hey Bill, i just planted a 10 foot foxtail on the side of my house this past week. i live in jacksonville and i was wondering if you had any pointers on how i could make it survive up here??? i have it wrapped up in this type of insulater that i can keep on for days at a time. it is UV protected. Thanks, Jason

Hi Jason,
I don't know exactly what will work for you. I do think that the problem in your area would be getting a cold spell after a lot of warm weather. This might be true especially in spring when the palm is actively growing and the new growth is tender. I did notice that the foxtails around St. Pete weren't dead, but the leaves were badly browned as soon as I drove a little way in from the beach. You might get more expert info from a local nursery or other gardeners in your area. Also a local botanical garden or similar may use different forms of protection for their specimens and maybe they could advise you. Good luck.

It's snowing up here in RI, so we have a way to go for spring!

Hi
have noticed around my neighborhood the coconuts were the most damaged but think they will survive. I think the BIG difference this year was the duration set records on daytime highs being under 42 several times.
I keep all my tender palms in pots so were in the house during the worst of it.Several are rasted at 60 for a low lol.
We shall see!! gary

gary, were in FL do you live? i have a 3 foot coconut palm i bought in Cocoa beach 2 months ago. I keep it in the garage covered everynight up here in jax and bring it out during the days. it has been burned alot even wrapped up. should i get a heater for it?

Heres a photo of my cocos i just took. It's currently 47 and raining (yeh, this winter is horrible!!). Lower fronds took a whooping in January, but upper fronds and spear are very green. Even had a fruit spike open last month. I did protect it from the Jan cold blast, but haven't done any since then. I'm ready for 80s...it's almost March so WTF?

Royal palm, very beautiful coconut tree!!! It looks like it is doing pretty good! alot better than other ones i have seen. Do u live in Central FLA??

Here is my Foxtail palm i just palnted 4 days ago! And yes, i live in Jacksonville, FL. I hope it survives!

Your coconut palm is looking very healthy royalpaulm. Jason, I like your foxtail palm too, how much did you get it for? Sometimes I see foxtails around that size (a little smaller) being sold by me as summer annuals for about 200 dollars (give or take). I didnt see them last year though.

Good luck!

Yes I'm in Central Florida...about 10 miles SW of downtown Orlando. It's hanging in there okay; here is a photo from the past fall, months before before all this crap for weather took a grip on the sunshine state. I planted it march 2008 with only about 1/2 ft of trunk.

Royal
I remember seeing pics when you planted that,
weren't we talking about how to protect it and such!-LOL

It looks great considering the temps and has grown quite a bit!

Man Jason-
It looks cold there,that could almost be a midwest scene except for the beautiful palm!

Good luck

I was thinking the same darn thin Jim!

It looks my backyard at this point, only without the Palm!

I never knew most the trees down there went bare..Unless of course the frost and freezes have caused an unusal shedding of leaves down there..God, that doesn't give me much hope of an early spring...And who said it is always to hot to live there? I think I can take a month of two of winter to be followed by an earlier spring than what I get here.

Mike

tropical zone, i paid $125 for it! It was a great deal i think. i bought it at A nursery in ormond bach, FL. they have had for 3 years there exposed to the cold every winter.

Damage in the Orlando area is greatly scattered. I've seen the coconuts over on International Drive looking barely touched, but also seen torched roebies in less urban areas. I'd say the urban heat Island effect has been the biggest factor here. I'm downtown today at my buddies condo, and I snapped a photo of several completely undamaged foxtails below. From what I've heard it never dropped below 32 downtown Orlando, but hit 28 at my house 10 miles away. Just outside the Orlando metro area you can find severely damaged queens and washies like out by Lakeland, Fl.

Also is a photo of a coconut off I-Drive in Orlando that I took last month after the worst weather had passed. Looked pretty darn good.
[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj320/royalpaulm/80af4216.jpg[/IMG]

With all that concrete surrounding the palms in the photo, I'd go far to say they could grow just about anything there with no damage worries year after year.

Amazing.

Jimhardy, we had a very very rough winter here in Jax this past year. i even lost one of my orange trees. it was a naval. i planted that foxtail last week. i have it all wrapped up right now until next weekend. it is suppose to be in the low 70's by next weekend here so hopefully it will do fine! usually by this time of year here, we have no more freezes. but not this year

Even the coco palm leaves in some parts of southern florida had a cold wind burn when I was there two weeks ago.

I noticed driving thru Orlando that palm trees like queen palms and fox tails survived when palmed down wind of homes or buildings. There is definately an Orlando heat Island.

Is that a dead tree holding up that coco? In a park?

Stan- that's actually a twig right in front of the camera...bad angle lol. You're abs right though, does appear that way

oop.No wonder nobody else asked!