Wow, nice find!
I'm not sure if they're exposed all year, but a quick google revealed this picture that looks like winter, or at least early spring.

The Windmills are in the background tot he left - a little hard to see but I think they're there:

Here is a link that might be useful: central park

They must have planted them this spring. The pic on the website you gave looks like early spring because some of the weeping willows have some green. I hope the palms survive the winter!

I'm in the immediate vicinity of NYC. I don't cover the tops on mine and so far have made it through two winters (the last two of which have been quite wet as well as cold). They might suffer some die back but the center spears should remain healthy and green ready to re-sprout. PS., Keep in mind that these palms (like any other tree in a big city) have to struggle with a lot of issues--not just winter cold (salt and chemicals from snow removal, reflective heat off of cement, poor soil conditions, sidewalks that prevent the trees from getting adequate moisture, wind tunnel effect from building...you get the idea)--I bet they make it.

I think they really have a chance. One of them is settled in so well it decided to flower. Its if full flower now, but you cant really see it in the pic.

They must have known that these palm trees might survive the winter because of the protected specimen in the brooklyn botanical gardens, and also because if they though it was any like other palm tree they would have planted one of the cheaper, prettier, and easier to find palm trees like christmas palms, which are dead by early December. I guess we will find out if it makes it next spring.

Its been over a year now and Im going to check and see how they are doing. I should have some pics tommorrow! I hope they made it!!

Italian Wall Lizards of Brooklyn, NY still going strong. Look at how pregnant the one on the left is WOW!!!

I can't wait to see the new photos of the Central Park palms. I hope they are OK.

Those italian wall lizards really look like they are thriving! I hope the Central park palms are okay too. Im looking forward to seeing them tomorrow!!

Good luck!
-Alex

I thought I would be able to go today but I cant. I might not get the chance to go for a few more weeks.

If anyone is in the area and happens to be in Central park you can check the windmill palms out by the central park zoo right next to the west coast seals. Its on the southeast corner of the park. You dont have to pay to get into the zoo to see the palms because there is an opening between the trees where you can see the palms. (as you can see from my pic).
Im not exactly sure where the seals are but you can probably find it with a little searching. It might be easier to find if you enter the zoo and I think it costs only 6 dollars for an adult (not sure about that, but it isnt expensive).
I will definitely eventually be getting some pics of these palms but until then I will be thinking about if they survived. But this winter was a mild one (low of 14F) so there isnt really a reason why they would die other than the amazing snow load.

Good luck!
-Alex

If I have some extra lunch time one day next week, maybe I'll take a stroll and check them out.

Central Park is part of a heat island. There are Coast Redwoods to be found as well. I bet those Trachys are permanent residents. I somehow doubt the park has the wherewithall to spend money on a palm as an annual or to give it extra protection in the winter.

x

Although central park isnt in the best of NYC's microclimate, its still in a good one especially since its right by the edge of the park. The palms probably were not protected but they did seem well cared for. I saw a few elephant ears and bananas that were thriving (very likely as annuals only), but it does prove that someone is taking good care of these plants.

Also I found a video on youtube that was taken by the seal tank and it was dated in 2008 and there were no windmill palms so these were definitely just planted in 2009. Hopefully they are still there!
I never saw any of the coastal redwoods, do you know around what part of the park they were in? I think the south side of the park is much milder than the northside because the southside gets lots of extra heat from the city.
I have seen quite a few pretty interesting plants in central park. There are probably lots more tender plants thriving that I didnt catch!

Good luck!
-Alex

tz7 i hope these trachies made it but unfortunately the BBG trachy was unprotected this year and it died. There are a couple of unprotected trachies by me that made it

Yeah thats whay I keep thinking of, if the one in brooklyn died than these could have as well. But Im hoping that the ones in central park were in a better microclimate (because the one in brooklyn was pretty exposed).
I really hope it made it but I do have my doubts (but I really wouldnt be surprised to see them still thriving).
Good luck!
-Alex

I agree, the tracky in BBG was planted in the middle of a field and it needed some sort of protection. That's how it lived all these years, by basic protection.

The Central Park palms look better situated and hopefully they have the budget and wisdom to cover them.

I hope they covered it. The downfall for palms without here is the cold rain in the winter and the freezing temps right after.

Good luck!
-Alex

Seems like in your area some type of cover(at least over the crown)would do it.

Yeah during most winters thats probably all thats necessary. Im hoping they made it and I might be able to check on them this weekend.

Good luck!
-Alex

ive seen someone with windmills in zone 4, so they get by here in zone 7 with protection.

I checked by there earlier this summer and the windmill palms in the picture unfortunately died, but the good news is that there were some small windmill palms that were damaged but alive and also a needle palm in a similar condition. The thread to that and lots of other nicely planted things in the central park zoo is in a thread around the forum somewhere. Ill try to provide a link!
The windmill palms in my yard, also a zone 7 in NYC surivived and once didnt recieve that much protection.
Good luck!
-Alex

You know, with just about ANY plant (hardy or not), the trick is getting the thing to survive the first three years. The plant needs time to really root into the ground and I've heard three years often quoted as a general rule of thumb about transplanting success. I did notice my own Trachys really seem to have taken off this year (will be their 4th Winter in the ground). This year, I added a Butia capitata, Chamaerops, Needle, and Sabal louisiana. Will let you know how the recent additions survive the coming Winter.

There's a small Windmill Palm at a McDonald's in Southeast Queens, survived Winter 2009/2010, only damage I saw was brown tips in February/March and to top it off It's exposed to the North. I don't know if it was protected or not but I doubt it.

True display of the hardiness in such an anomoly of a Winter.

Winter 09-10 was actually not very cold here (unlike the unusual record cold in the Southeast and Florida). My coldest temp was 14 F. above. But yes, it was VERY windy, stormy, and snowy.

The winter was very mild in my area too.... temperature-wise that is! The heavy snow alone knocked down and destroyed several trees and the huge amount of moisture likely killed these palms with the help of maybe a cold day right after. I think its worth planting a windmill palm as a relatively young plant in this area because by the time it reaches a nice size, it will be much more established and more likely to survive an average NYC, zone 7, winter.
Thanks for the info on that windmill palm cfa_li. Im glad that there are some palms surviving the winter around the area! Statenislandpalm, showed us a pic of a pindo palm that apparently did survived the winter last year at a nursery in Staten Island. One day I passed by and saw that it was indeed alive and very healthy. I dont even think it was protected which really impressed me. Im really not sure how it managed to survive, but Im glad it did. Its a pretty nice size as well! But I hope that doesnt give anyone the impression that pindo palms are more cold tolerant than windmill palms, because they definitely arent!
Good luck!
-Alex

Wow I can't believe a Pindo Palm survived a Winter here, our Winters aren't bad compared to other areas of the country but that's pretty surprising. I think the lowest it got here was 18F or 19F, I'm on Long Island. It certainly was snowier than normal.

Here's what that "small" (about 6 feet tall) Windmill Palm looks like:

February/March

August

It grew new leaves since August but I have no pics, I think this nice hot Summer really helped.

Wow, thats a pretty nice big windmill palm!!! Do you know how many years it was there? It definitely got a little fried, but definitely nothing major. Im sure that it doesnt receive a huge amount of care either, which makes its survival even more impressive!
Thanks for sharing!
-Alex

Yes it certainly is big, it looks smaller than it actually is. It's about 6 feet tall (including the leaves). I think it was put in during 2009, it wasn't there in 2008, this past Winter was probably it's first and it handled it very well, almost as if it's native to the area.

I'll probably stop by this week for an October pic.

I hope Windmill Palms explode in numbers just like the Yuccas did in 2009 & 2010, they're practically everywhere now lol.

Yuccas literally are everywhere here! I think that just about every house has at least one. I didnt plant any but I still have some yuccas that are popping up from plants nearby. I will admit that yuccas are more cold tolerant than windmill palms, but there are actually a few yuccas around here that are less cold tolerant (7b-8a) that have been here for a while and are thriving so there is hope for palms! Needles are pretty much bulletproof here after the first 2 or 3 winters and windmill palms also seem to be fine once they are established and if they are in a good spot.
Good luck and definitely try to get some updated pics of that nice palm!
-Alex

I'm going tomorrow to check this palm out. I hope it's in great condition. Will keep you all posted.

Unfortunately the big windmill palms that you see in this pic died as of last spring. I have some pics of that in another thread somewhere and Ill try to find a link. There are lots of other nice subtropicals (camellias, Southern magnolias, Monkey Puzzle Trees, figs, Crape myrtles, and some other nice things there) and there are also some smaller needle palms and windmill palms(that did survive last winter) in the central park zoo so look out for those. Definitely try to post some pics if you can!
Keep us posted!!
-Alex

Heres the link to the follow-up thread on this that I made last spring. You cant see most of these plants without paying to go into the zoo, but maybe you can get in for free or for a reduced price this time of the year (or maybe its not open?).
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/palms/msg0719354732051.html
-Alex

I knew about those in central park. I was going to check up on the one in Brooklyn at the McDonald's. Hope it's still alive though lol.

Looking forward to seeing how those windmill palms at the Mc donalds is doing! I hope they made it!
-Alex

Went by this palm tree in Queens at the McDonald's and it's no longer there. It did not survive the winter......sadly.

I saw the ones at the central park zoo but they were replaced with monkey puzzle trees mexican fan palms, and yucca.

Sorry to hear about the trachy at the McDonalds. Im sure they piled a ton of snow on it from the parking lot which might be why it died. :(

Dennis, last year they used the palms in this picutre (which died) as something for the mandevillas they planted to climb on. It was a good idea, but Im very glad that they planted Monkey Puzzle trees in its place! They planted some Monkey Puzzle trees last year in a different spot. Did you see if those survived the winter? They were a very nice size!

-Alex

I'm not sure I never went last year.

I saw it today, smh it had the absolute worst set up for a palm in this zone. A Northern exposure plus ice and snow thrown on top of it, it survived the winter before that which says a lot about the species.

Oh and about a mile or 2 down the road (towards Green Acres Mall) the coconuts don't look too pleasant. They're in the middle of a parking lot and I think the excessive heat got to them (and/or the roots). I have a picture this time.

Definitely try to post a pic of those Coconut palms! Im sure they are getting 0 care which might kill them unfortunately.
Trachycarpus are very tough palms! A good spot in NYC will keep it happy with no protection, especially once established.
-Alex

Sorry for the poor quality lol.

Rosedale, Queens, NY:

It looks like 2-3 coconut palms, they were very green last month but I think they're being cooked in this parking lot. Still interesting in my opinion. The first coconuts I've ever seen. People must've bought up most of the palms, the whole lot was filled with various types last month, there was a taller coconut as well.

I do think that they were cooked, probably between the heat and the lack of water. They dont look too good, but if this was the tropics, they would definitetly recover!
Thanks for posting!
-Alex

Hi Guys!

New post on an old thread. I will be launching an outdoor Palm Tree company by the beginning of March. We are already taking orders and the reception has been great.
We feature 8 to 12 foot Fortuneis, 8 to 9 foot Butias (protection winter wrapping a must), Musa Basjoo, Sabal Minors, R. Hystrix, and Saw Palmettos.
This is not an advertisement and I wont be attaching any links, phone numbers etc....even name of the company.
If I do my job well then you should here about it outside of this forum.

The reason why I'm mentioning it on this thread it to get your impressions and opinions on the species offered and how you think they will hold up.

where will this place be located.. good to be able to get palms up north but shipping would be murder on a 8ft fortuni or a large butia.

We are currently working with Nassau and Suffolk County on getting a minimum 5 Acre location for a nursery. We have a 3 acre location being developed in Old Brookville. While there is a trade off between the full root system of an easily shipped 3-5 footer(Trachy), our feeling is that customers will want a legit looking palm asap so the minimum 8 footers make sense. I'm hoping that the palm's maturity will spark quicker regrowth of its root system within a max 2-year period. So during those two years, at least the customer will have a palm of substance to look at and brag about. We will be offering a 1-year guarantee on all palms provided the customer uses our winter wrapping service. We feel the crucial months for protection (before establishment of the palm) will be Dec-Feb...Possibly first 2 weeks in March. Hey, the way I see it, covering a palm in NY for 3 months-to have palms isn't that bad. Our targeted market is pool owners-who are used to officially closing/covering their pools, BBQ, deck chairs....OK, so now include your palms. A ritual they are already used too.

Shipping will be choreographed to spend as little time in transit as possible. We are currently speaking with different nurseries in GA & NC. Obviously, dealing with NC would provide us with the closest and most cold hardy of the species. Our goal is to get our nursery up and running ASAP so we can get our 1st generation of NY'ers followed by future generations-hopefully winding up with "New York Tough" lines of different palms species. We will also be test planting Dates, Sabals, Washingtonias, Yuccas and Agaves this spring to see how they cope with the next winter. I'm also going to be getting some Jubaea and Butia Hybrids. We will be experimenting with chemicals, sprays...trying to stay away from anything requiring electrical. One thing we will be working with is Beet Juice. Believe it or not, there is a company that has a patent pending on beet juice as an ice melt. In STL they use it instead of salt to melt the roadways as it is all natural and not corrosive. Can beet juice lower the core water temp freezing point inside a palm? Maybe, wont know until this winter. I just hope it doesn't dye the darn palm red :). Also, purely by accident, I discovered that I have seepage form a broken line in my leaching field where cesspool water is coming up. The grass in contact with that water is lush, growing and green as can be while the grass around it is frozen, brown and lifeless. A fertilizer rich in potassium and nitrogen may do a NY palm well in helping survive a winter. Each area in the US is different, even if they are listed in the same zone. There are Fortuneis on Long Island that are 20+ tall over 45 years old living on Long Island-no protection(Not having anything to do with me...www.nypalms.com. Our goal is to get them through the first 2-3 winters and then they should be able to cope. Butias may require winter protect for 5-10 years or until they are at least 15 feet high. I'm really looking forward to experimenting with other species and sharing the finding with all of you.

We are currently working with Nassau and Suffolk County on getting a minimum 5 Acre location for a nursery. We have a 3 acre location being developed in Old Brookville. While there is a trade off between the full root system of an easily shipped 3-5 footer(Trachy), our feeling is that customers will want a legit looking palm asap so the minimum 8 footers make sense. I'm hoping that the palm's maturity will spark quicker regrowth of its root system within a max 2-year period. So during those two years, at least the customer will have a palm of substance to look at and brag about. We will be offering a 1-year guarantee on all palms provided the customer uses our winter wrapping service. We feel the crucial months for protection (before establishment of the palm) will be Dec-Feb...Possibly first 2 weeks in March. Hey, the way I see it, covering a palm in NY for 3 months-to have palms isn't that bad. Our targeted market is pool owners-who are used to officially closing/covering their pools, BBQ, deck chairs....OK, so now include your palms. A ritual they are already used too.

Shipping will be choreographed to spend as little time in transit as possible. We are currently speaking with different nurseries in GA & NC. Obviously, dealing with NC would provide us with the closest and most cold hardy of the species. Our goal is to get our nursery up and running ASAP so we can get our 1st generation of NY'ers followed by future generations-hopefully winding up with "New York Tough" lines of different palms species. We will also be test planting Dates, Sabals, Washingtonias, Yuccas and Agaves this spring to see how they cope with the next winter. I'm also going to be getting some Jubaea and Butia Hybrids. We will be experimenting with chemicals, sprays...trying to stay away from anything requiring electrical. One thing we will be working with is Beet Juice. Believe it or not, there is a company that has a patent pending on beet juice as an ice melt. In STL they use it instead of salt to melt the roadways as it is all natural and not corrosive. Can beet juice lower the core water temp freezing point inside a palm? Maybe, wont know until this winter. I just hope it doesn't dye the darn palm red :). Also, purely by accident, I discovered that I have seepage form a broken line in my leaching field where cesspool water is coming up. The grass in contact with that water is lush, growing and green as can be while the grass around it is frozen, brown and lifeless. A fertilizer rich in potassium and nitrogen may do a NY palm well in helping survive a winter. Each area in the US is different, even if they are listed in the same zone. There are Fortuneis on Long Island that are 20+ tall over 45 years old living on Long Island-no protection(Not having anything to do with me...www.nypalms.com. Our goal is to get them through the first 2-3 winters and then they should be able to cope. Butias may require winter protect for 5-10 years or until they are at least 15 feet high. I'm really looking forward to experimenting with other species and sharing the finding with all of you.