Brahea - Phoenix

Brahea armata
‘Blue Hesper Palm’
8b/15F - perhaps colder with protection

The Blue Hesper palm is a very striking specimen, with silvery’blue leaves even on juvenile plants. Though it is generally considered to be hardy to 15F, I have read reports of specimens surviving lower. The Museum of Natural History in Anniston, AL is growing one in a very sheltered location in an area close to the USDA 7b/8a line, and regularly experiences temps around 10F.

Butia capitata
(Now officially classified as Butia odorata, but B. capitata is still the common name used for this species.)
‘Pindo Palm,’ ‘Jelly Palm’
8a, though some specimens have done well in protected 7b sites.

This is a wonderful feather palm from South America, commonly planted in coastal areas of the Southeast. They are fully hardy to 15F/USDA zone 8b, with damage occurring in the 12-15F range. Some have had success growing these in 7b in sheltered locations and with protection, but I’ve read accounts of recovering from 0F with complete defoliation. The fruit is also used to make jelly, hence the common name. I have read of specimens being grown as far North as Virginia Beach, VA.

Butia capitata var. odorata
Syn.: Butia bonnetti?
‘Southern Jelly Palm’
8a/7b with good siting and protection.

This is a more cold hardy form of Butia capitata, from cooler areas of South American. It is believed to be about 5 degrees more cold hardy than Butia capitata, which would make it a better choice for those in borderline areas. It is also smaller than B. capitata, with smaller seeds. Some European sites say that Butia capitata var. odorata is synonymous with Butia bonnetti, but I am uncertain of this.

Jubaea chilensis
‘Chilean Wine Palm’
8a/Some reports of success in 7b

The Chilean Wine Palm is the Jolly Green Giant of the palm world, a massive, but slow growing palm native to the Andes Mountains in South America. Now a protected species, they once were felled and the sap used to make wine, but now the seeds or ‘coquitos’ (Spanish for “little coconuts”) are being harvested. The seeds do actually taste like coconut, which is not really a surprise as this palm is related to the true coconut palm. An older, established specimen in Europe has been reported to have survived 3F, so this is definitely a palm that should be tried more in 7b and 8a in the Southeast. However, it is native to dry regions, and small plants often succumb to disease in our clay soil, so it is advised to grow these to larger sizes before planting out in our wetter climate.

Phoenix iberica
Spanish Date, Yellow/Orange Crownshaft Date
9a?

Considered a form of Phoenix dactylifera, the common date palm, these come from populations in Spain and have some unique characteristics, namely the leaf stalks have a yellow to orange color, making them an interesting ornamental. Some say they could be hardier than regular date palms, but the areas they grow in are zone 9 so I doubt they're much hardier at all.

Phoenix porphyrocarpa
Syn.: Phoenix canariensis var. porphyrocarpa
'Red Date Palm'
8b/Possibly Colder

It is speculated that this palm may be a hybrid between Phoenix canariensis and the hardier Phoenix dactylifera, or possibly Phoenix sylvestris. Some in Europe are claiming this palm to be hardy to -12C, or 10F, which would mean it's hardy to USDA zone 8a, but I've also read that it's only slightly hardier than regular P. canariensis. As far as I know no one has tried growing them here in the U.S. to see how they fare in our climate, but the possibility of finding a hardier version of Phoenix canariensis makes these palms worthy of trial in colder areas than canariensis is usually grown in my opinion!

Phoenix theophrasti ‘Datca’
‘Datca Date Palm,’ ‘Cretan Date Palm’
8b/Possibly colder with protection

Native to the island of Crete, and a small area in Turkey, Phoenix theophrasti is reportedly hardier than other members of the Phoenix genus, with some sources saying they’re hardy to 7b. I haven’t trialed them myself here, so I’m going to be conservative and say 8b. Specimens at Bamboo Farms and Coastal Gardens have taken 13F with minor damage, so it’s worthy of trial in 8a and 7b, and I hope to be able to grow them here - once I have larger specimens to trial. Seeds of this form come from Datca in Turkey, a northerly location for this palm.

Phoenix theophrasti ‘Golkoy’
‘Golkoy Date Palm,’
8b/Possibly colder with protection

Native to a small area in Turkey, this form supposedly displays slightly different characteristics than the “regular” Cretan Date Palms, and is being studied to see if it is a different species. I have noticed that in seedlings over wintered in my greenhouse the leaf sheaths tend to turn orange, while the Datca form have not. Seeds of this form come from Golkoy in Turkey, the most northerly location for this palm that is supposedly also seasonally flooded, hopefully making this form more tolerant of wet weather.