Chamaerops humilis

[JoelR]

I'm curious to know how these are doing for people. I've had for one about 7 years and it's grown into a nice palm in that time. Not huge, only a few feet tall but with lots of offsets coming out of the trunk just above ground level and a nice fat trunk. last year was the first time it's suffered damage. I only protected it on the worst night when it dipped to -10C with a teepee of canes and a double wrapping of fleece. This year it's been wrapped on a number of occasions but I got caught out by a BBC forecast on one night when it caught -12C without protection.
Last summer I went to RHS Rosemoor in Devon and I was surpised to see all their Chamaerops were completely defoliated (or heavily pruned) with only new emerging leaves. I wonder if mine is going to look like that in a few months time. We must get it worse than Devon here in West Yorks but I want to grow more of these. Sorry no pictures to hand just now.

[cartel]

Mine has survived the previous 2 winters unprotected but this December's low here of -12 (rural Notts.) has hit it hard, I have pulled 3 spears and it looks like only 1 frond is still green. I'm going to leave it to see what happens, along with my 4 phormiums, large cordyline, 2 Dicksonia antarctica's which all look stone dead!

Even my Trachys and P.nigra bamboos look awful.

[musa_monkey]

Mine is probably 2 to 3ft tall and is in a large pot close to the house.
It has survived the last 3 winters without a problem down to -12c without protection
It still looks great.

A few of my more tender bamboo have suffered and my "protected" bananas have all had it though.

[The Codfather]

what about the ones in the garage ..... ?

[JoelR]

Here's the plant in summer 2009.

[DiCasS]

In comparison Joel, I've got one the same size as yours here, about 2 ft. trunk. Winter 08/09 spear pulled but high up in the trunk with some offshoots pulling, grew back okay that year with a temperature of I think -11 lowest. Winter 09/10 spear pulled low down in the trunk and all side shoots lost, some side shoots came back (but not all) and took all summer to repair the damage done by the Winter, resulting in no perfect, proper sized leaves just small leaves, all this with a temperature of -12 and some harsh daytime temperatures. This Winter so far spear pulled from crown and remaining offshoots pulled. I suspect I've lost it this Winter. It has taken a -15. All years with protection of some sort or another.

What's your looking like at the mo, is there any visible damage or does it look okay

Di

[davidjonesUK]

3 outta 4 have spear pulled there the same size as my cerfia shown in the topic chammy vulcano except the one that suvive that's just bout to trunk

[jezza]

I had three, two in pots and one in the ground. Potted ones are fine, they've been in an unheated greenhouse. the one in the ground had sailed through the last two winters, but this winter the temp dropped too low and killed it. I dug it up monday afternoon and is now on the rubbish heap.

[Simba]

My one got hit hard last winter, lost all new growth to spear pull, but made a bit of a comeback later into the year, then got hit full on with this -14, lost all new growth again, and I think that its now curtains, as it's gone all black and mouldy...

[musa_monkey]

what about the ones in the garage ..... ?

To be clear "had it" meant above ground, they will sprout from the base again i have no doubt. The garden in the garage seems fine so far, but its probably only seen -2c compared to -12c outside

[vivi]

Just checked my 3ft one after reading this post ,sad to say it doesn't look good.Dried up and mouldy apart from the new growth around the base of the plant!Another I have in a pot close to the house apart from a few burnt fronds looks OK.Both were protected in the harshest weather and have never shown any sign of damage in the previous 5 winters.

[sam140]

My chammies have also being hit hard but are established and should recover.

[redsquirrel]

hope so Sam,and same for everyone else.only 2-3 years ago,we said these were our reliable backbone palms with trachies.not so anymore

[Axel]

I hope Dave Brown will give us an update on his fabulous chamaerops. It's truly one of the best i have seen, grown from a small size.