The climate is a factor to take into account when we grow plants, since not all of them resist the same temperatures as they originate from different places. The vast majority of palm tree species are native to regions with a warm climate, where there are no frosts or, if there are, they are very weak and of very short duration. However, there are several that are perfect to have in temperate gardens.
Do you want to know which palm trees are resistant to cold and frost? Take note.
Selection of cold resistant palm trees
Although these plants are quite adaptable, they can surprise you at any time, cold is often the biggest problem we face when growing them. Fortunately, there are more than 3000 species of palm trees, of which there are about twenty that can withstand cold and frost. The most interesting are:
Trachycarpus Bulgaria
It is a variety of the Trachycarpus fortuneioriginally from, as its name suggests, Bulgaria. Many seeds on the market today come from a population of specimens whose ‘parents’ lived near the Black Sea coast.
With regard to characteristics and care, they are the same as those of the mentioned species. This means that we are talking about a palm tree that reaches a height of up to 12 meterswith a single trunk usually covered with the sheaths of the fallen leaves (although they can be cut without problem). These leaves are palmate, green, and about 50cm long by 75cm wide.
Supports up to -23ºC.
Rhapidophyllum histrix
Image – Wikimedia Commons / David J. Stang
It is a species that is still little known, but I am convinced that before the end of the century many specimens will be seen in the gardens because of how rustic and adaptable it is. It is a multicaule dwarf palm, that is, of several trunks, which do not exceed 2 meters in height. The crown is composed of webbed leaves that can reach 2 meters in length.
It also resists up to -23ºC without being damaged.
Nannorhops ritcheana
Image – Flickr/Boubder
It is a palm tree similar to the previous one. It develops several trunks (it is multicaule) with a 1-3 meter heightand some fan-shaped leaves with very divided leaflets, green or bluish in color.
It is a bit colder: it resists up to -20ºC, although the ideal is not to drop below -12ºC.
Sabal minor
Image – Wikimedia Commons / David J. Stang
The Sabal minor It is a very pretty little palm tree, with a solitary trunk and large fan-shaped leaves about 2 meters long, made up of numerous greenish leaflets. Reaches a maximum height of 3 metersalthough the normal thing is that it does not exceed the meter.
It is rustic up to -18ºC.
Trachycarpus latisectus
They call it the Windamere palm tree, and it is a plant that develops a solitary trunk of up to 10 meterscrowned by green fan-shaped leaves and wide up to 40cm.
Supports up to -17ºC.
Trachycarpus fortunei
Image – Wikimedia Commons / Manfred Werner – Tsui
It is the most demanded species for gardens where winters are cold. In fact, if you like to watch UK gardening shows like Big dreams, small spaces from Monty Don, you may have seen it. It is known in the Spanish-speaking world as raised palm, and it is a plant that reaches a height of up to 12 meterswith a thin trunk and palmate leaves.
It supports well up to -15ºC.
butia capitata
Image – Wikimedia Commons / William Avery
The butia capitata it is one of the few pinnate-leaf palms that is frost-resistant. Reaches a height of up to 5 meterswith a trunk of 20 to 30cm in diameter. The leaves are glaucous green, and slightly arched.
Withstands frosts down to -10ºC.
Parajubaea torallyi
It is a palm tree that I have the pleasure of knowing, because in my garden I planted one 🙂, specifically the variety Parajubaea torallyi var. torallyiwhich is the highest of all the Parajubaea with a height of up to 25 meters. The type species stays at 15-20 meters. It develops a single trunk with a diameter of about 35cm, and a crown of pinnate leaves up to 4-5 meters long.
It resists without problems up to -10ºC.
phoenix canariensis
Image – Wikimedia / Donkey shot
La canary palm tree it is a beautiful species that develops a single trunk up to 70cm in diameter crowned by pinnate leaves up to 7 meters long, green in color. Reaches a height of 10 to 13 meters.
It is ideal for warm and temperate gardens, as it also holds up to -10ºC.
Phoenix dactylifera
Image – Wikimedia / Southcoastwholesale
If you like dates, harvest them yourself by planting a date in your garden. This palm is usually multicaule, that is, it has several trunks, although you have the option of cutting them when they are still only leaves, which grows up to 30 meters in height.
Supports up to -6ºC.
To consider
It is highly advisable that during the first year they protect themselves a little. They withstand frost without problems, but very young palm trees in their natural environment tend to have the protection of taller plants. As they gain height, they also become stronger and can withstand the cold without difficulty.
Do you know other palm trees that resist frost?
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