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Cold Hardy Palm Trees For Landscapes In Southern States ? Zones 8-11
By | August 21, 2008
In Southern States, the Northern type palm trees that withstand cold temperatures of -20* F will also thrive in the South. The Northern type palm trees, such as Windmill Palm trees, Trachycarpus fortunei, Needle Palm trees, Rhapidophyllum hystrix, Dwarf palmetto palm tree, Sabal minor, and Dwarf Saw Palmetto palm trees, Serenoa repens, are discussed in another article by the same author called ?Cold Hardy Palm Trees for Landscape Design and Planting in the United States.? Other palm trees that are abundantly planted and grown in the Southern States are the Washingtonia (Washington) Fan Palm Tree, Washingtonia robusa, the Pindo (Jelly) Palm Tree, Butia capitata ‘Pindo,’ the Sago Palm Tree, Cycas revoluta, the Chinese Fan Palm Tree, Livistonia chinensis, and the European Fan Palm Tree (Mediterranean Fan Palm Tree), Chamaerops humilis. This latter list of Southern States, adapted palm trees can be found planted and growing extensively throughout the South, principally because their growth rate is faster than the Northern States’ list of cold hardy palm trees, and the cost is considerably less for large established specimens that offer a fast fix for the tropical look.
Washingtonia (Washington) Fan Palm, Washingtonia robusta, also known as the Mexican Fan Palm Tree, the Washingtonia (Washington) Fan Palm tree has been planted to grow in landscapes throughout the Southern United States. The Washingtonia Fan palm tree is a favorite tree for planting near motels, because it grows fast. Washington Fan palm trees also are lined along interstate highways and at metropolitan boulevard parks. The imposing height of this palm tree can grow 100 feet tall in Mexico where it is native. The Washingtonia (Washington) Fan Palm tree is the fastest growing of the cold hardy palm trees in America. TyTy Nursery offers various sizes of Washingtonia palm trees for the gardener to buy.
Pindo (Jelly) Palm Tree - Butia capitata ?Pindo?
The distinctive look of the Pindo palm tree, Butia capitata ?Pindo? is unforgettable. Pindo palm trees are tolerant of salt water spray and can be found growing up and down coastal areas from Virginia to South Florida, Zones 8-10. The leaf color of the Pindo palm tree is blue-green, growing up to 6 ft. long, but the actual palm tree rarely grows taller than fifteen feet tall. The large orange fruit is tasty and in the South is used to make jelly, tasting like banana-pineapple. The Pindo palm tree survived the severe zero degree temperatures in the historical 1983 deep freeze in the South.
Sago Palm Tree - Cycas revoluta
In Sicily, Italy, Sago palm trees grow to fifteen feet tall, but only after decades of growth. This palm tree, known as the Sago palm and is perhaps the most widely marketed palm tree, because of its easy maintenance requirements and livability. The Sago palm is commonly used as a container tree at restaurants and cafes. Sago palm trees are moderately cold hardy and this palm survived the zero temperatures in the winter of 1983. The Sago palm tree is a popular container palm tree to be placed in pairs at door entrances, Zones 8-11.
Chinese Fan Palm Tree - Livistonia chinensis
Even though the growth rate of the Chinese Fan palm tree is slow it can grow 25 ft. tall. The huge leaves are beautiful and arch upwards on the Chinese Fan Palm tree. The Chinese Fan palm tree is widely grown and adaptable in Zones 9-11. The Chinese Fan Palm tree, Livistonia chinensis, is commonly planted and grown as a landscape specimen.
European Fan Palm Tree (Mediterranean Fan Palm Tree) - Chamaerops humilis
A native palm tree to the Mediterranean region, the European Fan Palm, Chamaerops humilis can be seen growing extensively in Europe growing as clumps of outside specimen trees or potted in large containers useful as decorative trees outside restaurants and cafes at such cities as Paris, Rome and Athens. When stripped of offset palms the European Fan palm forms a very graceful plant solitary in landscapes, looking similar to the Windmill Palm tree, Trachycarpus fortunei, both with tall slender trunks and small fan shaped leaves. European Fan palm tree clumps are extensively used at the Cloister Hotel at Sea Island, GA as specimen clusters in the landscape design. They are cold hardy in Zones 8-11.
About the Author:
Buy the trees mentioned in this articles, as well as many others, from the authors website! TyTy Nursery
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There has been many people from the Bucks County Pa area planting the Dawn Redwoods. So I thought I would write this article to help you learn about this great tree.
Okay campers: This tree proves that scientists don’t know when a tree is extinct. Fossil records showed that this tree was extinct for 35 million years, yet this deciduous conifer fooled them all until 1945 when it was rediscovered in a remote valley of Central China in 1945. Dawn Redwood or The Dinosaur Tree, is offically called, “Metasequoia glyptostroboides”. The Dawn Redwood first came to America in 1945 in seeds and has shown to be viable in zones 6 to 8. This tree grows fast and can reach 75 to 100 feet by 25 feet in diameter. It likes full sun to partial shade and is tolerant of moist to dry soils with ph ranges of 3.7 to 7.0. Go ahead and plant it in clay soils, loam or sand. Its bright green, feathery, needle-like foliage will turn brown and will drop quickly in the fall. Thus this plant will be suitable for a great summer screen or a specimen plant. This plant is great for a Hort 101 beginner. It is easy to grow, pest free, adaptable, grows fast, and has soft bright green needles, and of course we have hundreds of 3-4′ plants ready for your landscape.
Dawn Redwood Trees are fairly easy to plant because they are fairly rugged and durable. Yet to plant or transplant them you do need to follow some basic guidelines. We have been growing River Birch Trees for a number of years and offer these suggestions for planting.
All people handling Dawn Redwood Trees need to help with the life support of your plants. Seedlings are like fish out of water and need care which is often overlooked between the time the seedlings are lifted and transplanted. Improper care means higher mortality. Do not try and reinvent the wheel. You must protect seedling from moisture and temperature extremes, as well as physical damage.
Dawn Redwood Trees seedlings are living and should be handled carefully. For a higher survival rate, treat trees carefully and plant them immediately. I like to have a backup plan for planting if the weather turns bad. I will sometimes switch from lining out the seedlings to potting them up if I realize that the soil conditions will not be right for an extended Length of time. If planting must be delayed a few days, keep the plants in a cold, protected place with air circulation between the trees. Keep the Dawn Redwood Trees out of the rain and wind. To check if the trees need water, feel the media at the roots. If it isn’t damp, water the trees and allow the excess water to drain. In cool, damp weather, the biggest threat to these trees is from mold. Try to keep bareroot Dawn Redwood Trees seedlings moist by either restricting water loss with a water vapor barrier or by wetting the roots at regular intervals. While handling or planting try to reduce temperature and air movement around the seedlings. Windy days can dry out seedlings so consider waiting for calmer weather. Once your soil conditions are correct OUR FREE USE PLANTERS will make planting a snap so its will be worth waiting for good planting conditions.
HOW TO PLANT
Ideal planting days are cool and cloudy with little or no wind. If possible, avoid planting on warm, windy days. The soil should be moist not wet. Care in planting is more important than speed. Make sure the roots are never allowed to become dry. Dawn Redwood Trees seedlings should be carried in a waterproof bag or bucket with plenty of moist material packed around the roots to keep them damp. Ideally, bare root boxes should be kept refrigerated or packed in ice or snow. Don’t freeze the trees.
Competition from weeds, grass, brush or other trees is very detrimental to survival and growth of seedlings. Choose areas free from this competition or clear at least a three-foot square bare spot before planting. Dawn Redwood Trees seedlings should not be planted under the crown of existing trees, or closer than 6 feet to existing brush. Avoid areas near walnut trees.
Brush aside loose organic material such as leaves, grass, etc., from the planting spot to expose mineral soil. If organic matter gets into the planting hole, it can decompose and leave air spaces. Roots will dry out when they grow into these spaces. Open up the hole, making sure the hole is deep enough for the roots to be fully extended. If roots are curled or bunched up, the tree will not be able to take up water correctly, will often weaken and die, or may blow down later due to poor root structure.
Take a tree out of your planting bag or bucket only after a hole is ready. When exposed, the fine roots can dry out in as little as 30 seconds. Dawn Redwood Tree shoots and roots lose water to air, roots require more protecting.Unlike leaves ,they do not have stomata (close-able openings on the surface of the leaves) or any waxy coatings to help reduce water loss. If the Dawn Redwood Tree roots feel dry they are probably dead. Now I know you are thinking,”I will place them in a bucket of water and store them there until planting”. This will not work. Submerge plants for no longer that a couple of minutes. Placing them in water cuts them off from oxygen. Remember to remove the container before planting a containerized tree. A helpful hint to all those new gardeners just starting is to remember to always plant green side up. Hold the seedling in place in the hole, making sure the roots are straight, fully extended and that the tree is neither too shallow or too deep in the hole. Fill hole, allowing soil to fall in around the roots. Tamp with hands or with your heel. Don’t crush the roots by jumping up and down around the seedling like there is a snake curled up around the seedling. It is delicate. Fill with more soil, if necessary, and tamp. Tamping is important. If soil is not firmly packed around the roots, there will be air pockets that can dry out the roots, and the seedlings may be weakly anchored. It is far easier to plant the tree strait up then have the tree leaning and have to adjust the tree later. (Addition of fertilizer and plant vitamins at the time of planting is not generally necessary.)
Take your time in planting. Proper spacing will help you grow a more valuable crop. I have tried to get more production from a limited area by over planting and then thinning, but I always have had trouble in harvesting …. digging is slower and poor quality usually results for a portion of the crop. Avoid these tree planting errors:
Tangled roots
Planting too shallow
Planting too deep
Air pockets
Turned up roots (this is called J rooting)
Planting trees that are not tolerant of wet soils in poorly drained areas
Planting over rocks, septic tanks and leach fields, on sand mounds
CARE OF TREES FOLLOWING PLANTING
Check periodically to be sure that brush, grass and other vegetation is kept under control by mowing, mulching, spraying or a combination of these treatments. Always obtain advice from a licensed pest control adviser before using chemicals. You ag extension agency may offer courses in application of chemicals. Monitoring the appearance of your trees will help you to detect signs of insects, diseases or other problems. Appearances also help sell your product. Look for foliage turning yellow, new foliage drooping or other signs of poor health. It is easier to take successful corrective action if the problem is detected early.
Over watering is a common problem in irrigated plantations. You probably won’t need to water more frequently than every 7-10 days. Give your trees a thorough, deep soak and then let the soil dry out before the next watering. This encourages the roots to grow down in search of water. Frequent, shallow watering encourages root growth near the surface and the trees are more dependent on irrigation and are less windfirm.
Animals can be a major cause of damage to young trees. Porcupines, gophers, mice, rabbits, deer and cattle are the most frequent source of damage. In many states you may have to call your game commission and get their recommendations on legal methods to protect your crop. In our state, you can get help from the Pa. Game Commission to kill deer that are a threat to your seedlings or obtain a free fence to keep deer away from your seedlings. Over the years we have lost more trees to mice than any other animal. Put rat baits out on a regular basis. Over the years we have lost more Dawn Redwood Tree seedlings and plants to mice than any other culprit including deer and rabbit ts combined. You an see more articles about the care and planting of Dawn Redwood Trees and nursery stock at our web site:
http://www.seedlingsrus.com
and http://www.highlandhillfarm.com
About the Author
Bill has been raising and selling trees for 25 years near Doylestown Pa. and has two web sites http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.zone5trees.com
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