I'm here with the usual question: what palms will grow in my zone? I did do a search on 'hardy palm seeds', but it didn't tell me all I need to know. I also have questions about soil, water, and seed sources.

I live in Italy, in the northern foothills of the Apennines, in the equivalent of zone 8. Currently I'm on vacation in Florida, my home state, so I can get seeds here and carry them back with me. At home we have alkaline clay soil, dry summers, a lot of winter chill but lows that rarely go into the teens (last winter we didn't have any winter at all, but I'm hoping that was exceptional). Daytime summer temperatures are quite hot but it cools down at night, and the atmospheric humidity is relatively low in the summer. Our property is all sloping and usually steep, so that drainage is seldom a problem, and it faces south. The climate I think would be considered inland Mediterranean, and resembles that of parts of California. We can grow most temperate climate plants that take alkaline soil, for example lilacs and viburnums, are borderline for olives, which we are experimenting. The locally grown palm is Trachycarpus fortunei (Chinese fan palm), and one occasionally sees Chaemerops humilis (Mediterranean palm): we have seedlings and young plants of both. I'd like to try other kinds of palms that might be hardy if they were grown without protection and in a warm spot (southfacing and out of the wind). I was thinking of some of the Butias, hardier forms of the Sabal palm, especially if there are trunking varieties that will take my conditions, and the needle palm whose name I haven't yet mastered. I doubt that the Washingtonias and Phoenix (date palm) species would be hardy here without protection, but if you disagree, say so, and why you think so. I'm looking for seed sources, since I can't carry plants back with me to Italy.

My other question is about soil and water needs for various cold hardy palms. I have young and seedling Trachycarpus fortunei, and have trouble getting them to grow (I have a couple of years' experience to draw on). I think the problem is either the compact clay soil, or its alkalinity. It seems to help if I amend the soil with large amounts of organic matter, particularly if acid, and with sand, but there are limits to what I can do in this direction. Drainage isn't usually a problem, even with the extremely compact ground (we ceramic-quality clay soil in places), because all our land is hillside. I'd love to hear other palm growers' thoughts on what kind of soil palms need. I want to plant a little grove of Trachycarpus fortunei on a half-shaded slope of poor soil, thin layer of dirt over rock, with trees nearby to supply protection and leaf mulch. Not many plants would like the site, but a few do: we planted a bay laurel there (Laurus nobilis), and it's totally happy. I'm hoping that the palms would be suited as well, but really don't know. I'd like to know also if other kinds of cold-hardy palms might take these conditions. Texans, Oklahomans, Californians? What do you think? I want to emphasize the alkalinity, because I don't think it can be corrected toward an acid PH: I've never been able to grow acidophile plants here, no matter what I did.

Thanks for all help.

Melissa