Palmpedia - Palm Grower's Guide:PALMPEDIA SPECIES ZONE SCALE

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Palmpedia is going to try a new way to rank and catagorize the cold hardiness of palms. Instead of trying to define the nebulous concept of low temperature limits and climatic zones, this will be a comparative rating of species. For example, if you see King palms growing in your neighborhood, then everything rated hardier on the SZS (Species Zone Scale), would be hardy for your area. Each zone will have a common palm as the "namesake" for the zone indicating the least hardy palm in that category. Therefore, if you see Queen Palms across the street, anything in the Queen Zone (SZS #2A) and below will be hardy enough to survive for you.

This will always be a fluid document, so jump in and add your 2 cents of wisdom.

SPECIES ZONE SCALE #1 - HARDY PALMS

SZS #1A: The Canary Zone

  • Sabal minor - Phoenix canariensis

SZS #1B: The Washingtonia Zone

  • Phoenix canariensis - Washingtonia robusta

SPECIES ZONE SCALE #2 - SEMI-HARDY PALMS

SZS #2A: The Queen Zone

  • Washingtonia robusta - Syagrus romanzoffiana

SZS #2B: The Pigmy Date Zone

  • Syagrus romanzoffiana - Phoenix roebelinii

SPECIES ZONE SCALE #3 - TEMPERATE PALMS

SZS #3A: The King Zone

Phoenix roebellini - Archontophoenix cunninghamia

SZS #3B: The Kentia Zone

Archontophoenix cunninghamia - Howea forsteriana To me, this is a pretty narrow zone, as I see very little difference in hardiness between these two species... both are equally fried by temps in the high 20s. I would probably put Rhopalostylis in here, too. But I can't think of too many other palms that would squeeze in between two palms I consider about the same hardiness. I have yet to see a freeze where one got killed and the other did not. Here in California, these two palms are on the borderline of 9b-10a.

Do these zones only take into consideration of cold hardiness? What about heat hardiness, drought hardiness, wind hardiness, low-light hardiness or hardiness to bud damage? I certainly would rate Howeas as more hardy than Kings to heat and bud damage, and possibly drought hardiness. Low light hardiness Howeas far exceed kings (and just about anything). They may even be a bit more wind hardy, though salty winds trash both species here in So Cal pretty badly- perhaps Kings more so than Howeas.

In terms of cold hardiness, I would rate most other Archontophoenix less hardy than these two, but hardier than Wodyetias... but that makes them fall inbetween these proposed zones. Is there a zone 3c?

SPECIES ZONE SCALE #4 - SUB-TROPICAL PALMS

SZS #4A: The Foxtail Zone

Howea forsteriana - Wodyetia bifurcata

SZS #4B: The Manila Zone

Wodyetia bifurcata - Adonidia merrillii This zone has to be one where the bulk of palms that can survive in California live. It would probably be the equivalent of a zone 10a-10b. No idea how this translates into Florida zones, though. Most southern Californians can eke a Wodyetia along, while none can make an Adonidia survive more than a winter or two.

SPECIES ZONE SCALE #5 - TROPICAL PALMS

SZS #5A: The Coco Zone

Adonidia merrillii - Cocos nucifera

SZS #5B: The Lipstick Zone

Cocos nucifera - Cyrtostachys renda

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