Scandinavian/North European Palms

[Arecaceus]

9 minutes ago, Marco67 said:

"But I think there are some Jubaeas around that have been planted in the 1980s."

That would mean that they are 40 years in the ground unprotected. That would be quite remarkable, considering some Trachies didn't even survive the 80s. I would like to see that. I don't know if you have photos of these Jubaeas.

"I can't speak for the southwest of the Netherlands, but I was surprised that you say they won't grow there longterm."

And I am very surprised that things like Butia and Jubaea grow unprotected long-term in Düsseldorf. I don't think Düsseldorf is milder in the winter than coastal southwest Netherlands.

Again, people do grow them here but I am only saying that they need protection during the colder winters.

 

 

 

No I also haven't seen them in person. I only remember on a forum seeing someone having Jubaeas planted then decades ago (this is already 10+ years ago) and I'm pretty sure some botanical or public garden (not Düsseldorf but maybe Cologne or Bonn or somewhere else) had one growing outside since the 1970s or 80s. If they were protected somewhat in the worst winters I can't tell you.

The only ones I've seen and have posted about are plantings from 20+ years ago and they're supposedly always unprotected.


Yes I also didn't think Düsseldorf is milder in winter than the coastal Netherlands but that's why I was surprised. Also most palms here are planted in urban areas and the differences between temperatures of lows in winter and highs in summer are very signifcant. Sometimes it's just 1-2°C but often it's even 5°C. There is also less wind and drier air. You notice it immediately when leaving the urban zones. But I guess we just have a different definition of hardy. Like I said experiences can be different. Kristof p says C. vulcano is hardier for him. For me C. humilis green form does better. I also haven't experienced stems dieing off but I can't tell it didn't happen to someone in my area sometime.

Also to get back to the point @Mandos as you can see you have to try for yourself. Opinions and experiences always vary as well as expectations.

[kristof p]

16 hours ago, Marco67 said:

I don't think it has anything to do with the intensity of the sun, its simple damp very cold weather which kills them.

"What is longterm? If you take 30 years then there is a chance there will be a winter that will kill all palms except T. fortunei."

I have plotted below a list of winters here with temperatures of -9 °C and below. Also the lowest temperatures of the last winters to show that we are in a mild period. 

I think -9 °C is about the limit Butia and Jubaea can take under damp conditions. You can see that it's more than the occasional winter. Under these conditions, both species need serious protection.

"I also thought that longterm only T. fortunei can be regarded as the only palm that will survive longterm"

Basically, Trachycarpus is indeed the only palm you can plant here unprotected without running the risk of losing it. Again, I don't know what the conditions are in West Flanders I am just saying what is possible here.

1980 -10°C/1981 -11°C/1982 -12°C/1985 -16°C/1986 -14°C/1987 -14°C
1993 -9°C/1994 -9°C/1995 -11°C/1996 -11°C/1997 -14°C/1998 -9°C/1999 -12°C 
2001 -9°C/2003 -9°C/2004 -10°C/2005  -13°C/2009 -9°C/2010 -11°C 
2012 -17°C/2013 -13°C/2014 -4°C/2015 -5°C/2016 -7°C/2017 -7°C/2018 -8°C/2019 -7°C  
2020 -3°C/2021 -10°C/2022 -8.0/2023 -5.0/2024 -7.0 

yes, some of those winters in the past are definitely going to kill almost all palms. In 63 the sea froze and temps went down to around -16°C at the coast. Even the palms in Londen would be dead (the thames froze and it went down to -16°C in Londen). Those winters in the eighties are also pretty extreme. We can not say  we will never see such a winter in our lifetime but for now we seem to be in a warmer period and with global warming taking such a pace in our region maybe it will be a thing from the past (for now). My biggest Jubaea only had some overhead protection to keep it dry during those 2010/2012 winters, no extra heat and it sustained no damage. My Butia was in an enclosure but without extra heat (it went down to -12°C inside the protection, this killed a cidp that was also inside the same enclosure). I think temperatures went down to around -15°C in 2012 or 2010 (can not remember it right but I know this was the coldest I ever experienced in my lifetime haha). No Trachycarpus where lost and fortunei/wagnerianus sustained little or no damage, T. manipur had some serieous leafburn. T. oreophilus was protected.

For me Cordyline australis is a good indicator of your climate and what can be grown. since 2012 I did not protect my only surviving Cordyline and it is still there, it lost a few heads during the 2020/21 winter but is otherwise fine and getting huge.

Most winters from 2012 untill now are indeed mild, we had two colder winters 2017/2018 (beast from the east) and 2020/2021 which damaged my Cordyline but none of those colder winters damaged my Butia and Jubaea palms, T. oreophilus also sustained leaf damage during those winters. I did loose 5 Butia palms during 2010/2012 so the one I still have is clearly a hardier variation so this ofcourse helps :).

The nearest station on wundermaps shows data from the last few winters. here are the lows. This is around 13km from the sea as the crow flies, places at the coast are a little warmer.

20/21:  -7°C

21/22:  -1.7°C

22/23: -5.8°C

23/24: -5.5°C

24/25: so far -2.6°C

 

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

4 hours ago, kristof p said:

yes, some of those winters in the past are definitely going to kill almost all palms. In 63 the sea froze and temps went down to around -16°C at the coast. Even the palms in Londen would be dead (the thames froze and it went down to -16°C in Londen). Those winters in the eighties are also pretty extreme. We can not say  we will never see such a winter in our lifetime but for now we seem to be in a warmer period and with global warming taking such a pace in our region maybe it will be a thing from the past (for now). My biggest Jubaea only had some overhead protection to keep it dry during those 2010/2012 winters, no extra heat and it sustained no damage. My Butia was in an enclosure but without extra heat (it went down to -12°C inside the protection, this killed a cidp that was also inside the same enclosure). I think temperatures went down to around -15°C in 2012 or 2010 (can not remember it right but I know this was the coldest I ever experienced in my lifetime haha). No Trachycarpus where lost and fortunei/wagnerianus sustained little or no damage, T. manipur had some serieous leafburn. T. oreophilus was protected.

Edit: I guess I accidentally put my response in this box. Oops. Now I can't erase this box below. Lol.

@kristof p 

 

 

@kristof pThat's interesting how similar temps affect palms differently in different climates and locations. Three winters ago I had a low of -15 to -16'Celsius (or 3-5'F) with one daily high only reaching -10' Celsius (or 14'F). I didn't lose any palms and all were unprotected, except I put a strand of mini lights on the trunks of my four larger windmill palms. I had some rough foliar damage but no deaths. Palms included sabal minor, needle palms, windmills, sabal palmetto, sabal birmingham, and sabal brazoria. I wonder if  my longer, hot summers help? 

[Marco67]

5 hours ago, kristof p said:

yes, some of those winters in the past are definitely going to kill almost all palms. In 63 the sea froze and temps went down to around -16°C at the coast. Even the palms in Londen would be dead (the thames froze and it went down to -16°C in Londen). Those winters in the eighties are also pretty extreme. We can not say  we will never see such a winter in our lifetime but for now we seem to be in a warmer period and with global warming taking such a pace in our region maybe it will be a thing from the past (for now). My biggest Jubaea only had some overhead protection to keep it dry during those 2010/2012 winters, no extra heat and it sustained no damage. My Butia was in an enclosure but without extra heat (it went down to -12°C inside the protection, this killed a cidp that was also inside the same enclosure). I think temperatures went down to around -15°C in 2012 or 2010 (can not remember it right but I know this was the coldest I ever experienced in my lifetime haha). No Trachycarpus where lost and fortunei/wagnerianus sustained little or no damage, T. manipur had some serieous leafburn. T. oreophilus was protected.

For me Cordyline australis is a good indicator of your climate and what can be grown. since 2012 I did not protect my only surviving Cordyline and it is still there, it lost a few heads during the 2020/21 winter but is otherwise fine and getting huge.

Most winters from 2012 untill now are indeed mild, we had two colder winters 2017/2018 (beast from the east) and 2020/2021 which damaged my Cordyline but none of those colder winters damaged my Butia and Jubaea palms, T. oreophilus also sustained leaf damage during those winters. I did loose 5 Butia palms during 2010/2012 so the one I still have is clearly a hardier variation so this ofcourse helps :).

The nearest station on wundermaps shows data from the last few winters. here are the lows. This is around 13km from the sea as the crow flies, places at the coast are a little warmer.

20/21:  -7°C

21/22:  -1.7°C

22/23: -5.8°C

23/24: -5.5°C

24/25: so far -2.6°C

 

Our weather is very unpredictable, unfortunately. It's not like the weather in the Mediterranean, where you have nearly guaranteed warm summers and mild winters. But overall we mustn't complain either; for our latitude, the climate is very mild and we are able to plant quite a few palms and other subtropical plants. 

It's also getting better for us in the north with the climate warming up. Cold winters might be less intense and we probably have them less frequently. 

You posted a photo of your Butia some time ago. It looks very impressive. Well done.

Never tried a Cordyline myself, but you do see them a lot in England. Because they are from New Zealand they might not mind the wetness so much but they are vulnerable to hard frost I believe. I saw really huge Cordylines in Brittany some years ago. That is another typical place where you see them quite a lot.

[Marco67]

23 hours ago, Arecaceus said:

No I also haven't seen them in person. I only remember on a forum seeing someone having Jubaeas planted then decades ago (this is already 10+ years ago) and I'm pretty sure some botanical or public garden (not Düsseldorf but maybe Cologne or Bonn or somewhere else) had one growing outside since the 1970s or 80s. If they were protected somewhat in the worst winters I can't tell you.

The only ones I've seen and have posted about are plantings from 20+ years ago and they're supposedly always unprotected.


Yes I also didn't think Düsseldorf is milder in winter than the coastal Netherlands but that's why I was surprised. Also most palms here are planted in urban areas and the differences between temperatures of lows in winter and highs in summer are very signifcant. Sometimes it's just 1-2°C but often it's even 5°C. There is also less wind and drier air. You notice it immediately when leaving the urban zones. But I guess we just have a different definition of hardy. Like I said experiences can be different. Kristof p says C. vulcano is hardier for him. For me C. humilis green form does better. I also haven't experienced stems dieing off but I can't tell it didn't happen to someone in my area sometime.

Also to get back to the point @Mandos as you can see you have to try for yourself. Opinions and experiences always vary as well as expectations.

I agree, a favourable microclimate can make the difference between life and death sometimes.

The Jubaea looks very impressive. It seems to be planted by the city. Nice they have chosen for something more exotic. It's seems to be in a pretty sheltered location which forms a nice microclimate. 

Hopefully the coming winters stay mild for many more years to come. The plants get more established and should take the cold better if a bad winter does arrive.

[Palmy Portlander]

Mando

Greetings.

You may have seen the posts by the gardener in Alesund, Norway at 62 degrees north.  I recall he said Alesund is a 9a zone.  

He has planted a CIDP, a Washingtonia Robusta and Jubaea outdoors in his yard, which already has a Trachy F that looks to be 4 or 5 meters.  He has also planted desert plants, yuccas and perhaps opuntia.  He has posted five videos about his exotics in the last seven months.  His last video was from January, after a spell of unusual cold, -6c temperature, and deep snow, when he wrapped his palms.  (The url is extremely long so I have not inserted it here, but you should be able to find it by searching for "Alesund palms.")

Perhaps the two of you can consult.

I have learned a lot about different palms and their cultivation on this forum.  It is a nice distraction from the political news these days. 

Here in Portland, Oregon, we are a zone 9a in the middle of the city. 

We have warm, sunny,  dry, summers (mid-June to mid-September) and wet grey and generally mild winters.  In recent years we have also had spells of very hot dry weather - so now my hardy bananas are essential for protecting some of my rhododendrons from sunburn. 

But we also get visited by polar vortices.  We are about 100 km in a straight line from the Pacific, and protected somewhat from heavy winter rain and windstorms coming off the Pacific by the Coast Range to the west and from the more extreme weather in the interior by the Cascade Mountains to the east.  However, the Columbia River cuts an almost sea-level gorge through the Cascades, and the Gorge ends right at the edge of the city.  On some occasions weather from the interior to blows down the Gorge.  In the winter this can bring cold, often sunny and dry weather.  Or it can mix with the wet Pacific air and then we get snow or worse, ice storms. 

A year ago we had about five days of below zero temperature, with the coldest day about -10c.  This chill was accompanied by snow, freezing rain and high winds.  Trachy's  that were exposed to the wind that had been thriving for decades were killed outright.  We have a 9 or 10 meter Trachy F (which grew from 1 meter to that height in about 13 years) and it lost over half of its foliage.  It is ok now but has lost it lush appearance.   The cold dry winds are the most damaging because of the wind chill and desiccation.  

I have a Cordyline Australis that I call a "nonennial" plant, because about every nine years it is killed down to the roots by the cold (at about -6) and has to start over.  

I have begun growing a Phoenix Sylvestris, a Butia Capitata and Jubaea Chilensis in pots and once they are a meter high,  I will plant them in the yard.  I will place them where they can get some wind protection.   

My less hardy palms are a Washingtonia Filifera, some small Rhopalostylis Sapida (Nikau Palm) seedlings that I germinated and a Bismarckia Nobilis.  (Photos to come.) I keep them sheltered in our plant room during the winter and turn on a small heater when the temperature is going to drop below freezing.   Once they get too big I will take them down to the southern Oregon coast where there is a small area just north of the California border (42 degrees north) that is a zone 10a, and find someone to adopt them. 

I look forward to hearing your reports.

 

 

[Mazat]

On 15.2.2025 at 13:49, Arecaceus said:

Ja, richtig – ich wollte auch nur sagen, dass es nicht 30 Jahre braucht, um einen extremen Winter zu haben. Hier kommen sie alle (ungefähr) 10 Jahre vor. Wir hatten welche in den Jahren 2021/2010/1997/1985 … Die meisten Winter in meiner Gegend sind auch 9a und in den letzten Jahren sogar mehr 9b. Das Problem sind die nicht so milden, die ab und zu vorkommen. In extremen Wintern kann es immer einige Todesfälle oder schwere Schäden geben, aber wenn die meisten Pflanzen überleben, halte ich sie zumindest für winterhart. Kleine Palmen und solche, die sich noch nicht etabliert haben, sind empfindlicher, aber 2010 starben sogar einige einheimische Pflanzen und andere Bäume. Das passiert auch mit Pflanzen in der Natur und kleine Palmen in der Natur sind normalerweise durch ein Blätterdach geschützt oder stehen zum Beispiel im hohen Gras. 

Ich muss jedoch der Sonnenintensität widersprechen – sie ist nicht der entscheidende Faktor. Es sind Sonnenlicht und Temperatur. Es gab mehrere Threads in diesem Forum und es gab wissenschaftliche Beweise dafür, dass die Sonneneinstrahlung nicht der entscheidende Faktor ist. In unseren Breitengraden profitieren wir von viel längeren Tagen und damit mehr Sonnenlicht in den Sommermonaten als im Süden. Ich denke, es gleicht sich aus, solange es genug Sonne und Wärme gibt. Der jährliche Niederschlag ist auch nur ein Indikator. Feuchtigkeit gibt es in verschiedenen Formen und Ausprägungen. In manchen Gebieten regnet es konstant und in anderen nur in Strömen. Ich wollte nur sagen, dass ich dachte, Feuchtigkeit könnte der Grund sein, warum die Palmen im Südwesten der Niederlande angeblich nicht überleben und verfaulen. Ich war nur verwirrt, weil zumindest Jubaeas robust genug zu sein scheinen, um selbst die schlimmsten Winter zu überstehen. Vielleicht liegt es auch an der fehlenden Wärme. Ich weiß nicht, wie es in Westflandern ist, aber mir ist auch aufgefallen, dass es an der niederländischen Küste im Frühling und Sommer oft mehrere Grad kälter ist als hier und es dauert länger, bis 20-°C-Tage kommen und Hitze auch seltener ist. Unser Wetteramt definiert einen Sommertag bei 25°C+ und einen Hitzetag bei 30°C+, extreme Hitze bei 38°C+ und ich denke, das trifft auch auf Pflanzen ziemlich genau zu. Aber am Ende des Tages wächst, was wächst. Die Zeit wird es zeigen.

i can agree with these observations and all it takes is one really cold winter and there is a lot of damage afterwards and some exotics don't survive although they should be quite robust, hardy, according to my experience.
 

[Banana Belt]

On 2/16/2025 at 2:14 PM, Palmy Portlander said:

 Once they get too big I will take them down to the southern Oregon coast where there is a small area just north of the California border (42 degrees north) that is a zone 10a, and find someone to adopt them.

I have the perfect spot for adoption.  All of those Palms you mentioned, Bismarckia Nobilis, Rhopalostylis Sapida and W. Filifera will grow here very well.  In the latter half of last century, Brookings used to get the occasional Arctic Blast which pushed down from the Northeast over the Cascades, Coast Range and Klamath Mountains all the way to the coast, but in last 35 years these cold continental air masses seem to slow down and be redirected southeastward by the Klamath Mtns. 

About 10 years ago I talked with "Climate People" at OSU who were contracted by the USDA to map out microclimates along the west coast.  They were most interested in the various plants being grown here on the Harbor Bench, south of Brookings, two particular plants were a Ponderosa Lemon and Bearss Lime both of which will not tolerate temperatures below 29 F.  Earlier mapping along the coast displayed a 10a in this area mostly offshore but with 1/2 square mile in our location.  Mapping microclimates is done using many tools, but the most accurate uses the livability of actual plants growing in that area.  The challenge of mapping microclimates down to 1 square mile plots is difficult and subject to controversy.  In my opinion the reliability of these climate maps is best when more than several square miles of a zone can be lumped together over more than 20 years.  Small one square mile USDA zones isolated or separate is a guess but can be used to define even smaller microclimates on any persons home.  Even a 1 acre lot has microclimates, something all gardeners know.  

Last fall if found a Cordyline Australis growing behind my shed.  It was about 4 inches high and looked like a small clump of grass that I was about to mow down, it looked different so I left it.  It must have sprouted from seed left there by a bird, probably Western Jay as they like to collect seeds and plant them in other places.  I moved the Cordyline to a different location and is now about 3 feet high, growing like a weed.  There are many plants that have been planted here near Brookings Oregon, from all over the world, many of which have goon wild.  Some are invasive some less so.  One I do enjoy are Tree ferns, probably from New Zealand and Australia that are now wild along this coast.  They don't seem to go invasive but do sprout up here and there.

[Banana Belt]

@Arecaceus  @Marco67 et.al.  Jubaea are interesting because of their cold hardiness.  I have two 40 + year old Jubaea in my yard that I planted from seed and what I know about their hardiness relates to their age.  The older they get the more cold hardy they become.  In Chile people used to cut them down and drain the sap out of the trunk to make Palm Syrup or wine hence their common name Chilean Wine Palm, they are protected now.  From my observations and opinions Jubaea are cold sensitive when young, first 25 years of growth or before they start a trunk.  Also they are very slow during this early age, but when the trunk begins to show they start growing rapidly 30 cm per year +or-.  The trunk is saturated with sweet sap which gives the Jubaea extra cold hardiness or anti-freeze.  Who knows how cold hardy a mature Jubaea is, probably it could live in Norway or even Sweden once mature.  Trick growing a Jubaea in cold climates is getting the Palm to live 30 years or more before it gets its cold hardy trunk.  Once it gets the trunk, it can handle some very cold weather.  Just saying.

[Mandos]

Wow I love the discussions going around here!

Really interesting to see Oregonians (Cascadians?😏), Dutch, Belgians, Germans converse in this obscure thread!

And as most of you say, it really is true that one should try for oneself what can grow or not...  Guessing any chamaerops will be my next endeavour. Ideally cerifera. 

Anybody know the @ of the Norwegian guy growing in Ålesund? Is he active on this forum? Given Ålesunds already mild winters, the Foehn effect in that part of Norway must be a very welcomed bonus.   

I'm watching one of his videos right now (it's raining😆) and it really is amazing what he has achieved. He planted a CIDP in march? As a Swede I would never in my life attempt such a thing - april is the earliest in my parts (at best). A 4m tall flowering Trachy unprotected for 15 years. EVEN a Norfolk pine? Wonderful...

During dec/jan he wrapped up CIDP, jubaea, w. robusta, cordyline when they hit -6ºC with a heavy snow cover. Looking forward to what how Norfolk pine will look in about one month...  

[Mandos]

FYI: Karlskrona currently undergoing the last (and first) cold snap of the year with a record low so far being a frigid -7,8ºC. Arctic high pressure system.

On a personal note very nice seeing the sun for the first time since october.  

[Mandos]

On 2/16/2025 at 3:02 PM, Marco67 said:

Our weather is very unpredictable, unfortunately. It's not like the weather in the Mediterranean, where you have nearly guaranteed warm summers and mild winters. But overall we mustn't complain either; for our latitude, the climate is very mild and we are able to plant quite a few palms and other subtropical plants. 

It's also getting better for us in the north with the climate warming up. Cold winters might be less intense and we probably have them less frequently. 

You posted a photo of your Butia some time ago. It looks very impressive. Well done.

Never tried a Cordyline myself, but you do see them a lot in England. Because they are from New Zealand they might not mind the wetness so much but they are vulnerable to hard frost I believe. I saw really huge Cordylines in Brittany some years ago. That is another typical place where you see them quite a lot.

I've always pictured cordylines as being very frost tender. Like barely surviving when it drops below freezing? Trachys must be a lot more hardy

[Arecaceus]

10 hours ago, Banana Belt said:

@Arecaceus  @Marco67 et.al.  Jubaea are interesting because of their cold hardiness.  I have two 40 + year old Jubaea in my yard that I planted from seed and what I know about their hardiness relates to their age.  The older they get the more cold hardy they become.  In Chile people used to cut them down and drain the sap out of the trunk to make Palm Syrup or wine hence their common name Chilean Wine Palm, they are protected now.  From my observations and opinions Jubaea are cold sensitive when young, first 25 years of growth or before they start a trunk.  Also they are very slow during this early age, but when the trunk begins to show they start growing rapidly 30 cm per year +or-.  The trunk is saturated with sweet sap which gives the Jubaea extra cold hardiness or anti-freeze.  Who knows how cold hardy a mature Jubaea is, probably it could live in Norway or even Sweden once mature.  Trick growing a Jubaea in cold climates is getting the Palm to live 30 years or more before it gets its cold hardy trunk.  Once it gets the trunk, it can handle some very cold weather.  Just saying.

Yes I already know about your amazing seed grown Jubaeas and also the crazy microclimate of Brookings, Oregon from your posts. That's interesting information. Sadly wildfires are also endangering the natural habitat of J. chilensis. I bet that a full grown example might maybe live up to the extreme literature claims depending on the character of a freeze event. I also saw that you posted that they speed up when they start to trunk and that makes sense because the Jubaeas in my area of which I posted one above seemed to be growing a lot more than I expected in one year (I had once posted an update after a year). There are also smaller ones growing there and they seemed to look good in 2022, 1 year after an extreme cold event in 2021. If they can grow in Scandinavia in mild places needs to be tested because of the unique conditions. Would be pretty wild to see though.

[Arecaceus]

4 hours ago, Mandos said:

Wow I love the discussions going around here!

Really interesting to see Oregonians (Cascadians?😏), Dutch, Belgians, Germans converse in this obscure thread!

And as most of you say, it really is true that one should try for oneself what can grow or not...  Guessing any chamaerops will be my next endeavour. Ideally cerifera. 

Anybody know the @ of the Norwegian guy growing in Ålesund? Is he active on this forum? Given Ålesunds already mild winters, the Foehn effect in that part of Norway must be a very welcomed bonus.   

I'm watching one of his videos right now (it's raining😆) and it really is amazing what he has achieved. He planted a CIDP in march? As a Swede I would never in my life attempt such a thing - april is the earliest in my parts (at best). A 4m tall flowering Trachy unprotected for 15 years. EVEN a Norfolk pine? Wonderful...

During dec/jan he wrapped up CIDP, jubaea, w. robusta, cordyline when they hit -6ºC with a heavy snow cover. Looking forward to what how Norfolk pine will look in about one month...  

Idk the Alesund grower. Do you have a link? Sounds crazy, I just looked up where this is located and I didn't expect it to be any further north than Bergen. March is usually when I start planting, depending on the weather. Sometimes even February. If the plant sat outside in a pot before that it won't have a problem. Planting makes only sense when weather is warm enough in the upcoming weeks after.

A tall unprotected windmill up there sounds also quite impressive. Norfolk Pine I doubt because at least to my knowledge they are very frost tender. Even in the Mediterranean they only grow in the mildest areas. They also don't like much temperature fluctuation I think. Maybe something else? Some other Araucaria? And so he is growing a Jubaea there already? Then at least we already have that experiment going.

[Arecaceus]

5 hours ago, Mandos said:

FYI: Karlskrona currently undergoing the last (and first) cold snap of the year with a record low so far being a frigid -7,8ºC. Arctic high pressure system.

On a personal note very nice seeing the sun for the first time since october.  

Oh yeah I know ... The arctic high pressure even reached us here. Had 2-3 nights of frosts. But temps are getting way warmer. 18°C on Friday already.
Wait? First time seeing the sun because of bad weather? Not because of latitude, right? You're not THAT high up north, are you?

[Arecaceus]

3 hours ago, Mandos said:

I've always pictured cordylines as being very frost tender. Like barely surviving when it drops below freezing? Trachys must be a lot more hardy

There are many varities. Some cultivars are very frost tender. There are 2 very common Cordylines:
The green standard Cordyline and the 'Red Star'. They are usually readily available at plant shops and buliding supplies stores even. The green standard one is pretty cold hardy and the Red Star a bit more tender. They both seem to handle at least -5°C in my experience. But i only have them 2-3 years. From what I've read they can regrow from the base after severe cold.

[Banana Belt]

1 hour ago, Arecaceus said:

Sadly wildfires are also endangering the natural habitat of J. chilensis

I did not know about the wildfires, thanks for that information.  Several years ago there was a good discussion on the explosive growth of Jubaea.  It was that post and and another showing a picture of our Jubaea's that I first visited Palm Talk as guest.  I do believe that a mature Jubaea could be the most cold hard of all the pennate palms.  Just saying.  https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/19995-the-explosive-growth-ofjubaea-chilensis/?&page=4#comments

[Arecaceus]

11 minutes ago, Banana Belt said:

I did not know about the wildfires, thanks for that information.  Several years ago there was a good discussion on the explosive growth of Jubaea.  It was that post and and another showing a picture of our Jubaea's that I first visited Palm Talk as guest.  I do believe that a mature Jubaea could be the most cold hard of all the pennate palms.  Just saying.  https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/19995-the-explosive-growth-ofjubaea-chilensis/?&page=4#comments

Wow haven't seen this post before! "Well O.K., as a seedling they grow about as fast as Continental Drift" is so accuarte! 😂 Impressive how they speed up! What's so cool about them is the size once they start trunking. In pictures it never really comes agross but standing in front of it they are so majestic with those massive trunks and tight full crowns. Yes it's very possible that they are the most cold hardy pinnate palm. But experiences probably also differ for everyone.