Sabal Update After the Cold and Snow

[@quinnM1007]

Amazing Sabal collection! There are so many fantastic cold hardy Sabal varieties out there

[@ward1compost]

Beautiful Sabals. I'm in zone 7a here in Northern Nevada and I've been experimenting with lots of palms. From 6a-8b

[@wildwildwest1286]

I've seen twice now a palm that looks like Trachycarpus princeps,am I correct?Great video and would love to see you're other palm species

[@CitrusPalmsWithTom]

It’s actually princeps x Wagnerianus. I’ll do another video soon!

[@TheBarefootedGardener]

Cool video Tom! I’m growing Sabal minor and needle Palm in Buffalo z6b so far so good! I’ve been frozen for a while but the Sabal minor tolerates being covered in a snow pile. Needle palms generally spear pull. It’s starting to warm up but do you think I should cover them with a pop up greenhouse to get them thawed? My coldest low was a brief dip to between -3 & -6°F. But I wasn’t awake yet to see.

[@CitrusPalmsWithTom]

@@TheBarefootedGardener that’s a good question! Both are native to my area or within 40 miles, so while they occasionally endure cold temps down to single digits on rare occasions, both thrive in warmer temps.

[@EvergreenPlanting]

I would like to plant a Sabal palmetto, butia odorata and I am interested in how it behaves in a climate where the average is 18-20f per winter and 20 days of snow. The lowest measured was 5f but it has been a long time since then, the last ten years it has not been less than 14f, in addition the daily temperatures are low.

[@CitrusPalmsWithTom]

Where are you located? Nowhere in the Southeastern USA experiences temps like that, so it would be hard for me to say. I will say that Sabal palmetto needs a long, hot summer to grow well, and while it can handle surprisingly low temps - close to 0F - it cannot endure them year after year or for prolonged periods.

[@EvergreenPlanting]

@@CitrusPalmsWithTom I am from Europe, on the border between Slovenia and Croatia, only about 30 miles from the sea, but the high mountains block most of the Mediterranean influence. I am 300 feet above the valley and above the temperature inversion, which makes it about 10F warmer than the valley when the temperatures drop extremely low. Morning averages are a few degrees warmer on average due to the inversion, where warm air rises and cold air drops into the valley. Trachycarpus and citrus hybrids become paler in the snow but recover. This winter the lowest was 22F. Maybe sometimes it is even better if the temperatures do not fluctuate and wake up the plants too much. There are on average 3 days a year when the temperatures do not rise above 32F. Mean daily maximum temp. are practically identical to the Daily mean temp. at Augusta Regional Airport. There are almost no frosts in the spring, maybe once every ten years almost all the flowers freeze, and even then only on apricots,walnuts, earlier varieties.

[@CitrusPalmsWithTom]

@ it sounds like you have a good climate. My only concern for Sabals would be your winter highs. The average of the days when temperatures do not rise above freezing would be extreme here in the Southeast. It is rare where I live for the temperature to fail to reach freezing. This happens here only about once every 7-10 years. In addition, average daily highs in winter are also important. Here, our average January high is about 55F (much lower than that THIS winter!)

[@EvergreenPlanting]

@ Thanks for the information, here in my area I am the first to try planting some more exotic plants, but someone has to be the first to try it.

[@CitrusPalmsWithTom]

@ yes!

[@MattInRaleigh]

Great video! In a previous video, you showed a Sabal Tamaulipas. Has that ever received cold damage?

[@CitrusPalmsWithTom]

@@MattInRaleigh no, not in 30 years. It’s never been protected.