Trachycarpus Fortunei 8a

[AcerPALMatum]

Is trachycarpus fortunei fully hardy in USDA zone 8a in Mississippi without winter protection?

[EastCanadaTropicals]

On 3/9/2021 at 7:32 PM, AcerPALMatum said:

Is trachycarpus fortunei fully hardy in USDA zone 8a in Mississippi without winter protection?

Yes. In the south they even grow in 7b.

[Allen]

Sure except the rare polar storm like Texas had.  

[AcerPALMatum]

Thank you for the info guys! Look forward to growing a few

[climate change virginia]

once established yes protect it the first 2-3 years

[WSimpson]

I would say yes , but if  I had a record cold of -6F again  in Winston-Salem around 1983 ( Greensboro 30 miles east saw -9F ) ,  I wonder what would survive ?

All my Trachys have been fine here for close to 15 years but they've never seen negative temps . The lowest is 3F ,  I think .

Will

Edited March 13, 2021 by Will Simpson

[PricklyPearSATC]

Yes, it should be.  Protect while young. May need to protect if we get another snowmaggedeon. 

I think mine in zone 9a has some minor cold damage after exposure to 9 F.   But Texas had a rare exceptional type of cold. Typically one night of 9 F would not have caused any damage, but we had 100 hours (pretty much straight)  below 32 and some ice. Also plants were actively growing before this arctic event. ( Several weeks of 70 degree weather preceded this event)

Edited March 13, 2021 by PricklyPearSATC

[AcerPALMatum]

1 hour ago, Will Simpson said:

I would say yes , but if  I had a record cold of -6F again  in Winston-Salem around 1983 ( Greensboro 30 miles east saw -9F ) ,  I wonder what would survive ?

All my Trachys have been fine here for close to 15 years but they've never seen negative temps . The lowest is 3F ,  I think .

Will

Beautiful tree! It looks like my area hasn't gone below 11F in the past decade, but the record low of -7F here would probably toast it without protection. Wonder what it'd take to protect it in those conditions. Hopefully won't have to consider that for many years!

[PricklyPearSATC]

17 minutes ago, AcerPALMatum said:

Beautiful tree! It looks like my area hasn't gone below 11F in the past decade, but the record low of -7F here would probably toast it without protection. Wonder what it'd take to protect it in those conditions. Hopefully won't have to consider that for many years!

Someone will know how.. Fortunately, they usually stay small enough, so they can be protected.   We had one that was about 15 feet tall?  It was about 6 feet tall, when we bought the house  in 1994.  (9 feet pf growth in 25 years)

(Unfortunately, in 2019 it started leaning real weird onto the entry way and became a hazard and we had to remove it.  We thought it was root rot, but afterward everything looked normal) 

Some businesses growth them in full hot sun and over prune them, and they get too tall.  

Edited March 13, 2021 by PricklyPearSATC

[newtopalmsMD]

I use a simple leaf pile about a foot high over the roots (but not the fronds or trunk). This could add half a zone of protection (Palms won't grow here and other myths).  On the occasional 5F night here in MD 7a, (2 or 3 a year) I covered small Trachys with frost cloth and had a string of Christmas lights just on the ground at the base.  The only real problem I've had was last year when it never really got below 10F.  But I had both Trachys and Needles (but no sabals) develop fungus and spear pull.  Now I spray the crowns a couple of times a winter with a copper based fungicide. 

[Collectorpalms]

14 minutes ago, newtopalmsMD said:

I use a simple leaf pile about a foot high over the roots (but not the fronds or trunk). This could add half a zone of protection (Palms won't grow here and other myths).  On the occasional 5F night here in MD 7a, (2 or 3 a year) I covered small Trachys with frost cloth and had a string of Christmas lights just on the ground at the base.  The only real problem I've had was last year when it never really got below 10F.  But I had both Trachys and Needles (but no sabals) develop fungus and spear pull.  Now I spray the crowns a couple of times a winter with a copper based fungicide. 

Did your needles main trunk and trachys regrow spears? I have needles that have fried Spears after 5F, and 8 days of temperatures averaging less than 32. 

[GregVirginia7]

17 hours ago, newtopalmsMD said:

I use a simple leaf pile about a foot high over the roots (but not the fronds or trunk). This could add half a zone of protection (Palms won't grow here and other myths).  On the occasional 5F night here in MD 7a, (2 or 3 a year) I covered small Trachys with frost cloth and had a string of Christmas lights just on the ground at the base.  The only real problem I've had was last year when it never really got below 10F.  But I had both Trachys and Needles (but no sabals) develop fungus and spear pull.  Now I spray the crowns a couple of times a winter with a copper based fungicide. 

Only anecdotal experience here but I think the copper fungicidal spray is an excellent deterrent for fungal infections when used during cold, wet events. That’s really the only time I use it. 

[Allen]

20 hours ago, Collectorpalms said:

Did your needles main trunk and trachys regrow spears? I have needles that have fried Spears after 5F, and 8 days of temperatures averaging less than 32. 

I don't think your needle's spears should be fried after those temps.  Must have to do with the rapid temp change and not having a chance to harden off.  Fungicide.

[Collectorpalms]

The needles Spears are definitely shriveled, just like on my silver meds. Good foliage but Spears are dedicated, not burnt. Initially they looked fine, but after hot weather things have crisped up a bit. I pulled on one and it came out. They have been in ground over a decade.

Nevertheless, question was to anyone, do needles come back from spear damage from cold? The main stems. 
 

And since this was about fully Hardy Trachycarpus in zone 8a, I was curious if Trachycarpus can have same issue, and recover normally.

 I wish fungicide was a cure all, but I doubt it.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[jimmyt]

On 3/9/2021 at 6:32 PM, AcerPALMatum said:

Is trachycarpus fortunei fully hardy in USDA zone 8a in Mississippi without winter protection?

I have one here in the ground just NW of Waco TX for about 10 years.  It has seen multiple years of low teen winters.  This year it got -2 F.  I am at the 8a/8b transition.  Of all my big palms it looks the best.  The petioles and crowns remain green and solid.  No protection.  

[Chester B]

I had a smaller needle spear pull but it was due to me moving it in summer.  Got too hot and dry and spear pulled on the main trunk. It came back very quickly. 

[teaksmith]

On 3/9/2021 at 6:32 PM, AcerPALMatum said:

Is trachycarpus fortunei fully hardy in USDA zone 8a in Mississippi without winter protection?

Yes, I'm in 8a in Mississippi (Ross Barnett Reservoir area in Brandon) and trachycarpus fortunei are everywhere around here and the rest of the Jackson area and have been for decades. They do well in the clay soil and survive the worst winters here with no protection. 

Butia and various sabals do well here too, and of course Needle palm, Sabal Minor and European Fan palm. I also do a bit of zone pushing with Mule palms, W. Robusta, L. Chinensis, and CIDP, which I did protect, some with leaf piles as mentioned above and the Mules with mini Christmas lights and burlap in this recent February event. Recently bought a Patrick Schafer hybrid B.X.Jubea to try when it gets enough size to plant out.

[Allen]

9 hours ago, Collectorpalms said:

The needles Spears are definitely shriveled, just like on my silver meds. Good foliage but Spears are dedicated, not burnt. Initially they looked fine, but after hot weather things have crisped up a bit. I pulled on one and it came out. They have been in ground over a decade.

Nevertheless, question was to anyone, do needles come back from spear damage from cold? The main stems. 
 

And since this was about fully Hardy Trachycarpus in zone 8a, I was curious if Trachycarpus can have same issue, and recover normally.

 I wish fungicide was a cure all, but I doubt it.

Both can come back from spear pull.  If you don't want to use fungicide then don't I guess.  Trachy spear pull like crazy and come back almost always.  

Edited March 15, 2021 by Allen