Can I grow any palm tree in New Jersey, USA, if I'm ready to do something to protect it in cold winter?

[PashkaTLT]

Hello,

I'm in zone 6a-6b (on the border). Can I grow any palm tree here (maybe windmill palm?), provided I'm willing to protect the tree during the coldest times, i.e.

- Covering with a blanket

- Using Christmas lights or heating cables

- Covering the base of the tree with mulch to protect the roots

- Heavy watering

- Special sprays

- Placing a patio heater nearby

?

Also, can I grow smaller palm trees in large pots, that I can take inside on the coldest days? I know about the Sago palm (which is technically not a palm tree, but looks very very like one). Any other options?

PS. Always wanted to leave in the South and have palm trees, but ended up in New Jersey :)

[teddytn]

@PashkaTLT with protection you do have different options for palms you can plant in NJ yes, windmill being one of them. @Allen has a very good palm protection thread on here if you search for it that is right up your alley. What I would personally recommend is researching and trying to get your hands on a few Sabal minors, and a few needle palms. Everyone is always looking for trunking palms I get it, but if you can get those 2 established and protect the first couple winters, they should be able to go unprotected for the most part in your area. Maybe if there’s an extreme winter event with very cold temps some protection may be needed. 

[Allen]

Here it's hard to find

 

[EJPalm05]

I have a livistona in the ground and it has survived! I also grow all sorts of palms here in newark!

[PashkaTLT]

33 minutes ago, EJ NJ said:

I have a livistona in the ground and it has survived! I also grow all sorts of palms here in newark!

Awesome! Do you mind sharing where I can buy palm trees while living in NJ?

[oasis371]

My NJ zone is historically 7a, more recently 7b, so, I am a bit milder than 6a/b.  My favorite among the cold hardy species is definitely Trachycarpus.  It is trunking, and I find them relatively robust growers.  Some Sabal species are a bit cold hardier...., Sabal minor and Sabal Louisiana, but tend to grow slower.  I protect my in ground Trachy in the winter in order to keep snow and ice out of the crown. Yes, I also use the non LED mini Christmas lights.  It's surprisingly, FAST and EASY to protect them.  It took all of 5 minutes to get mine through January and half of February. I actually just planted another.  It HELPS to have a favored microclimate, both of mine are next to the house, with two walls around them.  I have a really, really HOT location, directly in front of the house (south-facing, unobstructed sun all year long), but I don't plant them there, TOO HOT, TOO SUNNY, may put a Sabal there. I have only seen Trachys sold in NJ for maybe one or two years.  You are going to have to acquire yours mail order.  I bought most of mine as seedlings, now they are all big and either in pots or in the ground (potted ones go into a garage over winter).  Plus, I have started a whole new batch of 'Bulgarian' windmills from seed. They are pretty easy from seed too.

 

I also grow Canary Island Palms (planted from seed), Butia/Pindo palms, Mediterranean fans, Queen palms, and lots of Cycads. (Those go into a garage over winter.) My yard is more authentically "Kew West", than Key West.

Edited June 8, 2022 by oasis371

[EJPalm05]

2 hours ago, PashkaTLT said:

Awesome! Do you mind sharing where I can buy palm trees while living in NJ?

I bought my Livistona chinensis at Home Depot but that's the only hardy palm I can get there and the only one I have in the ground all of the other palms i have i bought online or grew from seed.

[PashkaTLT]

13 minutes ago, EJ NJ said:

I bought my Livistona chinensis at Home Depot

Can you please show a photo of it and how much time passed since you bought it?

Also, please share what online stores you've used to buy palms or seeds.

[DreaminAboutPalms]

I would plant a Robusta. People have grown impressive ones with 20 feet of trunk as far North as Iowa despite having to protect half the year. The reason why Robusta would be good is that even with a shorter growing season it will still put on a few feet of trunk each year unlike a lot of the other cold hardy option. For protection, wrap trunk in home insulation and then wrap it with burlap or plastic and then throw a tarp or two over crown. 

[Allen]

2 hours ago, DreaminAboutPalms said:

I would plant a Robusta. People have grown impressive ones with 20 feet of trunk as far North as Iowa despite having to protect half the year. The reason why Robusta would be good is that even with a shorter growing season it will still put on a few feet of trunk each year unlike a lot of the other cold hardy option. For protection, wrap trunk in home insulation and then wrap it with burlap or plastic and then throw a tarp or two over crown. 

6a he will likely need a insulated box method with heat for robusta probably windmill palm too.  

[WSimpson]

When small you can do the old trash can method covering it and putting a lightbulb underneath them on really cold nights . Seal  the base of the trash can with mulch   to keep all cold air out . Other good options are using leaves to cover it totally and covering the leaves with a blanket weighted down around the outside with bricks or rocks   to hold the leaves  down and keep them  from blowing away . 

Another option is to make what I called the Shaq Shack because it protected my Palmetto its first winter . Basically I used PVC pipe and plastic covering the pipe to make a greenhouse enclosure , and I put a small space heater inside  .  Pretty time consuming . I now use the wrap the trunk with Xmas lights and wrap the lights with blankets . Pictures below of the Shaq Shack  :

Edited June 10, 2022 by Will Simpson

[EJPalm05]

On 6/8/2022 at 5:16 PM, PashkaTLT said:

Can you please show a photo of it and how much time passed since you bought it?

Also, please share what online stores you've used to buy palms or seeds.

I bought my palms from several different places. I don't have any photos of my livistona but it got pretty damaged last winter and it has put out 2 fronds since then.

[Jimhardy]

you can always check out E-bay for Trachys...take some time and do your

homework as there are a lot of over priced Trachys and pay attention to

shipping charges.   Looks like some Bulgarian Trachys are available and

these might be a good Trachy to start with.  keep in mind though that the hardiness

claims are based on established "mature" palms.

[oasis371]

I purchased most all my hardy palms on eBay or Etsy, you can also check with Amazon.  My in ground palms are limited to T. fortunei, which I do offer some protection.  You reminded me to transplant by Bulgarian Trachys..., I will grow them to size before consider the ground.  Purchased the seeds for the Bulgarian on line.  Are they really cold hardier than the straight species? I have heard both sides.

[SeanK]

Your biggest challenge is soil temps. Palms have herbaceous roots. None grow where the ground actually freezes.

[Luis Arroyo]

 

On 6/11/2022 at 3:08 PM, EJ NJ said:

I bought my palms from several different places. I don't have any photos of my livistona but it got pretty damaged last winter and it has put out 2 fronds since then.

These are my Sabal M Louisiana/Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum H) & Yucca Rostrata. Other Yucca Gloriosa & Musa Basjoo Banana

ALSO in in Newark,NJ USDA zone 7a-7b

Edited August 1, 2023 by Luis Arroyo
Wrong photo of rostrata/add M Basjoo

[njpalmguy]

On 6/8/2022 at 12:48 AM, PashkaTLT said:

Hello,

I'm in zone 6a-6b (on the border). Can I grow any palm tree here (maybe windmill palm?), provided I'm willing to protect the tree during the coldest times, i.e.

- Covering with a blanket

- Using Christmas lights or heating cables

- Covering the base of the tree with mulch to protect the roots

- Heavy watering

- Special sprays

- Placing a patio heater nearby

?

Also, can I grow smaller palm trees in large pots, that I can take inside on the coldest days? I know about the Sago palm (which is technically not a palm tree, but looks very very like one). Any other options?

PS. Always wanted to leave in the South and have palm trees, but ended up in New Jersey

i live in the northeast, and i would recommend a Sabal minor, because if you’re also going for something like a Sabal palm, then those are the closest you could possibly get to them. Needle palms also work well in that area, (with protection) but you might need some protection for both during some extreme cold snaps, because the northwest is cooler than the northeast. windmill palms would also work with protection like you said. correct any information if I’m wrong about some parts.