That's going to be a toughie.

Well, I can't be certain but you can have him investigate these three palms:

Nannorrhops ritchiana. It's usually called the Silver Mazari palm, but that silver form comes from Iran. Sometimes there is a green form available from Afghanistan that is much hardier.

Sabal minor. The McCurtain form of this Palmetto is from Oklahoma (if you can believe that) and is supposed to be the hardiest form.

Rapidophyllum hystrix. There might be some extra hardy forms of the Hedgehog palm too. It says it grows as far north as Washington, DC.

Palms do say tropical, so at least this might be a beginning.

Good luck!

-Ron-

"Any thoughts, ideas, advice or warnings will be greatly appreciated."

The most important advice that I would give "your friend" ;) is to deal with local designers, contractors, or nurseries and not to rely on the internet for plant selection. The goal of a tropical look is a reasonable one. The goal of growing tropical plants is a foolish one.

One thing that you can be sure of is that in any an area of significant population, someone has tried to grow it, is growing it if it survives, and it is also quite likely that if it grows someone is selling it. The only palms that I have seen in Connecticut have had arms attached to them and were expecting a coin dropped in them.

Find someone with a knowledge of plants in your friend's area who has a good eye re-creating a look with similar textures, colors, and form while using plants that grown in your friend's area. Findng that person won't be easy either, but that is how it can be done.

Hi,

Your friend and I think alike. I live in CT too, and have and still am making my backyard into a tropical paradise. Look into tall grasses, they catch any bit of wind and really bring your landscape alive. Hostas are good to...nice broad leaf. Definately look into bamboo....the New England Bamboo Co. in Ct has a great website. Bamboo is an evergreen too, so it makes a great privacy screen from the real world. You can also make fences and walkways using bamboo poles...check out a site called calibamboo.com. Lots of ideas there. You can also cover any builing structures with thatch...instant paradise. There are a few varities of palm trees that do work well in our zone. One that comes to mind, is the windmill palm. Check out a site called idigbamboo.com...you will see a link for palms and yuccas....some great pictures of a paradise in northern NJ. Hopefully some of this helps. Mahola

The "tropical look" still being pretty much a current gardening fad, this is not such an uncommon question. And yes, it can be accomplished pretty much anywhere with hardy plants if you know what you are looking for. Get hold of a copy of "Hot Plants for Cool Climates", by Susan Roth. It is an excellent guide to developing a tropical look garden in a non-tropical setting using hardy plants or those that can be protected (without being dug up and overwintered) in place. Used copies are available through Amazon.com.

That is what I do in zone 5 Indiana. It's easier than you think with the right plant selections.
Bananas are the way to go, not palms. Palms suck around here. If you can get them to three feet or four feet, you're doing good. Who wants a three foot palm tree in their yard, what's the impact of that?
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sandy0225
e-mail me through gardenweb if you want more information. Because businesses aren't allowed to advertise here.

Well done, Sandy...

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. A friend had tropical plants surrounding his pool , including 2 large palm trees . The majority of tropicals were just indoor plants brought outsideand planted in their pots, some were annuals, and the palms were about $300-500 a piece that wouldn't make it through winter. But, he had them! It looked pretty good.