Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Needle Palm) - 2nd year in the ground. (5 plants). Leaves were used for winter protection, but most of foliage was exposed all winter long. Of the five plants, one is beginning to send up blossoms.

Trachycarpus Wagneranius. 2nd year in the ground. During this past winter it was completely defoliated and the spear pulled. As you can see, regrowth is occuring.

This sabal minor is from North Carolina. 2nd year in the ground. Very little damage to foliage from winter cold. Spring growth has been steady and slow.

Sabal Minor Talladega, AL. 2nd year in the ground. Protected with leaves. Spears pulled (clump of 2 plants). All green growth seen in picture is new growth this year.

Trachycarpus Fortunei. 2nd year in the ground. I've had this plant for several years now. It spent the winter (2 winters ago) outside in a pot and managed to survive! No spear pull on this plant, but the green leaves did all die back.

Two different Sabal Birmingham. 2nd year in the ground. Completely defoliated over the winter. Protected with leaves. Spears did not pull. Regrowth has been slow but strong.

Sabal Louisiana. 2nd year in the ground. It had a few leaves on the ground, but most of the plant was exposed all winter. Minor leaf-tip burn but overall it came through amazingly well!! No spear pull on any of the 3 plants in this clump. Growing strongly at present.

These two sabal minor are NOT planted near the house. They did have some leaf damage...but have managed to pull through quite well on their own with only a little layer of leaves. Most of the leaf tissue was exposed to the elements. 2nd year in the ground.

This Trachycarpus Fortunei (Taylor Form) is in its' 2nd year in the ground. It was completely unprotected. It was completely defoliated. The spear pulled. As you can see, new growth has been good.

Sabal Palm. This plant is over 4 years old. 2nd year in the ground. It experienced complete defoliation this past winter. The leaf protection used blew away! It did NOT experience spear pull and is growing back.

This Pindo Palm was planted about a week ago. Since it is really a zone 8 palm (borderline zone 7), it will require additional heat and protection this winter. I plan to tie up the leaves (when temperatures drop into the 20's consistently), create a barrier made out of stakes and plastic sheeting, and stick a light bulb inside. Protection must be simple in order for it to be practical. I want to preserve the palm tissue with a minimum of effort and expense.

Three Trachyarpus Fortunei. 2nd Summer in the ground. Planted from seed about 3 years ago. Protected during winter with leaves. All three experienced spear pull, but have recovered.

Trachycarpus Fortunei. 2nd year in the ground. Protected with leaves. Exposed leaves were killed back. Protected leaves survived. This palm did not experience spear pull. New growth has been impressive.

June 5, 2011

It's the second summer since I planted out my first batch of cold-hardy palms here in Martinsburg, West Virginia - zone 6B.

This past winter I took the minimalist approach to cold weather protection. I piled up leaves on the palms. This approach worked great in preserving bud tissue, but except for the needle palms (which experienced minor cold damage to the leaves in the form of spotting), the remaining trees lost most of their exposed foliage. However, the foliage that was protected by the leaf cover remained green and viable.

Lesson learned...this winter I will take winter protection one step further. I will use frost cloth...and perhaps a few wooden stakes to help divert snowfall from their crushing weight. I still want to keep winter protection to a minimum. Having plants in the garden which require excessive winterization work just isn't practical for all but the most die-hard enthusiast!

I do have one exception. I picked up a rather nice-sized Pindo Palm, which I stuck in the ground a week ago. This is technically borderline hardy in zone 7...but is really a zone 8 and up palm. While I do not plan to go nuts with winter protection with this palm, I do plan to tie up the fronds once the temperature drop into the 20's, create a wind barrier using stakes and sheet plastic, and stick a light bulb in to warm things up a bit to prevent lethal leaf damage. It is such a beautiful palm that I would like to keep looking beautiful for a second summer in the ground!