Mango Mike's looks like a cool place!

Did Kathy Denton get over that way?

yeah, it's a great tropical paradise- LOL!

Kathy Denton was not there, she is about 3 or 4 hours south, but many of us have bought from her and visited her place before.

Boca Joe

Those are some great photos, Damn what i wouldn't give to be 1 full zone warmer!

wow your palm tree is amazing, I didn't know they could get that big in norhtern Virginia, do you have to give it lots of protection in the winter????? is that the only one or are there more of them up there!

It's not mine, but it's been there since about 1994, very little protection the first 3 or 4 years, but NONE since!!!

there are many more locally, but not any that big yet, that I know of.

There is a large one at the AIR and SPACE museum downtown DC. along with numerous sabal minors.

Amazing isn't it!

Boca Joe

Boca Joe-
What are some of the coldest temperatures that baby has seen. If no protection does it lose some fronds over the winter.

Andyandy, I posted some comments about that same palm in another Gardenweb discussion (see link). I've never seen it personally but I've seen many photos and know the guy who originally planted it back in 1994 (he no longer owns the house and a new owner is taking care of it). The short answer is that nobody knows exactly what temperatures it's experienced, or for what duration. The nearest airport (Dulles) has recorded subzero temperaratures at least two or three times since the palm was planted, and I assume Sterling would have similar temperatures, but it's planted right up against a house in a very sheltered location; he told me that he doesn't remember the temperature at his house ever actually going below zero even on the coldest days, but I'm not sure if he ever took actual measurements with a reliable thermometer.

Windmills palms HAVE been documented to survive below-zero temperatures in other locations, but the survivors are generally large, well-established plants, growing in climates where such temperatures are extremely rare, and always suffer extreme damage.

Regarding the palms planted in front of the Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC, I was checking some old Gardenweb discussions and saw claims that they were planted in the late 1980's (in which case they would have survived the extreme 1993-1994 winter, the last time temperatures in the city went below zero). This is not accurate; they were actually planted in the early 2000's but they are still impressive and worth checking out if you ever visit.

Here is a link that might be useful: Trachycarpus fortunei discussion

Thank you for the information. It would be nice to be able to move a healthy 10 foot Trachy up here and plantt it. They are great looking palms even if in a pot. They do great indoors in the winter as a 65-72 envirnment is perfect for them. Just give them some direct sun and watch them grow all winter.

You mean these:

Okay, so they don't look so impressive in March! But go back sometime during the summer and see how they look, while keeping in mind that DC is not generally considered a place to grow palms in the first place! There are several trunking T. fortunei and other palms growing in private gardens around the area, but the ones at the Air & Space Museum are among the few that are growing in a public (and highly visible) space.

Very impressive

AndyAndy:

Yes, indeed it is an impressive palm especially when one considers it is growing in a hard Zone 7a. The current owners have been most generous and have dubbed me the "caretaker" of the palm and have given me limited access when I have someone who wants to see it. I took someone from Southern Maryland to see it and he was blown away saying that it even rivals the the much vaunted Solomons Island Windmill Palm. Personally I have several Windmill and other palms with some that have 3 foot trunks, but nothing like this one.

Awesome. :-)