Palm trees are plants that many of us have fallen in love with. It may be a bit of an exaggeration, but when you enter this world and see how many species there are, and how decorative most of them (if not all) are… it is very easy for the »palmeril virus», as we call Sometimes this hobby infects you and you don’t go out even if you move to a flat without a patio.
In this article I am going to show you 10 collectible palm trees that really impress, not only for their ornamental value, but also for their resistance to low temperatures.
Index
- 1 Archontophoenix alexandrae
- 2 Allagoptera caudescens
- 3 Caryota maxima ‘Himalayan’
- 4Ceroxylon amazonicum
- 5Ceroxylon peruvianum
- 6Chamaedorea linearis
- 7 Chambeyronia macrocarpa
- 8 Dypsis decaryi
- 9 Veitchia Joannis
- 10 Remote pritchardia
Archontophoenix alexandrae
This is one of the most suitable palm trees for small gardens. It is known by several names: Alexandra Palm, Alexandra Palm, Australian Royal Palm, Australian Royal Palm…, but its scientific name is only one, and it is Archontophoenix alexandrae . It is originally, as one of its names indicates, from Australia, specifically from the northeast. It reaches a height of 30 meters , and a ringed trunk 20cm thick. Its leaves are pinnate, green on the upper side and whitish on the underside.
It can live in climates whose temperatures range between -4ºC minimum and 40ºC maximum , as long as it has a lot of humidity, especially in summer. In theory, it should be placed in full sun, but young plants burn very easily, so it is advisable to protect them a little, and gradually get them used to the sun.
Allagoptera caudescens
The Allagoptera caudescens is native to Brazil, but despite this, it is a very interesting species to have in cool climates (not cold), since it can withstand temperatures down to -4ºC . It has a slow growth rate, reaching a height of about 15m . Its leaves are pinnate, dark green on the upper side and whitish on the underside.
This species is one of those that grows best in areas with a lot of light, but always protected from direct sunlight . The best thing to do would be to put it in a corner where it would have shade when it was young, but as it gained height it could gradually receive more and more light directly from the sun.
Caryota maxima ‘Himalayan’
The Caryota maxima ‘Himalayan’ , also known as the Fishtail Palm, is native to India. It grows at a very slow rate in hot climates, reaching a height of 30 meters . It has very curious leaves, as if they were a fish tail, which gives it a feathery appearance as it matures.
It can withstand frosts down to -7ºC , but it doesn’t like high temperatures (above 30ºC), although it tolerates them as long as it is in an area protected from direct sunlight.
Ceroxylon amazonicum
The Ceroxylon amazonicum live on the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains. Its growth rate is very slow, reaching a height of up to 20m , with a trunk thickness of just 15-20cm. Its pinnate leaves, dark green on the upper side and waxy white on the underside.
It withstands temperatures well down to -5ºC , but not heat. During the summer, if it is very hot like the Mediterranean, you will see that it hardly grows. It prefers climates with mild temperatures, without extremes. In addition, it is important to keep it in the shade as long as possible, since the sun burns it.
Ceroxylon peruvianum
This is one of those palm trees that you buy because, as it is from Peru, you think… »well, it can withstand hot temperatures better anyway». Well, that’s the theory. What I can say, and affirm, is that it is a different Ceroxylon, and for that alone it is worth growing. It also grows in the Andes Mountains, at an altitude between 1500 and 2300m. It reaches a height of up to 12m , with a whitish trunk of up to 26cm.
Its leaves are pinnate, but with a feathery appearance. The beam is dark green, and the underside is white and waxy. It supports light frosts, down to -4ºC , and also needs protection from the sun during its life.
Chamaedorea linearis
We are very used to seeing Chamaedorea elegans , which is the par excellence Parlor Palm, but the genus includes other equally interesting species, and one of them is C. linearis . It is native to South America, specifically Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. It grows to a height of 10 meters , at a reasonably fast rate – more or less, about 15cm per year – and its trunk is very thin, about 8cm thick at most. Its leaves are pinnate, green on both sides.
Like all species of the genus, it must be protected from direct sunlight so that it can grow well. By the way, it supports without problems up to -4ºC , and indoor conditions.
Chambeyronia macrocarpa
The red leaf palm is native to New Caledonia. It grows to a height of about 10m , with a slender, ringed trunk up to 30cm thick. It has pinnate, slightly arched, green leaves… although the newest leaves are red. Its growth rate is slow, needing protection from the sun, especially if you live in a hot climate.
Withstands frost down to -3ºC .
Dypsis decaryi
The Dypsis decaryi or Triangular Palm is native to Madagascar. It grows to a height of 6m, with a trunk thickness of up to 40cm. It has a very curious triangular shape, with dark green pinnate and arched leaves. It is being cultivated a lot in recent years, and it has been shown to withstand frosts of up to -3ºC without problems.
Can be in full sun if the weather is mild, but will do best in semi-shade when young.
veitchiajoannis
The Veitchia joannis is a palm tree native to the Fiji Islands, ideal to have in tropical climates, free of frost. It grows to a height of 30m , with a trunk thickness of up to 20cm. Its leaves are pinnate, green. It grows at a fairly rapid rate, although it needs to be in a semi-shaded area when it is young (or if you live in a climate with maximum temperatures of more than 30ºC).
It is very striking that on its stems it has light white spots when it is young, which makes it a spectacular palm tree.They are the tallest, the center-right of the image.
Remote pritchardia
The Prtichardia are plants that have leaves similar to the Washingtonia, but very different. They are very elegant, and remote Pritchardia is one of the best cold-bearers of the genus. She is originally from Hawaii, specifically from the island of Nihoa. It grows to a height of 4m , with a trunk thickness of up to 15cm. It has very nice leaves, green (the brown spots you see in the image correspond to raindrops with mud).
It withstands frosts of up to -4ºC without problems, but it does need sun protection to prevent its leaves from burning.
And up to here the sample of palm trees of collection. Which one did you like the most?
