I currently reside in Toronto (Zone 5) and would like to know if I can grow Palms in a Zone 5? Is there anyone else out there who resides in southern Ontario that has had success growing Palms.

I have added Musa Basjoo this year and like the feel it adds to the Backyard. So now AI would like to add a palm

Hi I live in ottawa(zone5a almost5b) and i grow a musa basjoo (hardy banana tree)in my front and backyard, There is a couple of different types of palms that can survive this far north. They are;
1.Rhapidophyllum hystrix
2.Trachycarpus takil
3.Trachycarpus fortunei
4.Nannorhops ritchiana
5.Sabal minor
6.Chamaerops humilis

Hi Musa ottawa,

Do you actually leave all of these plants outdoors in the winter? If so, what are you doing to proctect them from the cold? I know that the Ottawa is generally colder(-30.7C last winter) than in the Toronto area(-24.3C last winter). If that is the case that would be great news!

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Regards

Well, I only grow musa basjoo. I don't have the other hardy palms, however i have seen them grow in a z5b. Musa basjoo is the world's most hardiest banana tree. It is hardy to zone 3. Its root hardy to -20F. I recommend it to anyone who wants a tropical look for their cold paradise.

I agree, I would recommend the Musa Basjoo to anyone in Southern Ontario. Just make sure that you properly mulch it and don't be surprised if the plant dies right to the ground. However, it will come back next spring.

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Regards

Hi Musa Ottawa,

Have you seen any of the Palms you have listed for sale in Ontario?

No. Not really. I would recommend to go to the nearest and largest nursary to you and give them the bontanical name of the palms and wait for them,.....that what i did. I was very lucky. I was able to get a trachycarpus fortunei in 2weeks.

Three quick questions on your trachycarpus fortunei,
-How big was it?
-How much did it cost?
-Where did you plant it?

Regards

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Regards

"Have you seen any of the Palms you have listed for sale in Ontario?"

have you been to Humber Nursery Gio...they have palms. i was there a couple days ago and they are $142.99 for a palm maybe a foot tall
i bought some hardy cacti for $20ea.
Humber is the best Nursery i've been to in Ontario for selection..by far

My trachy was a foot tall, it costed me 20$, and i got it from Richie feed and seed. I was aslo able to pick up a hardy prickly pear from there as well and i also paid only 5.99 for it. I went to Peter kenippel? off of Leitrim rd and hwy31 and i was able to pick up baby musa basjoo there.....

Wow, $20 for a trachy. Why are they so expensive at Humber? I know that they do not guarantee them. If anyones sees them reduced please let me know.

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Regards

Yes,

I have checked out Humber Nurseries and they are Very expensive. Where is Richie's located. I wouldn't mind checking them out for next year. Maybe I can place an order now for April.

I have found an interesting site http://tytyga.com/index.html. That I might look at for next year. Also, some of the Yucca's like the Yucca brevifolia (Joshua Tree) looks interesting but expensive. The other Palms and Yucca's appear to be reasonable.

you should check it out

Hi all! I have a few years experience growing cold hardy 'out of zone' plants in Southern Ontario (Kingston). I know people who have overwintered different palms, bananas (not just the common basjoo) and other interesting things even in zone 4 Ottawa (USDA, NOT Canadian).
It's a learning curve when growing this stuff, and it's not something that is as easily accomplished as we like to think. I've lost many a basjoo in my day, as well as many yuccas, palms etc. all because I was too ambitious to realize the protection they would need.
For instance, R. hystrix may be able to survive in a USDA zone 6 without any more protection then a thick mulch layer. Okay, I lost one in a zone 5a (Kingston) by trying the same thing. It needed more protection in my colder climate.
I've lost basjoo to -32c (2 years ago). I piled a mulch layer only 1 foot thick on top of the culm. oops, should have know that frost would run 2 1/2 feet deep that year. Anyway, a simple an effective way to ovwer winter this banana outside zone 7 (it's perhaps a zone 7/8 plant but can survive into zone 4 if properly sited and very well mulched, as canna), all you have to do is first mulch it with a layer perhaps a foot deep of standard mulch. I treat with fungicide first but... then pile bags of leaves on top, perhaps 2 deep. You know the orange ones, the bags keep the leaves from getting water logged and ultimately killing the plants.
Anyway, experiment away, I don't want to discourage people from trying things but I want people to realize that growing plants out of zone is not the same as growing rhododendrons or roses, it takes work and time to get it right.
When you do get it right you can overwinter some amazing stuff. For example I've got a Yucca brevifolia through 2 winters (-32, -28c) without cold protection (I did keep it dry) same for Agave utahensis, Yucca elata, Yucca baccata, etc...

Richie's Feed and seed is located here in Ottawa. However,...im confused know, why is that usda and canadian usda is differ. for instance; my buddy that lives in Niagra falls is a Zone6 and he agrees that in Ottawa is a zone5a, and so does the Goverment of Canada, and the temps of the usda and the canadian usda has the same temp for each zone. So now I am just confused. Now back to plants....... well after awful weather and heavy frost, my musa basjoo is still growing. The main leaves are toasted from the frost, but however its still able to produce new leaves, and yet we have absolutely no snow and hitting temps of 13C which I find really neat.............

happy gardening untill tyhe season is over,....

musa ottawa

Hi PaulNS

Where did you buy your Joshua Tree (Yucca Brevifolia)? And how big (pot size) was it when you purchased it? You mentioned that you kept the Joshua dry, did you not mulch it?