Sabal Minor and Needle palm are your best bets for 6b palms. I am trying a windmill palm right against the south side of my house, since I'm growing it a zone colder than it's hardy for.

Someone is setting up a zone listing for palms based on which palms will grow in similar conditions.

www.palmpedia.net/wiki/SUBTROPICAL_SURVIVABILITY_INDEX

The idea is that if you see one palm that can grow in your area you just check the list and see which others will as well.

Many palms grow well in pots, just depends on how much effort you put into maintaining them.

European Fan Palms are wonderful potted indoor/outdoor palms. Very trouble free, about as hardy as a Sanseveria, and the biggest plus, unlike many palms, NOT attacked by spider mites.

European fan palms take being overwintered inside very well I have 2 one regular and one blue and both flower indoors. If your looking for a challenge with some special care majesty palms can overwinter well inside and they are cheap.

Outdoors I would try a windmill palm and protect it with christmas lights and cover it.

Needle palms are probably the only palms that will grow in a zone 6b in Oregon, Sabal minors require a lot of summer heat to grow well (native to the southeast USA). They can handle pretty cold temperatures, probably around 0F when established if the duration is breif, but they wont put out more than a frond or 2 a year in climates that dont get hot (even in climates that are hot, they are slow growers that put out only about 3-4 fronds a year).

Trachys are a great choice since they are easy to protect. They are reliably cold hardy to about 7F, lets say 10F to play it safe. They are the most common cold hardy palm grown in my area since they grow trunks so they give the tropical look a bit easier.

As for potted palms, there are plenty of good ones. My personal favorite are Spindle palms. They are really tough. I grow at least 15 different species of palms as potted plants currently and this one is the easiest of them that tolerates sun during the summer months. Chamaedoreas are very easy and do great in shade, but will not tolerate sun. Chamaedorea seifrizii is one of my favorites of that species.
Solitare palms are really easy indoor palms as well. They dont really grow that well in sun outdoors so partial shade is best. They grow just as well indoors as they do outdoors for me, making a new frond every 6 weeks or so.

You can also try yuccas and tropical bulbs (like elephant ears, cannas, etc...) for a tropical look in your zone. They look good with perrenials that are already common in your area so you dont have to worry about it not looking right.

Good luck!
-Alex

thanks for the info. are needle palms trees or bushes?

i actually have two white yucca that i have had for 4 years and they are about to bloom now. we get in the high 80s 90s and sometimes 100 in the summer. they love it.

Needle palms are definitely what one would call a "shrub" form palm -- ultimately height is only about 6 feet in its native habitat at best, probably quite a bit less in marginal areas where its not fully adapted. It clumps from the base.

Ok, thank you :) I think I'll buy a needle and a windmill for our yard.

Hello,

I have a Windmill and a Pindo. I live outside of Speingfild Mo. I plan on building boxes out of 2by4s with R-13 insulation and a top that is covered with plastic for light and a cover made of the same things as the sides all covered in insulated sheathing For those really cold nights. I really think I have a chance. They are located in betweeny house and a building on their north side for north wind protection. What do you guys think? Will they make it?

Windmills are very easy to grow in colder zones if protected during the winter. I have been growing them in Michigan for probably 8 years. Pindos might make a little more of a challenge, but my potted pindo is one of my fastest growing and easiest to grow palms. And it looks beautiful.

Hello,

I have a Windmill and a Pindo. I live outside of Speingfild Mo. I plan on building boxes out of 2by4s with R-13 insulation and a top that is covered with plastic for light and a cover made of the same things as the sides all covered in insulated sheathing For those really cold nights. I really think I have a chance. They are located in betweeny house and a building on their north side for north wind protection. What do you guys think? Will they make it?

Hmm somehow I posted the same thing twice? I'm new to Garden web . This is a wonderfull site!!! Thank you Island Breeze! I've got palms and bananas everywhere ,but most go in my plant building for the winter. This will be my first attempt at getting them through the winter outside. Everyone thinks I'm crazy , but I like the challenge. I might put a light bulb in with the Palms to add warmth on severely cold nights.