Texas Palms and Companion Plants for Zone 9b/10a

[Collectorpalms]

If you were to make a list of common to exotic palms that are nearly bulletproof after Feb 2021 for Zone 9b/10a Texas, what are they? What can you grow that the rest of Texas cannot?

What should be some other unusual to essential companion plants that should be planted there for a “tropical” look or a Texas Tough Landscape. 

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[climate change virginia]

foxtail(maybe) and pygmy date palm

Edited April 22, 2021 by climate change virginia

[PricklyPearSATC]

2 hours ago, climate change virginia said:

foxtail(maybe) and pygmy date palm

Corpus lost alot of pygmy dates and you can buy them at Wallyworld, HD, Lowes and the grocery store!  They are pretty easy to replace also. 

[Teegurr]

9 hours ago, Collectorpalms said:

If you were to make a list of common to exotic palms that are nearly bulletproof after Feb 2021 for Zone 9b/10a Texas, what are they? What can you grow that the rest of Texas cannot?

What should be some other unusual to essential companion plants that should be planted there for a “tropical” look or a Texas Tough Landscape. 

 

Bismarck Bismarck Bismarck. And Beccariophoenix. And Borassus aethiopum for sure. Jubaeopsis caffra would be cool.

[PricklyPearSATC]

I think if we are looking at marginally hardy plants in places like Corpus, the emphasis should be on shrubs and accent/small palms.  For instance a marginally hardy palm should not have high landscape value.  Shrubs and ornamental trees will grow back from the roots if there is an exceptional freeze. 

[necturus]

Hopefully, the folks down there and others that visit often will update us towards the end of the summer.

As it stands, it sounds like Texas 10A (as shown on that map) can grow some of the tougher zone 9B and 10A stuff long-term, whereas Texas 9B is much riskier. From what John in Corpus has said, it doesn't sound like they fared much better than us in Houston. I am hope I'm wrong and the big royals along the coast survived, but it's hard to imagine.

If I lived in Texas 10A I would be growing Livistona sp., Acoelorrhaphe wrightii, Acrocomia acuelata/mexicana, Rhapis sp., Arenga engleri, and the hardy Caribbean/Cuban palms. And Attalea cohune/dubia/rostrata.

[Xenon]

This mostly applies to the southernmost 9b/10a area around McAllen/Brownsville/SPI:

Archontophoenix cunninghamia (fairly rare in the area; Oliver has an A. maxima in Brownsville that is alive)

Acrocomia 

Attalea 

Bismarckia

Beccariophoenix

Borassus (including a B. flabellifer in Weslaco)

Copernicia spp. from Cuba

Copernicia alba, C. prunifera

Coccothrinax

Dypsis decaryi 

Hyphaene 

Medemia 

Pseudophoenix sargentii

Phoenix rupicola

Ravenea rivularis 

Roystonea regia (medium to high mortality rate but far from a wipeout; fast growth)

Sabal mauritiiformis, S. yapa

Syagrus coronata 

Livistona spp. from Australia 

Livistona rotundifolia (*one specimen in Harlingen) 

Livistona carinensis

Tahina (if you can find one)

Wodyetia bifurcata (high mortality rate but not total wipeout; otherwise well adapted)

 

 

 

[Xenon]

As far as non-palms, this what I've seen/been told:

Almost all cycads are flushing including "tender" ones like Dioon spinulosum and Encephalartos 

Many common FL landscape bromeliads are mostly fine or will recover, especially those under canopy

Some Ti plants (Cordyline fructicosa) did not freeze to the ground, others are coming back from the ground

Even some super tender stuff like Dracaena and vigorous forms of croton like 'Gold Dust' are back from the ground

Plumeria is back from the lower trunk/base or the ground. Hibiscus will have varying degrees of dieback but even in the worst case should come back from the ground. This is probably the case for most all zone 10 shrubs like ixora, schefflera, etc.

Citrus is mostly fine with only the most tender (limes) having major branch dieback. Most "hardy" tropical fruit like lychee, longan, guava, starfruit, sugar apple etc froze to the main trunk or the ground depending on size. I'd assume jaboticaba, Eugenia spp., and white sapote fared better. Large mangos froze back to the main trunk. 

Banyan Ficus types took a big hit (expected) and froze to the ground or the main trunk/lowermost branches depending on size and exposure. Ficus religiosa fared better and is coming back from thick wood. 

Norfolk pine/Cook pine (Araucaria columnaris) runs the gamut from mostly dead inland to mostly alive in Brownsville and the coast 

Most all tropical flowering trees took a big hit. Some Delonix regia in Brownsville are sprouting from the main trunk, probably from the ground further inland. Probably similar for Cassia fistula. Hardy pink and yellow Tabebuia (whatever it's called now) fared a lot better with minor-moderate dieback as well as Peltophorum dubium. Bauhinia purpurea has some moderate damage while HK orchid is apparently frozen to the ground in Harlingen (may not be the case in the whole RGV depending on size). 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Xenon

[Xenon]

1 hour ago, necturus said:

If I lived in Texas 10A I would be growing Livistona sp., Acoelorrhaphe wrightii, Acrocomia acuelata/mexicana, Rhapis sp., Arenga engleri, and the hardy Caribbean/Cuban palms. And Attalea cohune/dubia/rostrata.

Hahaha but how can you resist a temptation like this: (waiting for a response from this guy in McAllen for some tiny chance that the Carpoxylon is alive) 

 

[Xerarch]

49 minutes ago, Xenon said:

This mostly applies to the southernmost 9b/10a area around McAllen/Brownsville/SPI:

Archontophoenix cunninghamia (fairly rare in the area; Oliver has an A. maxima in Brownsville that is alive)

Acrocomia 

Attalea 

Bismarckia

Beccariophoenix

Borassus (including a B. flabellifer in Weslaco)

Copernicia spp. from Cuba

Copernicia alba, C. prunifera

Coccothrinax

Dypsis decaryi 

Hyphaene 

Medemia 

Pseudophoenix sargentii

Phoenix rupicola

Ravenea rivularis 

Roystonea regia (medium to high mortality rate but far from a wipeout; fast growth)

Sabal mauritiiformis, S. yapa

Syagrus coronata 

Livistona spp. from Australia 

Livistona rotundifolia (*one specimen in Harlingen) 

Livistona carinensis

Tahina (if you can find one)

Wodyetia bifurcata (high mortality rate but not total wipeout; otherwise well adapted)

 

 

 

I still have my fingers crossed that many things on this list will yet make a recovery in Corpus where there were many large specimens.  I'm not holding much hope for the large Royals or Foxtails but I will be very disappointed if none of the Bismarcks pull through, if the Bizzies come through, that should really solidify them as something that ought to be used far more in S Texas.  It looks like all the common large species of Phoenix palms are going to make it (CIDP, dacty, Sylvestris).  I haven't heard of queens budging yet, but again, like the Bismarcks, I will be disappointed if at least some of them don't make it.  I'll also be curious about Ravenea and a bunch of others, many of the others on your list I'm not even sure if there are enough around town for proper inventory.  This freeze is a great gauge, whatever survived this event, even if by a hair, is a real winner and should be planted with some confidence that you are likely to be able to enjoy it for decades at least.

[necturus]

My parents have a F. religiosa in Sugar Land. We planted it expecting it to be a dieback perennial, more a short shrub. Over the last two years it became a tree with a trunk about 3-4 inches in diameter. They only wrapped the base with carpet. Surprisingly, it is leafing out from the trunk above the ground, about four inches up.

My tropical figs all went to the ground, but most are coming back.

[Xenon]

1 hour ago, necturus said:

My parents have a F. religiosa in Sugar Land. We planted it expecting it to be a dieback perennial, more a short shrub. Over the last two years it became a tree with a trunk about 3-4 inches in diameter. They only wrapped the base with carpet. Surprisingly, it is leafing out from the trunk above the ground, about four inches up.

My tropical figs all went to the ground, but most are coming back.

I had a multi trunk Ficus racemosa that died back to 2 feet off the ground after the 2019/2020 winter and grew another 15 feet within a season. It's now vigorously sprouting from the base. I've seen many Ficus religiosa at Buddhist temples in the Houston Area that reach tree size during warm stretches over the years. 

A small Ficus virens is also coming back at ground level. 

Edited April 23, 2021 by Xenon

[Collectorpalms]

How did the palm growers do in the Valley? Anyone ever see fields of Royals etc..? 
How difficult is it to find Uncommon palms down there? What do the nurseries typically have for sale?

[Matt N- Dallas]

It’s very difficult to find uncommon palms in the valley.  Even the box stores such as Lowe’s & Home Depot have less palm selection there than the same stores do in Dallas & Houston.  Foxtails were mostly killed & Phoenix roebellenis were defoliated with some being killed from Feb’s freeze.  I lost 5 beccariophoenix alfredii in Harlingen- 4 were in the 5g to 7g size range while the larger one was about a 25g size (from a low of 23*). I would guess some larger beccariophoenix in the valley lived- with a near death experience.  I lost two pseudophoenix sargentii but others larger ones survived.  

[Collectorpalms]

13 minutes ago, Matt N- Dallas said:

It’s very difficult to find uncommon palms in the valley.  Even the box stores such as Lowe’s & Home Depot have less palm selection there than the same stores do in Dallas & Houston.  Foxtails were mostly killed & Phoenix roebellenis were defoliated with some being killed from Feb’s freeze.  I lost 5 beccariophoenix alfredii in Harlingen- 4 were in the 5g to 7g size range while the larger one was about a 25g size (from a low of 23*). I would guess some larger beccariophoenix in the valley lived- with a near death experience.  I lost two pseudophoenix sargentii but others larger ones survived.  

What of your palms lived?

Those that died, Did you protect them? 
 

I am trying to understand what palms should be planted there so that when the next 20 year freeze comes they will live even if slightly damaged. 

Edited April 24, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Matt N- Dallas]

The ones that survived were rhapis excelsa & multifida, arenga engleri & a. ryukuensis, copernicia alba, a number of phoenix hybrids, attalea cohune, bismarckia nobilis, brahea decumbens, b elegans, b super silver, b clara, b armata hybrid, allágoptera arenaria, hyphenae coriacea, livistona Chinensis, decipiens & saribus, butia x syagrus coronata, butia x syagrus comosa, butia x Polyandrococcos, Syagrus stenopetala, sabal maritima, sabal mexicana, washingtonia robusta.  The only palm protected was a copernicia macroglossa.  

[Collectorpalms]

8 minutes ago, Matt N- Dallas said:

The ones that survived were rhapis excelsa & multifida, arenga engleri & a. ryukuensis, copernicia alba, a number of phoenix hybrids, attalea cohune, bismarckia nobilis, brahea decumbens, b elegans, b super silver, b clara, b armata hybrid, allágoptera arenaria, hyphenae coriacea, livistona Chinensis, decipiens & saribus, butia x syagrus coronata, butia x syagrus comosa, butia x Polyandrococcos, Syagrus stenopetala, sabal maritima, sabal mexicana, washingtonia robusta.  The only palm protected was a copernicia macroglossa.  

So if you had a Guide to Palms of the Rio Grande Valley, those would be it? 
 

 

Wow! What a selection, are these growing on SPI? butia x syagrus coronata, Butia x syagrus comosa, butia x Polyandrococcos, You don’t see those everyday, any pictures of them? Did they defoliate or burn?

Edited April 24, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Matt N- Dallas]

Oh no- there are a tremendous variety that grow well in the valley.  The lists mentioned above by xenon & necturus generally thrive in the valley, except I don’t think Beccariophoenix are happy with the water and Archontophoenix are difficult to find and usually not long lived. Those I named above are just the ones I’m growing so far on a city sized lot in Harlingen that came through the freeze in addition to zombia. I’m also growing Royals and coconuts that were planted or replanted after the freeze.  The butia x Syagrus hybrids were grown from seed. The Butia x Polyandrococcos came from Patric Schaefer.