Northern Palm Tree Care

Selection

• There are thousands of palm species to select from but only a few will grow successfully in your northern landscape. Palm species that are originally native to colder climates grow well in USDA hardiness zones 6 to 8. Sun Palm Trees.com has useful regional maps that depict the the USDA hardiness zones and help you determine your zone (see the References section). Cold hardy palm trees such as Queen, Mexican Fan, Sabal, Date and Sago can withstand temperatures as low as 15 F for short periods. Hardier palm species that can survive temperatures as low as 5 degrees include Mediterranean Fan, Windmill and the most hardy Afghanistan palm or Pakistan palm tree.

Location

• No matter what cold hardy palm you select, the location where you plant it may determine whether it survives or not. Most palm species prefer sunny locations away from strong winds. Cold winter winds can lower the effective temperature around an exposed palm tree, thereby causing damage. Select a spot that provides sun and a wind buffer for your palm in the winter, either a building or surrounding trees and shrubbery. Placing your palm to receive winter sun decreases the amount of time the tree remains in cold temperatures. Longer durations of freezing temperatures harm palm trees more than a short period of extreme cold.

Protection

• An unusual cold period of zero degrees or lower can damage or kill your palm. Adding additional protection to the tree will help it survive. Wrapping the palm trunk with several layers of heavy cloth or a blanket with an outer layer of plastic will protect the trunk, which is the palm's vulnerable area during extreme cold weather. You can also cover the fronds of small palms with a cardboard box that's weighted down with rocks. Piling mulch as high as you can around the base and trunk of your palm will protect the roots and the trunk, but the mulch must be removed as soon as the weather warms.

General Care

• Plant your palm early in the season in rich, loamy and well draining soil. This allows the palm's roots to establish and grow throughout the warm months, resulting in a stronger and healthier palm tree that can survive a cold winter. Don't overwater your palm, but allow the soil to dry between waterings. Fertilizer should be palm-formulated and applied per the package directions, but feeding should stop after July 4 to limit new growth. New, tender growth on a palm toward the end of the growing season won't harden off and is more susceptible to cold temperatures. By stopping the feeding in mid-summer, you'll slow new growth and the tree will direct its energy into strengthening existing fronds.