skip to main content

Mexican Fan Palm, in zone 7?????

16 years ago

I was in the nursery at the local Lowes here in Lynchburg and noticed they had about 20 Mexican Fans for sale. If memory serves me correctly, this is a zone 9 palm. Could they, even with heavy winter protection, survive here? The palms are around 5 feet tall and a very reasonable $24. They also have mederterainians and windmills... (i expected the windmills as most the nurseries and retail stores are carrying those, but not the others). Would it be a waist of $24??

Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

the_virginian
16 years ago
It would be very iffy but with enough protection they might make it.
wineandlobos
16 years ago
they mostly plant these in zone 8 in Las Cruces,New Mexico due to their fast growing,but in winter they do look a little damaged but always come back looking good,but for zone 7 I think you could get by for a while with them but they are iffy,there were some that were planted here in Albuquerque zone 7b I think they were in ground for 7 years and all it took was a bad snowy winter to wipe them out,but for that price I would give it a try.
Related Discussions
Mexican Fan Palm Tree - Fronds Turning Yellow/Brown
Q
Comments (21)
10C or 50F is not a chance for a Washingtonia. I went through that and gave up 7B/8A climates and long terms survival for any palms other than Trachys, Sabals and an occasional Butia. Even in zone 11 here they don't look at their best. My Washingtonia was killed at 14F just one night of 14F and one day of 30F was enough for all my Washies. In fact Wash. filifera is not doing well in a rainy climate or a semi-shade or both, I would not take a chance either in a rural area zone 8 with any of the Washies. 8 years experience talking. Now I am in a zone 11 without much heat, so it may not be a true zone 11 since the low temps March the 11B but high temps are never above 80F. Even the 80F is reached a couple days a year for short periods. I would say Washies are best for zone 9 and up, maybe marginal for 8B. That's it. Your Washie is dead or dying and even if it comes back, it will not last long. The next winter will kill it. It is now too weak to survive. Move to a warmer zone. I lost too much money playing with borderline zones. Get your plants one or half zone below yours and you will be safe.
...See More
How close can I plant a Mexican Fan palm to my pool?
Q
Comments (3)
Been doing Mexican palms near pools for 18 years. I would say 7 is safe. Planting the palms too far from pool looses its look and I believe is not needed to be so far away. Roots grow mostly downward and across approx. 7 feet. so that is 3'.5" - 4' feet in each direction from center of trunk, giving extra few feet of room/space between pool wall and roots. Water Mexican palm tree with more water to get it close to desired height, then cut back water and will grow much slower. Rick
...See More
Mexican Fan Palm not growing!
Q
Comments (4)
as the others said, it will grow. do NOT give it fertilizer until it is growing, though… not sure how you dug the hole and what dirt you put it in, but research done on Washingtonias show that there is no advantage whatsoever to amending soil… and planting them in narrow holes in which the root ball barely fits in works the best… in fact, some palms will sit and sulk in large holes with amended soil a lot longer than if native soil has been used (roots hate to make transitions into different kinds of soils I guess) in a narrow hole. Just a thought fore the next one you plant.
...See More
Growing Zone 8a and 8b Palms In Zone 7a/7b Border
Q
Comments (6)
Actually, I just remembered a long time ago my friend had a California fan palm in his back yard, and it was grown locally from seed. I believe it was in the ground for quiet a few years and it was well established. It pulled through the winters unprotected, but his neighbor hood "code" made him cut it down because it still had the beard on it and even when pruned they still did not like it, he was not so happy about that. But I think I will be going with the California fan palm. Our winters are dry and it only gets really cold here for about 2 weeks until it starts to warm up. I'll give it a try!
...See More
the_virginian
16 years ago
One limiting factor is moisture in the East that helps kill them as not all Zone 7s or 8s are equal. Even in Florida Washies of both species can get fungus and rot.
nwmstropics
16 years ago
I have one on the south side of my house that I planted last year in March. It did great until we had a low of about 17 one night in January and turned all the fronds brown. After that I cut the fronds off and covered the tree with a clear garbage bag on the rest of the nights that were below freezing. Now it is coming out nicely and already has 3 new fronds. With a little work on the cold nights, it should be fine.
jimhardy
16 years ago
Hey $24 is a smokin deal I only wish I could get them for that price! Even if they only lasted a year they would give you alot of joy,and based on that you decide how much protection and time your willing to invest,just begin to hold back water when nov hits as this will greatly increase their cold hardiness and protect from hard freezes,they will probably fry during the winter but if they make it they should reward you with spectacular growth next year,I'm trying 3 in southeast Iowa with serious protection,x-mas lights,wrap and insulation and plastic wrap and heating below 30F good luck with yours!

Here is a link that might be useful: palm pics
wineandlobos
16 years ago
the virginian-yes moisture is a factor and one of the reasons I noted that they might be iffy along with your zone.Im sure yall get more moisture than we do in the winter,we dont get much snow or rain but all it took was 1 month of record breaking snowy cold weather to take them out,they were unprotected but established.Im saying you can protect but what happens when it gets too big.

Related Stories

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Celebrate a Sunny Climate With the Right Leafy Palm for Your Site

By Steve Asbell

So you get freezes or floods. So your garden is small. These palms send excuses riding off into the tropical sunset

TREES Great Design Plant: Sabal Palm Enchants in Balmy Sites

By Steve Asbell

Towering and tolerant, this tree blends in, stands out and happily stars in vacation photos

SOUTHWEST GARDENING Understanding the American Southwest's Three Main Climate Zones

If you live in one of the arid or semiarid regions of the U.S. Southwest, this gardening zone guide is for you

DINING ROOMS New This Week: 6 Modern Dining Zones in Homes Big and Small

By Mitchell Parker

Look to splashy accent walls, right-sized tables and indoor slides to make the most of your open layout

EXTERIORS 7 Exterior Makeovers Show How Details Matter

By Bryan Anthony

These dramatic before-and-after photos could inspire your own exterior update

GARDENING GUIDES 7 Tropical Wonders of the Plant World

By CYAN Horticulture

Go for high impact with the spectacular foliage, over-the-top florals or iconic profiles of these hand-picked tropical favorites

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Dasylirion Quadrangulatum

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

The drought-tolerant Mexican grass tree adds dramatic interest to the Southwest garden

KITCHEN STYLES Kitchen Workbook: 12 Elements of Tropical-Style Kitchens

By Yellow Front Door

Relax into that vacation-at-home feeling with a kitchen that evokes swaying palm trees and warm ocean breezes

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Make Your Roses Even More Beautiful With These Companion Plants

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Nourish your rosebushes and create a visual feast with these 7 classic and unexpected plant pairings

KITCHEN DESIGN Key Measurements to Help You Design Your Kitchen

By Steven Corley Randel, Architect

Get the ideal kitchen setup by understanding spatial relationships, building dimensions and work zones

Sponsored

Remodel Repair Construction

9 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Westerville

More Discussions

palms and cycads

0

Pot size for Palm

5

Can I put these in a worm bin?

1

Drooping frawns

10

Sick pindo palm

0