15, 2019 by Chester B

[PlantDad]

On 8/15/2019 at 8:39 AM, Chester B said:

Yes, they like a sheltered location.  Not too much sun and when it the temps drop below 20F they may have damage.

Can you take a pic of the Takil's trunk?  After seeing those big palms out front that they thought were Takil, if yours came from seed from them then it is Trachycarpus fortunei "Naini tal".  Still a nice palm either way.  After seeing their Naini Tal's I have one fortunei that looks to be the same, with the super thick trunk and dark stiff leaves.

yes i will take a pic of the trunk for you

[PlantDad]

On 8/14/2019 at 10:24 PM, zoli said:

They took a while for me. About 4 months at around 80F. I read a paper once that recommended closer to a constant 90F for best results. Here's mine, about 1 year after germination:

As for care, I'd keep them out of direct sun while they're young. Oregon's sun is brutal, especially in the afternoon. If you're going to keep them in pots for a while, then I'd move them indoors before first frost and keep them inside until spring. Once they reach 1 gallon size, I'd consider planting them out in the garden in a protected spot. I'd keep them moist, but would let them dry out a little between waterings.

ok thank you for your help, do they like shade? also the leaves a real light green, how can i fix that?

[PlantDad]

also what type of potting mix is best for the chamaedorea radicalis?

[Chester B]

You should look in potted palms subforum for people's recipes.  Basically something that's very well draining and low on peat.

[PlantDad]

10 hours ago, Chester B said:

You should look in potted palms subforum for people's recipes.  Basically something that's very well draining and low on peat.

i planted them in recipe 420 soil and i am not sure if that holds too much moisture

[PlantDad]

On 8/15/2019 at 8:39 AM, Chester B said:

Yes, they like a sheltered location.  Not too much sun and when it the temps drop below 20F they may have damage.

Can you take a pic of the Takil's trunk?  After seeing those big palms out front that they thought were Takil, if yours came from seed from them then it is Trachycarpus fortunei "Naini tal".  Still a nice palm either way.  After seeing their Naini Tal's I have one fortunei that looks to be the same, with the super thick trunk and dark stiff leaves.

these are pics of my trachycarpus takil trunk

[Chester B]

I spoke with Steve about the takils this weekend and he agrees with me in thinking that they were part of the original batch that were mistakenly identified as takils.  I do believe the smaller ones he has been selling are from seed from those trees.  So it looks like you have an extra thick version of Trachycarpus fortunei.  It's a little tough to tell the palm at that size as they all look so much alike, but the presence of those papery ligules is not a takil trait.

Because I made the trip again I had to make a few purchases.  I tried to avoid palms this time.  I ended up coming home with a few Woodwardia orientalis (really nice evergreen ferns), Daisylirion longissimum (Mexican grass tree), Trachcarpus latisectus, Cycas panzhihuaensis and a Hedychium coronarium a fragrant white ginger.

Next spring I'll most likely be trying a Brahea armata and will also grab his biggest tree fern.  So much to see at this place.

[matthedlund]

On 7/24/2019 at 6:41 AM, Ben in Norcal said:

Seems like Trachys and Butia are a good start.  You should read/watch for the threads on Patric Schafer hybrids here, as my guess is many of those would have a shot.

I'm in Seattle by the water in a warm zone 8b and I'm trying several of Patric's hybrids. I have Butia x Parajubaea, Parajubaea x Jubaea, and Jubaea x Syagrus that I'm hoping to get away with, hopefully with minimal protection.

[Love them palms]

On 8/29/2019 at 8:22 AM, matthedlund said:

I'm in Seattle by the water in a warm zone 8b and I'm trying several of Patric's hybrids. I have Butia x Parajubaea, Parajubaea x Jubaea, and Jubaea x Syagrus that I'm hoping to get away with, hopefully with minimal protection.

That is what I hope for as well up here in mukilteo wa.I live about  3-4 miles away from the sound..have 3 way super mule palmes planted, butia x Jubea  and 2 4 way super mules planted.hope they live up to the test of their first winter in the outdoors. Have a few of Patrick's in pots that will hopefully ready to go next spring, Butia x parajubea sunkha, Jubea x sayagrus ,yatay x Jubea, Jubea x yatay, a couple of jubutiagrus and a couple of new untested jubutia x syagrus schizophylla from a guy on Facebook 

[PlantDad]

New edition to my palm collection. A Sabal palmetto seedling. Thank you kinzyjr for sending me it. it is doing well. There was one leaf which i removed. it started browning probably due to transplant shock. all the roots were intact and not removed. i appreciate you sending this to me for free and not even having me pay shipping cost.

[PlantDad]

Some new pics of my Trachycarpus wagnerianus and my Trachycarpus 'Nainital'

[kinzyjr]

4 hours ago, PlantDad said:

New edition to my palm collection. A Sabal palmetto seedling. Thank you kinzyjr for sending me it. it is doing well. There was one leaf which i removed. it started browning probably due to transplant shock. all the roots were intact and not removed. i appreciate you sending this to me for free and not even having me pay shipping cost.

You are welcome!  I hope that it becomes a show-stopper for your garden.  If the lineage holds true to the parents, this little seedling should develop a thick trunk and retain its boots. 

[PlantDad]

Update on my Sabal palmetto. we still have not gotten a frost here but it has been in the 30s almost every night so i just thought i should bring it in for the winter now. i have it in a west facing window with a daylight LED that is heavy duty and great for plants. My lights are on a timer for 12 hours a day and the room is kept at around 80 degrees during the day. i also mist my plants twice a day. i think the palm looks good. Is there anything i could do better? I think it will do well in here and hopefully grow slightly faster.

[NOT A TA]

1 hour ago, PlantDad said:

i think the palm looks good. Is there anything i could do better?

It looks like it's very happy! As long as it's got nice dark color you're good. They're really slow at that stage (compared with a lot of other palms) even here in S FL where they're everywhere.

[PlantDad]

Also i am curious if it is possible to plant a palm too deep? i am not suer if i planted the sabal too deep. i just moved some soil away from the base.

[NOT A TA]

A little deep doesn't seem to affect the palmetto seedlings here in our sandy soil although other palms don't like it. I've seen them growing as seedling weeds where people will be weeding & cleaning a planter bed and cut the leaves off below ground level with the hoes we use here and bury them with a few inches of soil & they pop back up. They're pretty tough as long as you don't damage their roots when young. Damage roots and they're very likely to die. Your pot looks shallow for a palmetto, might want to get a much deeper one when you re pot.

[Love them palms]

I planted my palmetto on the east side of my back yard in August this summer. it has protection from the north winds from a fence and north east winds from my neighbors house next to me. funny that our low temps in my area of Mukilteo Wa have only hit 39F compared to some of the other areas,must be that I only live a mile from the Puget sound.I have faith the palmetto will survive outside 

Edited October 12, 2019 by Love them palms

[Dimovi]

On 7/24/2019 at 10:56 AM, Chester B said:

Things I grow:
 

Trachycarpus fortunei

Trachycarpus wagnerianus

Trachycarpus takil

Sabal minor

Serenoa repens "silver"

Butia capitata/odorata

Jubaea chilensis

Rhapidophylum hystrix

Chamaerops humilis "green" and "cerifera"

 

Things I am growing out to plant in the ground

Sabal uresana - not sure how they will do

Sabal causiarum - there is one in Seattle so it should do ok

Sabal mexicana - not sure how they will do

Sabal palmetto - I think these will make it, although others have failed in the past

Mule Palm - not sure how they will do

Livistona nitida - unlikely it will make it based on others experience

Trachycarpus princeps - will do fine

Chamaedorea radicalis - will do fine

Jubaea x Butia or Butia x Jubaea - I can't remember which but they should do just fine.

 

Other palms that I think will work:

Chamaedorea microspadix

Other Butia species

Butia or Jubaea hybrid palms

 

Our minimum temperatures in this part of the world make us think we can grow many more palm species, but it's our cool wet winters that do a lot of the palms in from things like fungus.   Plus we do lack the heat units and humidity that many palms need to thrive.   Sabals grow very slowly here.  Zone 8B in Austin Texas is far more conducive to growing palms than our PNW 8B. due to the heat and dryness in winter (compared to us).  All Phoenix species and Washingtonia species are off limits unless you have them in a great microclimate and protect them from winter moisture.  Also I don't think you get it in Keizer, but the cold east wind in winter can be tough on marginal palms.

The good news is that we still have lots of options.   Good luck and welcome to Palmtalk.

My Texas Sabal had no leaf damage when the temperatures dropped to 17F in Austin TX in 2017. The winters are dryer here, but during that particular cold snap the leaves were completely encased in ice as there was drizzle and sleet.
I've got a lot of seeds that I don't know what to do with if anyone wants some

 

[Fallen Munk]

On 7/23/2019 at 11:01 PM, PlantDad said:

I personally think one could get away with growing palms hardy to zone 9a here because the winters here are so mild, every year seems to be more mild, the 18 degree freeze was probably 5 or 6 years ago. Since then I have never seen it drop below 25 degrees. 

December 4th of 2013 it got down to 0F in Salem.  My koi pond was frozen to a depth of 18" that week.  

[Chester B]

I've noticed Salem tends to run a little colder in winter and a little hotter in summer.  Records indicate Portland got to 14F that year, I'm in Clackamas and we tend to run a few degrees warmer than what they record at the airport.

[Fallen Munk]

50 minutes ago, Chester B said:

I've noticed Salem tends to run a little colder in winter and a little hotter in summer.  Records indicate Portland got to 14F that year, I'm in Clackamas and we tend to run a few degrees warmer than what they record at the airport.

Your east wind is a blessing and a curse.  We don't get that where I am and those nights with stagnant air in the low part of the valley get real cold (or hot in the summer).  Luckily we're trending warmer winters lately, but you never know.

[PlantDad]

4 hours ago, Fallen Munk said:

December 4th of 2013 it got down to 0F in Salem.  My koi pond was frozen to a depth of 18" that week.  

What part of Salem were you in because I was in salem and it never got that low for me?

[Fallen Munk]

2 minutes ago, PlantDad said:

What part of Salem were you in because I was in salem and it never got that low for me?

NE Salem.  Near downtown area.  We had about a week long cold snap where it was in the teens at night.  https://www.wunderground.com/history/monthly/us/or/salem/KSLE/date/2013-12

[Fallen Munk]

Nothing compared to December of 2009  I lost some bamboo that year and got some frozen pipes.  https://www.wunderground.com/history/monthly/us/or/salem/KSLE/date/2009-12  I remember a lot of cold snaps, I'll try to browse the records when I get some time.  Seems like there was one in the late 1990's or mid 2000's where I lost a bunch of bamboo.  One whole species with about 25 specimens.  I've lived here since 1983.  It can get real cold here, but it's not too common luckily.

Edited November 23, 2020 by Fallen Munk

[PlantDad]

6 hours ago, Fallen Munk said:

NE Salem.  Near downtown area.  We had about a week long cold snap where it was in the teens at night.  

Interesting. Thank you for sending me that link

[PlantDad]

8 hours ago, Fallen Munk said:

Nothing compared to December of 2009  I lost some bamboo that year and got some frozen pipes.  https://www.wunderground.com/history/monthly/us/or/salem/KSLE/date/2009-12  I remember a lot of cold snaps, I'll try to browse the records when I get some time.  Seems like there was one in the late 1990's or mid 2000's where I lost a bunch of bamboo.  One whole species with about 25 specimens.  I've lived here since 1983.  It can get real cold here, but it's not too common luckily.

Yeah you have lived here a lot longer than I have. Was 2009 the coldest year you have seen?