Hardy Tropicals UK

Interesting notion here! Ive recently watched a video on youtube of a Chinese fan palm in zone 6 (USDA) which has survived -14F. This equates to around -25C I find this quite unbelievable but the video evidence says otherwise. It survived too defoliated but with a green spere

I did a little seed experiment last winter. Mainly enforced because I ran out of room after having far too much success germinating seeds inside so most of my palm seedlings got stuck outside all winter and were left to it. I can't remember specifics but I'm sure it was at least -5 C at points and was cold for a long time. Anyway I tried the following.

Trachycarpus Fortunei
Trachycarpus Takil
W. Filifera
W. Robusta
Phoenix Reclinata
Nannorrhops Ritcheana
Livistona Chinensis
Livistona Decora

They were all stuck outside around the time of throwing up there first leaf. Cruel I know but necessary

As expected, most of the fortunei survived ok. A few of the takil made it. The Washingtonias, Phoenix, L. Decora and Nannorrhops were quickly killed.

Livistona Chinensis almost all of them survived with only very minor leaf tip damage. I now have them in an unheated greenhouse stuffed into a large pot. They were just starting to push out there second leaves by the end of summer. So far this winter they appear unaffected, though it hasn't been a cold winter yet of course but still seen -3/-4 briefly. I think perhaps the main problem is not hardiness but there non existent growth in a regular UK summer.

So there is hope for mine yet

[quote="Steph"]I have killed a few, they are not hardy...
Not very common because they don't survive over winter, beautiful plants though.
Sorry to be so pessimistic............[/quote

True Steph.

No luck with them either down here in Southampton but I really did not try that hard with them as I was still learning exotic gardening 30 odd years ago.

I suppose I could give one a go again but I haven't seen any for sale around here since about 1980.

billdango

I always had an idea that if a plant is grown from seed under harsh conditions and survives, it was potentially a lot hardier than a more mature plant that was grown under glass all it's life or that was grown in a warmer climate then brought over to the UK.

ianmck wrote:I always had an idea that if a plant is grown from seed under harsh conditions and survives, it was potentially a lot hardier than a more mature plant that was grown under glass all it's life or that was grown in a warmer climate then brought over to the UK.

That is the same rule i live by my friend. For example I've grown washingtonia robusta from seed they're one year old now and the only protection they've had is being in an unheated conservatory. There is no damage what so ever and they're pushing out new spears! Then on this forum you hear of people loosing big plants they've bought even when protected. This i think because they're not british born plants!

Interesting train of thought there. I was always led to believe hardness was genetic.