Palms for South Texas - II

Nannorrhops ritchieana Mazari palm, Afghan palm

Low to medium clustering fan palms with grey-green to very grey leaves (Pakistan and Afghanistan)

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Cold resistance - very hardy in South Texas, can be grown as far as San Antonio Drought - high Salt - good Coast - should be good Wind - good resistance Light - sun to very light shade Growth rate - on the slow side Availability - uncommon in South Texas, occasionally found Other - the forms with the greyer leaves are nicest

Phoenix canariensis Canary Island date palm

Majestic large feather palm with dark green leaves which are spiny at the base (Canary Islands) Cold resistance - the leaves can freeze in extreme cold but the plant is hardy throughout South Texas Drought - good Salt - good Coast - fairly good Wind - good Light - sun Growth rate - slower Availability - not a problem Other - A disease consistent with lethal yellowing has killed many plants in the Valley and has recently appeared in Corpus. This makes it impossible to recommend for much of South Texas

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Phoenix dactylifera True date palm

Large single or clumping feather palm with silvery to grey-green leaves. Edible fruit in dry areas (Middle East)

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Cold resistance - the leaves can freeze in extreme cold, plants are mostly hardy in South Texas Drought - good resistance Salt - high resistance Coast - fairly good Wind - good Light - full sun only Growth rate - slower Availability - rather common Other - This palm is also affected by lethal yellowing in South Texas, especially in the humid parts of the Valley, though the offsets may survive an attack

Phoenix reclinata Senegal date palm

Thickly clumping feather palms with dark green leaves and thin trunks (Africa) Cold resistance - leaves can burn in moderate cold; the trunks on most plants will die to the ground in severe cold but recover well Drought - acceptable Salt - acceptable Coast - should take some exposure Wind - good Light - sun Growth rate - rather slow Availability - not hard to find Other - Listed as susceptible to lethal yellowing, though it is generally not a problem here.

Some forms are apparently hardier than others. A good plant for a large screen

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Phoenix roebelenii Pygmy date palm

Small, single delicate feather palm with a graceful crown of green leaves (Asia)

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Cold resistance - leaves can freeze in moderate cold, the plant can freeze out in severe cold but are easily protected by wrapping. For warm areas of South Texas Drought - moderate Salt - acceptable Coast - takes very light exposure Wind - good Light - part shade to full sun Growth rate - slow Availability - common Other - Resistant to lethal yellowing. A beautiful small palm. Phoenix rupicola is another elegant small date palm

Phoenix sylvestris Indian date palm

Medium large feather palm resembling the true date but without the multiple stems (India and Pakistan) Cold resistance - should be hardy in South Texas, the leaves may burn in hard frost but recover quickly Drought - good Salt - seem to be quite tolerant to our soil and water Coast - should do well Wind - good Light - full sun Growth rate - fast for a date Availability - reasonable Other - this palm is faster growing and possibly more resistant to lethal yellowing than the other large dates and should be used more here. No long term data is yet available

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Rhapidophyllum hystrix Needle palm

Low, almost trunkless fan palm with steel green leaves. The base of the plant has needlelike spines (Southeastern U.S.) Cold resistance - extremely hardy, grows in most of Texas Drought - not that high Salt - moderate to low Coast - probably not high Wind - best with protection Light - light shade to shade Growth rate - slow Availability - not commonly carried in South Texas, usually offered in Central/East Texas and the Southeastern United States Other - A good low palm for shady areas in the frost-prone areas of South Texas

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Rhapis excelsa Lady palm

Small fan palm which suckers profusely to form a small attractive dense clump of dark leaves (China) Cold resistance - leaves can burn off in a hard freeze but the stems or roots recover in most of South Texas Drought - acceptable when established but better if not neglected Salt - moderate, can get slight tip burn if water with a high salt content is used Coast - moderate Wind - best out of the wind Light - shade, at least in the afternoon Growth rate - slower Availability - common Other - there are many cultivars of this fine little species; all make attractive ornamentals. Rhapis subtilis is similar with smaller leaves and not quite as tough

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Rhapis multifida Finger palm

Small palm resembling the lady palm but with finer, more delicate leaves (China)

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Cold resistance - apparently similar to R. excelsa, it is root hardy in South Texas Drought - at least as tolerant as lady palm Salt - moderate, possibly slightly more tolerant than lady palm Coast - unknown Wind - best out of the wind Light - shade is best Growth rate - moderate, though it does not appear to get very large Availability - hard to find but available in specialty nurseries Other - one of the finest small clumping fan palms, it apparently is at least as happy in South Texas as the lady palm

Roystonea regia Royal palm

Large majestic feather palm with plumy leaves, white trunk and distinctive green crownshaft (Cuba) Cold resistance - poor, only for use in warm areas of the Lower Valley between major freezes Drought - fair once established, though it appreciates as much water as you can give it Salt - good, tolerates soil and water in the Lower Valley Coast - relatively good Wind - good Light - full sun Growth rate - fast to very fast if watered and fertilized Availability - common Other - a gorgeous palm for temporary enjoyment in the warmest areas of Texas

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Sabal mauritiiformis Tropical palmetto

Taller slender palmetto with deeply divided tropical looking leaves (Central America)

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Cold resistance - low for a palmetto, but plants protected from direct north winds are apparently hardy in the Lower Valley Drought - probably good, like the other palmettos Salt - good tolerance Coast - acceptable Wind - OK, though it might beat the leaves up a little Light - sun Growth rate - faster than most palmettos Availability - hard to find but carried at several specialty nurseries Other - the most tropical looking fan palm. Sabal yapa looks similar. They seem especially susceptible to rhino beetle attacks when young

Sabal mexicana Texas palmetto

Large stout spineless fan palm with dark green costapalmate leaves (South Texas to Mexico) Cold resistance - high, hardy to at least College Station Drought - good, new transplants need ample water though Salt - good tolerance Coast - acceptable Wind - good Light - sun to light shade Growth rate - moderate if not drought stressed Availability - common Other - our only native palm tree, widely used and naturally well adapted.

Forms from Mexico may be more slender and taller

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Sabal minor Dwarf palmetto

Low, usually trunkless fan palm with dark green leaves (Central Texas & eastward, also NE Mexico) Cold resistance - very high, perhaps the hardiest known palm Drought - good Salt - good Coast - should be acceptable, not widely used there Wind - tolerant Light - sun to shade Growth rate - slower Availability - while not overly common it can be found Other - this common palm of the southeastern United States is extremely hardy but not much used in far South Texas since more exciting palms are available

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Sabal palmetto Florida palmetto

Medium large fan palm with dark green costapalmate leaves much like our native Texas palmetto (Florida/SE Atlantic) Cold resistance - high, even better than Texas palmetto in the colder parts of Central Texas Drought - decent when established, better with irrigation, especially after translplanting. Perhaps not as tolerant of rocky soil as Texas palmetto Salt - good tolerance Coast - good Wind - hight Light - sun to part shade Growth rate - slow to moderate in ideal conditions Availability - commonly dug in Florida and brought here for sale Other - often hard to distinguish from our native palmetto, it has smaller fruit

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Sabal uresana Blue palmetto, Sonoran Palmetto

Fairly large palmetto with distinctive bluish leaves, especially when young (Sonora, Mexico)

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Cold resistance - high according to reports, should be suitable for South and Central Texas Drought - good Salt - surely good Coast - unknown, probably should do reasonably well Wind - tolerant Light - sun, maybe some light shade Growth rate - not fast, like most palmettos Availability - hard to find, sold most often in Arizona Other - a beautiful palmetto and the only sabal with bluish leaves. Recently introduced into Texas and seems to be an excellent choice for here

Sabal xtexensis Brazoria palmetto

Low. stout fan palms with dark green leaves and short trunks with age (SE Texas) Cold resistance - apparently quite high Drought - probably good Salt - good Coast - should be acceptable, not used there Wind - tolerant Light - sun to shade Growth rate - slower Availability - hard to find, a specialty item Other - this is a rare palm, probably of hybrid origin, that comes from the Brazoria area near Houston

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Serenoa repens Saw palmetto

Small to medium, low clumping fan palm with green to very grey leaves (Florida/SE Atlantic) Cold resistance - high, used in Central Texas Drought - not as high as many grey palms, needs some irrigation to do well Salt - good Coast - very good, seen on the dunes by the Atlantic in Florida Wind - good Light - sun Growth rate - slow Availability - moderate, best grown from containers Other - the silver forms are very nice, a good choice for the coast. Overall they are underused palms in our area

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Syagrus romanzoffiana Queen palm, cocos plumosa

Graceful large plumose feather palm common here and other subtropical climates (South America) Cold resistance - moderate, stands ordinary cold but can freeze out in worst winters if unprotected. Used in much of South Texas Drought - moderate Salt - acceptable, though they sometimes suffer from nutrient deficiencies Coast - some Wind - tolerant Light - sun to light shade Growth rate - fast Availability - common Other - treat magnesium deficiency (yellowing leaves) with epsom salts. Our most popular tropical looking palm. A variant known as ‘Silver queen’ or ‘Santa Catarina’ is supposed to be slightly hardier

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Trachycarpus fortunei Windmill palm

Small slender fan palm to 20-25 ft. often covered with “shag� on the trunk (China)

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Cold resistance - high, used even into North Texas Drought - acceptable when established, prefers moisture Salt - not high, better suited for Central Texas than the Valley Coast - low Wind - best out of the wind Light - sun to part shade Growth rate - moderate Availability - common Other - more of a temperate palm, it does better in Central Texas than the nearly tropical conditions in deep South Texas. The look is more Oriental than tropical.

Other species may do well in Central Texas

Trithrinax campestris Campestris palm, blue needle palm

Small fan palm with very stiff, almost sharp but attractive greyish leaves and needlelike matting on the trunk (Argentina) Cold resistance - very high, good for Central Texas Drought - should be high. Needs well drained soil Salt - good Coast - probably good Wind - high tolerance Light - best with lots of sun Growth rate - definitely slow Availability - very hard to find, especially larger plants, occasionally available from specialty nurseries Other - a tough but handsome and hardy palm from Argentina. Most Trithrinax should be suitable for South Texas. T acanthacoma is probably the most widely grown species but is not all that attractive

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Washingtonia filifera California fan palm

Large fan palm with a thick stocky trunk and dull green filiferous leaves (Desert Southwest & NW Mexico)

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Cold resistance - high, though the leaves can burn in a hard freeze Drought - high, they often volunteer in cracks in concrete Salt - high, tolerant of nearly all soils and water Coast - fairly good, not as good as W. robusta or the hybrid Wind - high Light - full hot sun Growth rate - fast Availability - common Other - excellent for drier areas, in humid regions the trunks on old trees can suffer cold damage which appears as trunk rot. Many plants now grown in South Texas are actually hybrids (a better choice for here)

Washingtonia robusta Mexican fan palm

Very tall fan palm with thin often leaning trunks and bright shiny green leaves (Baja/NW Mexico) Cold resistance - generally hardy enough to be used here, but old exposed trees are especially prone to very hard freezes, particularly in wet conditions Drought - high, they also volunteer readily here Salt - high, tolerant of nearly all soils and water Coast - very good, one of the best palms for South Padre Wind - high Light - full sun Growth rate - quite fast Availability - very common Other - the signature landscape plant for the Lower Valley, many were lost in the 1983 freeze but the plant is very easy to grow here. Trees planted in clumps with their leafbases left on the trunk tend to survive better in severe cold

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Washingtonia hybrid Hybrid washingtonia palm, Filibusta palm

Large variable fan palm with thin or sometimes stout straight trunks and bright glossy leaves (hybrid origin)

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Cold resistance - hardy to San Antonio, the leaves can burn in a heavy freeze but established plants recover Drought - high, they come up spontaneously here like the other washingtonias Salt - high, tolerant of nearly all soils and water Coast - excellent, virtually the equal of W. robusta Wind - high Light - full sun Growth rate - fast Availability - common, though many people don’t realize they have a hybrid Other - this spontaneous hybrid has the best characteristics of both parents and is better adapted than either parent for use in South Texas. Probably our best large palm for general use, many are difficult to distinguish from pure W. robusta

Wodyetia bifurcata Foxtail palm

Moderate sized palm with a thickly plumose feather leaves and a whitish crownshaft. Resembles a small royal palm (NE Australia) Cold resistance - low, only for temporary use in warmest areas of far South Texas Drought - will stand some drought when established but usually needs irrigation Salt - fair, not generally a problem here Coast - not used there, may do reasonably well Wind - reasonable Light - sun Growth rate - fast Availability - better nurseries usually carry them Other - a good smaller alternative to the royal palm, it’s about as hardy and easier to protect (or cut down) in case of extreme cold

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