Contents
The phrase palm tree evokes a certain environment. For me, it’s one of salty, balmy air, blue skies, and sandy feet. There’s a reason that so many travel companies use this plant as a symbol. The simple silhouette of these trees can whisk your imagination off to a tropical paradise, far from the bustle of everyday life.
When it comes to cold tolerance, most palms can handle a light freeze. Even when I lived in Zone 11, we experienced the occasional dip into frost territory. This includes tropical species, which are the least tolerant type. There are also temperate species and cold-hardy ones that can handle more than a brief dip below 32°F (0°C).
North of Zone 10, you won’t want to grow tropical palms in the garden. They will need to stay in containers so you can move them indoors. Temperate trees work well in Zones 9 and 10, but I want to focus on those that are truly cold-hardy. These palms will survive at least to Zone 8, with some tolerating even colder climates!
Needle Palm
 | common name Needle Palm |
|---|---|
 | botanical name Rhapidophyllum hystrix |
 | sun requirements Full sun to full shade |
 | height 3’-6’ |
 | hardiness zones 6-10 |
Needle palms may be the most cold hardy palms around. Native to the southern United States, they tolerate Zone 6 and south. You can find them growing naturally as far north as South Carolina and Mississippi. They’re not the tall statuesque queen palms you might find lining a street in Palm Beach, but they are low-maintenance and have that delightful island vibe.
At a maximum height of around six feet, this tree performs best in partial shade but can handle full exposure. The farther south, the more shade you can give it. It makes an interesting, textural shrub and survives short periods of sub-zero temperatures. It prefers rich, moist soil but is tolerant of both wet and dry soil.
Chinese Windmill Palm
| | common name Chinese Windmill Palm |
|---|---|
| | botanical name Trachycarpus fortunei |
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 8’-10’ |
| | hardiness zones 7-11 |
Chinese windmill is a slightly taller tree, up to ten feet tall, with large, fan-shaped leaves and a stout trunk. Covering the trunk is what appears to be a thick layer of brown hair. This hair is actually the remnants of fallen branches. As they grow taller the bottom fronds fall as new ones form, and the trunk is revealed.
This palm is native to temperate areas in China. In the wild, it can grow much taller than it does in cultivation, up to 40 feet. It’s able to tolerate short periods of temperatures down to 15-20°F (-9 to -7°C). It’s also fairly salt tolerant, so it’s good for coastal gardens.
Cabbage Palm
| | common name Cabbage Palm |
|---|---|
| | botanical name Sabal palmetto |
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 12’-35’ |
| | hardiness zones 7-11 |
Cabbage palm goes by a few names. Among them are sabal and blue. It’s one of the largest cold, hardy palms and has seen many uses among Native Americans in the Southeast. If you’re willing to kill the plant, the heart and buds are both edible and have a similar taste to cabbage, hence the common name.
Tall, textured, gray trunks grow mostly straight upward, but consistent winds can lead to a slight lean. They are native to the United States, Mexico, the West Indies, and the Bahamas. It’s hardy down to 15°F (-9°C) but is reported to tolerate even colder weather in short bouts.
Saw Palmetto
| | common name Saw Palmetto |
|---|---|
| | botanical name Serenoa repens |
| | sun requirements Full sun to full shade |
| | height 5’-10’ |
| | hardiness zones 8-11 |
If you like low maintenance, saw palmetto is perfect. Endemic to the southern United States, there is little that can stop this small, shrubby palm. Its name comes from the serrated petioles that hold its sizeable fronds. It has a creeping habit that keeps it growing low to the ground.
The more water you provide for your saw palmetto, the faster it will grow. These are fire-resistant, drought-tolerant, and flood-resistant. Their color will be best in full exposure, but they are generally not picky about exposure and soil type. It survives temperatures down to 10°F (-12°C).
Chilean Wine Palm
| | common name Chilean Wine Palm |
|---|---|
| | botanical name Jubea chilensis |
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 60’-80’ |
| | hardiness zones 8-11 |
If you’re looking to impress with one of the largest and most spectacular palms in the world, Chilean wine is perfect. This tall, stately tree tops out around 60-80 feet tall, with a large, fan-like spray of pointed, feathery fronds. The trunk can grow up to three feet in diameter, making it the largest of all palms.
As a winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, Chilean wine has quite a reputation. It tolerates cold, moist winters and hot, dry summers. It’s tolerant of temperatures as low as 7°F (-14°C) for short periods. It’s a spectacular tree if you have the space for it.
Mexican Sabal
| | common name Mexican Sabal |
|---|---|
| | botanical name Sabal mexicana |
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 40’-60’ |
| | hardiness zones 8-11 |
Also called Texas, Rio Grande, and Victoria, the Mexican sabal is native to North America, where its size rivals that of the enormous Chilean wine. It’s tolerant of a wide range of conditions, including drought. It prefers moist soil but is flexible, in general, in this way. It grows quite tall, but it also grows slowly.
The trunk is tall and heavily textured. Topping it off is a large spray of fronds that turn brown and face downward as they age. When they are young, they need some protection from frosty weather. As they mature, they can handle short bouts in the range of 12°F (-11°C).
Pindo Palm
| | common name Pindo Palm |
|---|---|
| | botanical name Butia capitata |
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 10’-20’ |
| | hardiness zones 9-11 (Sometimes 8) |
Pindo is a pretty tree with a stout, straight trunk covered in the remnants of fallen leafstalks. It blooms in summer, producing clusters of fragrant yellow flowers that turn into orange fruits. The fronds are long in proportion to the height of the tree. They are a lovely blue-green color and curve downward and back toward the trunk.
This winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the RHS is adaptable and tolerant. It can handle drought, heat, salt, and temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C). It’s indicated for Zones 9 and above, but it typically grows well in Zone 8, too.
Mazari Palm
| | common name Mazari Palm |
|---|---|
| | botanical name Nannorrhops ritchiana |
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 10’-20’ |
| | hardiness zones 6-11 |
Mazari is a small, attractive, scrubby tree that’s native to Afghanistan and Pakistan. It’s also one of the most cold-tolerant on our list. This one can thrive all the way north to Zone 6, and it’s beautiful, which makes it a popular tree. It tolerates temperatures as low as -5°F (-21°C) for short periods.
Mazari is a clumping plant, and clusters can grow up to 20 feet tall, though it does so slowly. It produces large, attractive flower clusters that give way to edible orange fruits. It is popular for its pointed, linear fronds with their silvery blue sheen.
Bermuda Palmetto
| | common name Bermuda Palmetto |
|---|---|
| | botanical name Sabal bermudana |
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height Up to 85’ |
| | hardiness zones 9-11 |
Bermuda palmetto is the only species of palm that’s endemic to Bermuda. It grows in marshy areas and coastal forests and performs well in most places as long as they aren’t too salty. Unlike most palmettos, Bermuda doesn’t have spines on its leaf stalks.
This is a large tree that produces clusters of fragrant white flowers in the spring. Pollinators are highly attracted to the blooms. The resulting fruit is food for many wild birds and other small animals. It’s easy to grow and propagate and tolerates temperatures down to 15°F (-10°C).
Dwarf Palmetto
| | common name Dwarf Palmetto |
|---|---|
| | botanical name Sabal minor |
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 2’-10’ |
| | hardiness zones 7-10 |
This small palmetto is native to the United States and Mexico. It has a shrubby form and likes a bit of afternoon shade. In terms of soil, this shrub is adaptable. It doesn’t mind wet soil and has no issues with low acidity, either. It has no significant issues with pests, diseases, or other related problems.
The large fronds are fan-shaped and made up of long, thin, straplike leaves. In terms of cold tolerance, this tree can handle dips to as low as 0°F (-18°C). Its native range runs from Florida to North Carolina and west to Texas.
California Fan Palm
| | common name California Fan Palm |
|---|---|
| | botanical name Washintonia filifera |
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 40’-60’ |
| | hardiness zones 8-11 |
California fan palm is the only one native to the Western United States. It can grow up to 60 feet tall and form a canopy as wide as 15 feet. The fronds are large and can measure from three to six feet wide. It likes plenty of exposure and tolerates hot weather but prefers moist soil.
California fan is sometimes given the nickname petticoat, as the spent fronds hang down, forming a fluffy skirt underneath the new ones. This winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit is tolerant of temperatures down to 23°F (-5°C) and survives in Zones 8 and higher.
