I am grateful if 23F is all I get. This year we had 24 for one night and I did get some damage to some of my in ground aloes but they are still alive. I forgot to throw the freeze cloth over them. It has been very mild. Winters like these makes me think that I can grow aloes outside like a Californian, and then I get two years like the last two and I get to weep and grieve and tear out my hair for my plants. What was I thinking.

Hi James, where do you live in the UK to get such temperatures? Isles of Scilly? The frost is the most limiting factor in growing bromeliads, with minimums about 35F you should be able to grow a lot of species. Now where to get them? The common Vriesea hybrids of the Holland flower industry will do well if mounted, they have beautiful spikes. Also Aechmea fasciata should be OK for you. Tillandsia usneoides can take sever frosts, will surely like it in your location. Tomas

there is somebody in my neighborhood with what looks like 2-3 rather large kentias in the backyard that made it in inland jacksonville, they also have several large and perfect looking queens, some washingtonias, bananas, avocados, large bird of paradise, and senegal date palms, so they are obviously going for the tropical look! the kentias are probably 15-20 feet high including fronds! coldbeer: i separated/planted two caryotas (not sure which species because they were cheap from target or lowes) right before winter (in october) exposed in the open facing northwest towards the river in inland jacksonville (but by a pool) and while they look shabby for their first winter which seemed cooler this year (flurries in daytona?) are survivors and hopefully will put on some growth before next winter. good luck with yours they are such a rarety in florida!

Welcome JMLz16! Thats a nice list of palms. That fishtail palm must be a beauty and San Franciso defintiely has a pretty good climate for many different palms. Heres an updated list of my palms... (some of this list was copy, pasted, and updated from the list above) ...... Windmill palm (5) (3 in the ground 2 have been through 2 winters, one has been through its 1st winter now, and 2 are 4 year olds that are still pretty small and are in pots) Pindo palm (3) (one that has been through 2 winters in the ground and one that will be going through its first winter in the ground this year.) European Fan Palm (inground and going into 2nd winter) Blue European Fan Palm Parlor Palm (Triple, 7 years old) Cat palm (2) Magesty Palm (3, one is huge one is medium sized, and the last is small) Queen palm (8 years old from small seedling) Livistonia Chinensis (4 of them, one in ground going into 2nd winter, others in pots) Coconut palms(2) Bottle palm Chamaedorea Microspadix Chamaedorea tepejilote Chamaedorea seifrizii Spindle palm (large potted plant with ringed trunk forming) Sabal Minor (3rd winter in the ground coming up) Foxtail palm Solitare Palm (about 2 feet of clear trunk) I have 19 species of palm trees that are currently living at least 10-15 others that havent made it over the years -Alex