Any advice on growing Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Needle Palm) in Zone 7a Tennessee?

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by We3_MPO, Jul 2, 2018.

  1. I've really been wanting a palm of some sort in my yard. I know certain other palms (such as Saw Palmetto and some members of the genus Trachycarpus) can also be grown in Zone 7a when more mature, but I would prefer a Needle Palm as they can tolerate zones down to even 5b when mature enough, and 7a even as tiny saplings. Plus I've heard they've also been grown in White County TN since the 1960s or earlier, which means they must've somehow survived the unusually extreme cold in January 1985.

    Plus, when I went to Hendersonville, TN on May 18, 2018 to see palms in a public place, the Chinese Windmill Palms looked like they suffered some pretty bad foliage damage (they generally thrive in my area, but the 2017-2018 Winter was an unusually rough one), while the smaller, shrubbier Needle Palms below them appeared to be covered in feet thick of their green, needle-like fronds. The two things I've previously mentioned means Needle Palms are likely the best option in terms of withstanding lower temperatures, and as far as I've heard, they are hardy to at least about -5F (often lower) and are the most cold hardy palm in the world, at least if they have hot summers to compensate (which some lesser cold-hardy palms don't need, but these do).

    Any tips? I'd probably try to plant in September if possible because I'm desperate not to plant in the heat or have nothing to turn my attention to in the ugliness of October-January, but I've read in a news article that the palm planting season in the Nashville-Murfreesboro metro area (the two twins of which are only an hour west of where I currently live) is "April to September".