Palms   Cold Hardy Palms

Table of Contents List of Cold Hardy Palms Key to Cold Hardy Palms USDA Climate Zones Average Frost Dates   List of Cold Hardy Palms - USDA Zones 6b to 8a. * Expect leaf damage from average low in listed zone; ** could be lethal. List is cumulative upwards. 6b (-5 to 0 F) (-21 to 18 C) Rhapidophyllum hystrix Sabal minor 7a (0 to 5 F) (-18 to 15 C) Sabal 'Birmingham' Sabal 'Louisiana' Sabal 'Tamaulipas 7b (5 to 10 F) (-15 to 12 C) Sabal 'Brazoria* Sabal uresana Trachycarpus 'Bulgaria' Trachycarpus fortunei Trachycarpus nanus Trachycarpus takil Trachycarpus wagnerianus 8a (10 to 15 F) (-12 to 9 C) Brahea armata* Brahea berlandieri aka B. bella Brahea decumbens* Brahea dulcis* Brahea moorei* Butia capitata* Butia eriospatha Butia capitata odorata Butia paraguayensis* Butia purpurascens* Butia yatay* Chamaedorea microspadix* Chamaedorea radicalis* Chamaerops humilis* Chamaerops humilis cerifera* Jubea chilensis** Nannorrhops ritchiana** Nannorrhops ritchiana 'Silver'** Phoenix dactylifera** Phoenix loureiroi humilis** Phoenix loureiroi pedunculata** Phoenix sylvestris** Phoenix theoprastii** Sabal domingensis* Sabal etonia Sabal maritima* Sabal mexicana* Sabal palmetto Sabal rosei* Serenoa repens Trachycarpus latisectus* Trachycarpus 'manipur' Trachycarpus martianus* Trachycarpus 'Naga Hills' Trachycarpus oreophilus* Trachycarpus princeps* Trithrinax brasiliensis* Trithrinax campestris* Washingtonia filifera** Washingtonia filifera-x-robusta** Washingtonia robusta**   Chamaerops humilis , Manteo, North Carolina NOTE: Whether it is grass, perennials, annuals, trees or palms you are planting, you have to meet the requirements of the plant to succeed. That means: proper site selection; site and soil preparation; adequate irrigation; selection of the right plant and right size of plant; and planting at the optimal time. That being said, nature is not perfect. Poor health, diseases, pests, natural disasters, and old age befall people and palms alike. Nothing lasts forever. Palms are not a panacea. They are simply a choice that you may not have known about, a treasure that you have been deprived of, and a new hope. No guarantee is made, given, or implied. Please understand. Key to Cold Hardy Palms USDA Zones 6b-8a 1A Trunk absent or creeping or below ground (not upright)go to.2 1B Trunk upright, even if low and squatgo to....9   Non-trunk or Subterranean trunk 2A No sharp teeth on petioles...3 2B Sharp teeth on petioles4 3A Inflorescence terminal (at end and center of stem), upright, extends beyond leaves Nannorrhops ritchiana Z8b 3B Inflorescence not terminal...4 4A Hastula truly palmate; petioles armed .5 4B Hastula costapalmate or strongly costapalmate; petioles not armed7 5A Inflorescence extends well beyond leaves; back of leaves white, front of leaves green - Brahea moorei Z8a 5B Inflorescence held within leaves.6 6A Leaves very white front and back; leaves large (30-36inches across); Brahea decumbens Z8a; or 6B Leaves green, blue-green, or silvery;leaves small (20-24inches across) Serenoa repens Z8a 7A Inflorescence bushy and < leaves; hastula costapalmate & often highly skewed - Sabal etonia Z8a 7B Inflorescence sparse and > leaf length; hastula costapalmate..8 8A Seed (not fruit) 4-7mm; hastulas moderately skewed. Sabal minor Z7a-6b 8B Seed (not fruit) large 10-13mm; hastulas often extremely skewed; Sabal 'Tamaulipas' Z7a   Palms with a Trunk 9A Leaves pinnate (like fern leaf or ostrich feather)go to..10 9B Leaves palmate or costapalmate14 10A Thick sturdy trunk, even massive (not thin and narrow)11 10B Thin trunk (very short or up to several feet)....13 11A Deep-green glossy leaves (with wide leaf pinnae); pinnae near leaf base not modified into spines; very stout trunk - Jubea chilensis Z8b 11B Leaves gray-green to green, pinnae long and thin..12 12A Petioles toothed; basal pinnae not modified into spines; Butia sp. Z8a 12B Basal pinnae modified into spines Phoenix sp. Z8b 13A Short, 6-inch trunk at most; red berries Chamaedorea radicalis Z8b, 8a 13B Tall narrow trunk, red berries Chamaedorea microspadix Z8b, 8a 14A Wide, squat, trunk has long, sharp, conspicuous spines; leaves palmate Rhapidophyllum hystrix Z7a, 6b 14B Trunk lacks spines (but leaves may have teeth)...15 15A Leaf stem bears sharp teeth.....16 15B Leaf stem w/o sharp teeth....21 16A Teeth small, trunk average..17 16B Teeth very large, trunk wide...20 17A Hastula palmate: Loosely clustering leaning trunks Serenoa repens Z8a; or Tightly clustering upright trunks Chamaerops humilis Z8a 17B Hastula costapalmate; petioles armed...18 18A Inflorescence >>leaves, hangs gracefully down 6-ft or more Brahea armata Z9a, 8b 18B Inflorescence not as above.19 19A Dead leaves naturally fall off trunk, boot and all, leaving a clean trunk Brahea edulis Z9a, 8b 19B Dead leaves remain atached to trunk for some time Brahea dulcis / B. berlandieri Z8a 20A Abundant leaf filaments Washingtonia filifera Z8b, 8a 20B Few leaf filaments Washingtonia robusta Z9a, 8b 21A Inflorescence terminal (at end and center of trunk), upright, and much longer than leaf-length Nannorrhops ritchiana Z8a 21B Inflorescence not terminal...22 22A Leaves truly palmate; Abundant, course hair surrounds trunk at leaf bases (although trunk may be bare further down) Trachycarpus sp. 22B Leaves costapalmate (or weakly so) Trunk not hairy23 23A Trunk 20-24inches wide, not tapering markedly; inflorescence longer than leaves; fruit 12-14mm wide; seed 8-10mm wide. Sabal domingoensis Z8b. 23B Not as above...go to..24 24A Leaf weakly costapalmate; pinnae divided < 2/3 leaf length.....25 24B Leaf very costapalmate; pinnae divided > 2/3 leaf length.26 25A Trunk normal Brahea nitida Z9a 25B Trunk short & squat except very old specimens where boots have fallen off; Seed (not fruit) 4-7mm Sabal 'Louisiana' Z7a 26A Leaves glaucus; Pinnae very long at ends; inflorescence > leaves; Seed (not fruit) 10-14mm) Sabal uresana Z8a, 7b Sabal uresana Z8a, 7b 26B Leaves green or greenish....27 27A Pinnae divided > 3/4 leaf length, ends long, wispy.....29 27B Pinnae divided < 3/4 leaf length; pinnae broad ...28 28A Seed (not fruit) 8-13mm; Inflorescence = leaves Sabal mexicana Z8b, 8a 28B Inflores. > leaf S. 'Brazoria' Z7b 29A Inflorescence = leaf; seed 5-9mm; S. palmetto Z8a 29B Inflorescence < leaves; trunk slow Sabal 'Birmingham' Z7a   Trachycarpus fortunei , Taylor Form, Pullen Park Trachycarpus fortunei , Pullen Park, Raleigh, NC   ZONE Fahrenheit Celsius 5a -20 to -15 -29 to -26 5b -15 to -10 -26 to -23 6a -10 to -5 -23 to -21 6b -5 to 0 -21 to -18 7a 0 to 5 -18 to -15 7b 5 to 10 -15 to -12 8a 10 to 15 -12 to -9 8b 15 to 20 -9 to -7 9a 20 to 25 -7 to -4 9b 25 to 30 -4 to -1 10a 30 to 35 -1 to 2 10b 35 to 40 2 to 4 11a 40 to 45 4 to 7 11b 45 to 50 7 to 10 Figure 1. USDA Climate Zones   ZONE Last First Z6b April 30 Oct 18 Z7a April 25 Oct 20 Z7b April 10 Oct 25 Z8a March 30 Nov 1 Z8b March 15 Nov 15 Figure 2. Average Frost Dates - USA