Palm plants belong in the houseplant club due to their aesthetic value and low maintenance.
Palm trees are more adapted to tropical/sub tropical parts of the world where there’s warm and bright sunlight to its maximum potential. Thus, it is important for palm tree owners in colder climates to take extra care of their palm trees.
Tropical palms are sensitive to cold, so it will not take long for them to get damaged if their surroundings go below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
A palm could even die if a freezing temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
In This Article: We’re going to cover what temperature is ideal for palm trees and some tips to grow palm trees healthy in colder temperatures, along with some palm tree species that have extreme cold tolerance.
What’s the Ideal Temperature for Palm Trees
As stated earlier, palm trees really like warm conditions.
The optimal temperature for most palm trees is in the range of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cold weather with temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit slows the plant’s root activity and growth rate.
Factors Affecting the Palm Tree’s Cold Tolerance
The following are some factors that can affect the cold tolerance of a palm tree.
Health
A plant’s health overall will affect how cold hardy it is.
The more water and nutrients your palm gets in the most optimal amounts, the healthier it will be and the more it will tolerate the cold.
Maturity
Older palm trees are better equipped to handle colder weather than young delicate plants.
The difference is the larger roots and thick trunks.
Acclimatization
A greenhouse-grown palm will need some time to adjust to cooler weather.
Acclimatizing to a cooler climate includes not only temperatures but several other factors like higher wind speeds, lesser sun and less water.
You will have to protect any palm tree until it’s fully acclimatized to any new environment.
Microclimate
The microclimate is a small area around your plant. It has a different temperature compared to the climate of your area.
You can raise the temperature of the microclimate by using different materials like rocks and fences.
Also – you can plant your palm tree underneath a big tree to protect it from the elements of winter.
Tips for Keeping Palm Trees Healthy in Cold Temperatures
The following tips will help you keep your plants healthy in cold temperatures and prevent the problem of a cold-damaged palm.
Use a Frost Protection Spray
A frost protection spray is a widely used and efficient method of keeping palm trees alive throughout the winter.
These sprays will winterize your plants and allow those plants to stay green and shiny in the winter conditions.
These sprays will also protect the leaves of the plant from any freezing burns that could occur due to snowfall or cold windy weather.
Wrap Palm Trees
To keep your palm trees safe from the cold winter winds and storms, wrapping them up temporarily is a good way to protect them.
If a weather report states that the temperature is going to drop to below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, you may consider wrapping your palm trees with frost cloth or burlap.
If you have smaller plants, you can use boxes and put them on top of the small plants with the lid slightly open.
You want to make sure to remove the wrapping and boxes when it is about 40 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heads Up! You don’t want to leave your palm trees wrapped or covered for more than five days. You may suffocate your palm trees.
Perform Mulching
While mulching is helpful for palm trees in a season other than winter, it offers great assistance during the winter season.
Not only does it help prevent the palm trees from being damaged by the elements but it can prevent the ground from freezing.
Use organic mulch in the forms of leaves, such as maple or oak leaves, when winterizing your palm trees.
Water Palm Trees
Palm trees that are completely saturated with water have a greater resistance to frost in the winter months.
During the cold winter months, the amount of water that these plants take in is heavily reduced and this can lead to defoliation.
Therefore, in the winter, you should water your palms more often than you normally would. You can also use tepid water to promote the intake of water by the plant.
Use Heating Cables or Christmas Lights
You can simply obtain heating cables, as opposed to purchasing them online. Heating cables, you can find these low-wattage heating cables at your hardware store for the purpose of keeping your palm trees warm.
The heating cables are installed in the soil with the intention of keeping it warm and heating the plants.
The next good thing is that they come with a built-in thermostat and you can program the heating cables to turn on automatically if temperature drops below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Works Good – For those of you that can’t find heating cables, you could use Christmas lights with the same effect and they create heat to keep your plants warm and healthy all winter!
The only thing you should do is to install the lights on the trunk of your palm trees.
Buy Temporary Greenhouse
Purchasing a temporary greenhouse is yet another practical way to protect your palm trees during the cold months.
Although it is a costly and labor-intensive option, there is no other way to get the most guaranteed results.
Move Palm Trees Inside
If your palm trees are in containers and can be moved, consider taking them indoors.
This is the best way to keep your plants alive and thriving through a cold winter.
You may need to put a humidifier indoors to get added moisture to the air to keep your palm trees happy.
Use a Fertilizer
Applying fertilizer is very important to protect your palm tree in winter.
This can enhance the plant’s overall cold-hardiness and cold tolerance to ultimately better assist the palm trees to endure the nasty elements that come with a temperature drop.
Important Note- Be sure to read the manufacturer’s recommendations carefully so you use the fertilizer at the right level.
Best Palm Trees for Winter
Even though most palm species can withstand temperatures under 45 degrees Fahrenheit, there are some cold tolerant palm trees that can tolerate 20 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
Here is a list of cold hardy palms that can be used if you live in a colder climate.
Chinese Fan Palm Tree
The Chinese Fan palm – Livistona Chinensis – is one of the most cold-hardy palms. This palm species comes from a native land of China and Japan.
The Chinese Fan palm can survive temperatures from 20 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as brief periods of drought.
It will do great in USDA zones 9a – 11, but it may survive in zones 6 and 7 with loss of some foliage.
It is good to know that these Chinese Fan palms are typically killed to the ground during the winter, which doesn’t bother the tree, as they automatically recover with no care needed in the spring and summer.
European Fan Palm Tree
The European Fan Palm Tree, or Chamaerops Humilis is a slow growing palm.
It’s also an attractive shrub-like palm that is evergreen and comes from the Mediterranean and Northern African areas.
It can easily withstand the cold in the temperature range of 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit and thrives well in the USDA Hardiness zones of 7b – 11.
In addition – The plant can withstand 3 degrees Fahrenheit above zero, with some leaf damage possible during winter months.
Windmill Palm Tree
Another cold-hardy palm is the Windmill Palm Tree, or Trachycarpus Fortunei. This palm tree is native to southern China, Nepal, Thailand, Burma, and India.
It naturally occurs in mountainous regions at elevations above 6650 feet, meaning it is tolerant of freezing temperatures.
Windmill palm trees have tolerances to cold ranging from 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit with growing recommendations from USDA zones of 7b – 11.
It’s worth noting that younger Windmill palm trees are cold sensitive.
They can completely lose all their leaves and be permanently damaged at temperatures of 15 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
Cabbage Palm Tree
The Cabbage Palm Tree, or Sabal Palmetto, is a North American and Mexican native plant.
A tough plant that tolerates cold and drought, it can survive down to 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit and prefers USDA zones 8a – 11.
While temperatures below 10 degrees Fahrenheit may damage the palm trunk and leaves, it can survive temperatures down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit without dying.
Sago Palm Tree
The Sago Palm Tree, scientifically known as Cycas Revoluta, is a cycad species that is endemic to southern Japan.
While not a true palm, it is cold hardy and can tolerate temperatures as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and grows in USDA zones 8b – 11.
In some locations, the Sago Palm Tree can also survive 10 degrees Fahrenheit without any signs of trouble.
Bismarck Palm Tree
Also known as Bismarckia Nobilis, the Bismarck Palm Tree is one of the most beautiful palm trees in its class.
Bismarck Palm trees thrive in their native Madagascar and have a high tolerance for cold temperatures down to 25 degrees F.
A great tree choice in USDA zones 9b – 11, Bismarck Palms also can be planted in windy areas because of their robust root structure.
Final Words
Palms are appealing and low-maintenance plants that are self-cleaning in their nature.
Most palms do not like very cold temperatures; however, there are some cold hardy palms that can withstand a winter.
If you do not have any of these types of palms, please use the suggestions that follow to protect your plants from cold weather.