Cold Hardy Palms

[Jadon V]

I have always loved trees particularly palm trees. We’re in North Carolina and this past spring my local Home Depot was selling Queen Palms so I bought two and planted them in a sunny spot in my yard I live in hardiness zone 8a. During the summer the palms did great well daytime temperatures were around 95° to 105° they are each now about 10 feet tall but then winter rolled around and we had our first frost in November where it got down below 22°. Did you find the first few freezes? I covered the trunks with burlap and watered them daily but recently they have started looking a bit scraggly normally temperatures at night to get down to anywhere from for 40° to 35° well daytime temperatures get up to 65° but the past few nights, it’s been getting down to 28° and every time that happens, they look less and less alive not quite dead, but also like they are barely hanging on. They have also stopped growing. Does anybody know how I can get them to survive the next month? Until the warm weather comes back and if they will resume growth in the spring.

[D Palm]

You can buy a pop up green house and stake it securely. Use a greenhouse heater with a thermostat. Sabals look rough in the spring in Charlotte, so without the assistance of a greenhouse, not much chance. Mule palm or Pindo palm have a better shot at survival.

[Allen]

I would see if the could be dug up and put in pots in garage is best bet.  All not good options.  Get some Trachycarpus fortunei and palmetto going.

[Las Palmas Norte]

18 hours ago, Jadon V said:

... they are each now about 10 feet tall but then winter rolled around and we had our first frost in November where it got down below 22°...

Winter begins on Dec. 21 and ends Mar. 19, 2024 so you got an autumn frost. Syagrus romanzoffiana (Queen palm) is reliably winter hardy in zone 9b. Some venture into 9a but can and have been killed in cold weather there.

[SeanK]

8 hours ago, D Palm said:

You can buy a pop up green house and stake it securely. Use a greenhouse heater with a thermostat. Sabals look rough in the spring in Charlotte, so without the assistance of a greenhouse, not much chance. Mule palm or Pindo palm have a better shot at survival.

Pindos won't take snow or ice in the bud. They're less cold-hardy than palmettos.

[RFun]

10 hours ago, SeanK said:

Pindos won't take snow or ice in the bud. They're less cold-hardy than palmettos.

Charlotte shouldn't get enough snow or ice to cause death to a Pindo (unless there is some unusual weather event).  One step you can do is to plant the Pindo near a south facing wall.  You're already ahead of the game that way.  Worse case scenario is wrapping it, etc.  I wouldn't worry too much about it though.

Edited December 14, 2023 by RFun

[D Palm]

@SeanK we had Low 20’s freezing rain + ice a few years ago. Outside unit on heat pump froze. My Pindo went unscathed. Sabals are a couple degrees hardier, not much.