Best Palms for a Temperate Zone 7

These are the best species of palm to grow in a temperate zone 7 climate.

[@buggermuffinsmoo]

It Is great to see your palm collection is doing well! the long videos are really nice to watch as well as you can dive into more details.

[@palmplanet]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that, it's always fun to do these videos! Thanks for watching, take care!

[@mrjiggawatt]

Had a windmill palm and pinto palm that was three years old in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Zone 7). And we had a really cold winter a few years ago with several days below 0 and it killed them both.

[@palmplanet]

@@mrjiggawatt That sucks! You should try Sabal minor and needle palms, they are hardier and should be bulletproof there.

[@mikej70]

Grow needle palm easy in Southern New Jersey. Don't have to cover them. They take cold and frost well. They grow slow and don't get too big

[@palmplanet]

Yes exactly, they seem to grow in just about every part of New Jersey unprotected, very hardy palms, there are a number unprotected well into New England. Such tough palms, love it!

[@mikej70]

Sabal grew too in nj not as good but decent. Trying a Washington fan palm cross supposed to grow to zone 6 we will see putting in ground next summer

[@palmplanet]

Yes Sabal minor does really well in New Jersey, they love the hot humid summers and handle the winters no problem. Washingtonia hybrids are sadly only hardy into zone 7, maybe 6b, in a dry climate, no chance in a wet climate like NJ without winter protection. Keep us posted, thanks for sharing!

[@GardenForaged]

Thanks for the video! I'm trying to grow some exotic citrus in Fairfax VA too.

[@palmplanet]

That’s awesome, keep us updated on how they do! Thanks for watching and stay tuned for more videos, take care!

[@davidirwin1549]

I have to agree and I am finding out the 2 best palms (and possibly only palms) for temperate zone 6A near 6B are the Needle Palm and the Sabal Minor (Dwarf Palmetto). I planted the 4 types in early spring: 1) Needle Palm 2) Sabal Minor 3) Saw Palmetto and 4) Windmill Palm and can already tell a big difference. The Needle Palm and the Sabal Minor are thriving (and I have never covered them) whereas the Windmill Palm and the Saw Palmetto (that I did cover when temps dropped to the 25-30 degree range) are just doing ok. I am just wondering - would it be better to not even cover or protect the Needle Palm and the Sabal Minor during the full length of the winter in Zone 6A near 6B (would they make it through the winter in better shape taking advantage of the warm spells and sunshine in the winter as opposed to being covered for nearly 4 months) ???

[@palmplanet]

That’s awesome, yes for a temperate zone 6 you should not need to cover needles or Sabal minor. There are some beautiful mature examples of both species in Cincinnati for example which is borderline 6a/6b. It wouldn’t necessarily hurt to cover them, but they certainly shouldn’t need it. Keep us updated, thanks for sharing. Thanks for watching and stay tuned for more videos, take care!

[@franceslitchfield3679]

Hi from Harford County! You have a nice collection! Can needles & sable minors be kept outside in pots in zone 7? Thank you.

[@palmplanet]

Hey, that's awesome, I always love hearing from fellow Maryland palm enthusiasts! Thank you, yes needle and Sabal minor are bulletproof pretty much everywhere in Maryland, and even if they are in a pot they will sail through any zone 7 winter, even really rough ones, they are incredible tough palms! Thanks for watching and stay tuned for more videos! Take care!

[@Salmiyaguy1]

I'm in Toronto and putting in Washington Robusta, Pindo Palm and Musa Bajoo Bananas. Wish me luck. Will be winterizing. I think I will be fine. Btw, that looks like a nesting Magpie which should not be in your range.

[@palmplanet]

Wow, that's awesome, good luck, yeah the Washy and pindo will need quite a bit of protection where you are, but I know a number of people who plant them there and have good success, keep us updated! Wow, is that right, I am terrible at identifying birds but that is amazing! Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching, stay tuned for more videos, take care!

[@mikej70]

People say the windmill palm pindo palm grow to zone 7 as well.

[@palmplanet]

Yes windmill is probably a zone 7b palm on the East Coast, but the pindo is more of a zone 8 palm, even there they can die in a bad winter. Pindos are pretty marginal in NJ but Trachys are pretty good for the southern part of the state, and there are a number up near NYC but rarely long-term.

[@sandorspalms]

Looks good bud! Takil should do well in your climate...saw some nice one's in V.B👍

[@palmplanet]

Thanks, yeah, should survive most winters with pretty much no protection here, but I may use some C9 Christmas lights just to be safe. I didn't see any in VA Beach, just saw a lot of fortunei and waggies, which are less hardy, so takil should certainly be bulletproof there and should do pretty well here. Thanks for watching, take care!

[@sandorspalms]

@@palmplanetYeah I saw the Takil, back in 2015 when I went on a local garden tour of VB. We had the ability to access private garden's and was blown away by some of the plant's people were growing! It's what inspired me to start zone pushing! Cheers bud

[@palmplanet]

@@sandorspalms Wow, that's incredible, yeah there are some pretty spectacular and palmy gardens in VA Beach! That's awesome, I love to see people in climates like yours zone pushing and extending the limits of palms! Cheers!

[@Peekcasso]

Nice garden! Nearby are also growing Washingtonias in 7a?

[@palmplanet]

Thank you! No there are no Washingtonia here, they can grow in a dry zone 7a like Albuquerque, New Mexico, but here in a wet zone 7a they will not make it through our winters unprotected, they are desert palms and prefer dry climates. Cheers, thanks for watching! Stay tuned for more videos, take care!

[@weswall7737]

They grow windmills and sabal palmettos in Tennessee although the palmettos are a lot less common but in Tennessee by the Nashville area the it’s listed as 7a but has only went below 5 once in 10 years so it’s more like 7b

[@palmplanet]

Yeah, I've seen some pictures of some big Trachys and palmettos in Hendersonville, TN, northeast of Nashville, it's amazing the palms there! Thanks for watching and stay tuned for more videos! Take care!

[@Salmiyaguy1]

Did you ever consider a Sylvester date palm or pindo palm? Both are hardy and the latter is very fast growing.

[@palmplanet]

I have considered a pindo palm, they are marginal here but will definitely need protection in a bad winter. Phoenix sylvestris is not very cold hardy, the northernmost specimens on the East Coast are in coastal South Carolina, it would never survive here and would get way too big to protect very quickly like you said. The two other palms I want to try here are the saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) from the Southeastern U.S. and the mazari palm (Nannorhops ritchiana) from the Middle East. Both species are very hardy and will need minimal to no protection in our climate. I also have some super hardy Sabal palmetto seedlings that I grew from seed from Virginia Beach which I will be planting next spring. I will keep you updated, thanks for watching, take care!

[@Salmiyaguy1]

@@palmplanet I live in Qatar most of the year. I just looked up Mazari Palm and realized there is one right outside my apartment complex. It's a little non traditional palm looking. Not quite the look I am going for but I can see why you would like it.

[@palmplanet]

@@Salmiyaguy1 Wow, amazing, yeah there are lots where you are. They are very rare here, yeah you can grow lots of big palms in your climate but here we are more restricted because it is colder, so we can’t grow big palms live the Sylvester date. Thanks for watching, cheers!

[@Salmiyaguy1]

yes, but I will be planting in Toronto. So lots of winterization ahead.

[@Salmiyaguy1]

@@palmplanet YOu should look into brahea armata. not sure what the common name is but it looks like it would be a hit in your area and looks much more attractive than than the mazari as it grows to maturity.

[@Nattyboh1885]

Where are you purchasing these palms from? (Also MD on the 95 corridor)

[@palmplanet]

Most of them I got from Pungo Palms Nursery in Virginia Beach, but I got some of my windmills from Ed’s Plant World in Brandywine, MD, they have a good selection of different sized windmill palms there at pretty good prices, much better than anywhere else in the region I’ve seen.