Type in Palms in Chicago in the search area above your post and you find the thread your looking for.

Here is a link that might be useful: Or click here

Im one of the crazy chicagoans growing palms in the ground since 05 I believe. Also theres a few others too

Jim...Thanks..It's too bad most photos were deleted. What a sight!!!
Thanks for the link.,..

I recall the name Chi-Guy who had a fairly large palm in his back yard..

Mike. Crazy Chicagoans, LOL..Is your palm still around? It seems Trachy's are the most common or perhaps hardiest, pardon me if Trachy is an incorrect name..I purchased one 2 years ago, but haven't dared plant in the yard..I wanted to research everything needed to overwinter.

Mike, if you don't mind posting, I'd love to see your palm..thanks, Toni

I'm sure there are plenty of people growing trachys in Chicagoland. Similar in climate, in southern Minnesota and Iowa, there are a few of us growing larger mature trachys. Even northern Utah where it is even colder than here (MN) there is "Arctictropical". Search for his posts and pictures here, you will be amazed...

Here's mine (about 7-feet) in Minnesota as of early July 2009:
(includes musa basjoos and needle palm)

Yep, u can include me in this category with other chicagoans/minny/iowa growers.....I live right in the city about 3 miles from downtown and I have a trachy that's about 5 feet tall with 2 and half feet solid trunk that's been growing in the ground over 3 years this is the 4th winter ......I also planted in the spring a nice sized butia with about a foot of trunk 5 and a half feet tall. .....everything has been protected since dec 5th using arctictropical method and some help from mike jarmillo.....temps have been great in the enclosures! It was 2 degrees in the yard the other night and in both enclosures they stayed low 70's upper 60's. Heck daytime highs in their yesterday got up to upper 80's! I think I am gonna give some more palms a try in the ground this spring if everything continues to go as planned. I will post some pics later of what they palms looked like right before they were enclosed.

Brian im glad everything is nice and warm. Have you had any ideas yet what new palm you may want to try. Maybe a washingtonia or mediterranean palm. I decided I have a cold hardy citrus tree I will put that in the ground and Im getting a a few tall italian cypruss next year. I have the fig tree and my as well go for that mediterran.

Mnpalms i always forget how big that trachy is.

Hopefulauthor heres a summer pic

{{gwi:1183020}}

Mike-

That's a beautiful trachy you have there! Must be at least 10 feet tall?

Is that a queen to the left of it? How are you protecting those in your zone? I'd think that queen needs some extra attention...

I have two T. fortunei next to each other about that size. The queen is getting pulled up and put in a pot for three months. yeah the trachys are around 9 or 10 ft

I am so very impressed..Who would think it possible?!

Mn, is the area your plants are in similar to a raised bed?
How long are MN winters? My son is going to MN (Minneapolis) early tomorrow morn to see the Vikings/Bengal game..I've been keeping an eye on MN temps..the other day it was 0F. But so far, your temps are similar to IL. Oops, checked International Falls..it's freezing! Anyway you have a very nice setup.
PS..your kitty-cat looks huge..lol

Spat, if you have time, can you please explain about the enclosure? Is it needed to start a palm?

Mike...OMG!!! Beautiful..What is the tallest tree adjacent the fence? Your Trachy is amazing, too. What is the palm in front..
I also see two small palms, beside the fence. They resemble fan palms..???
What type of citrus will you try? In the 90's, I planted what's called Poncirus trifoliata, which is actually root stock used for grafting citrus..fruits 'oranges' are small, bitter, and seedy, but if they survive, make handsome but thorny citrus trees. Mine lived four years until someone, STAMPED it to shreds one winter when dormant..they're deciduous, (outdoors) but start leafing around March/April..I chose a spot that wasn't suited to grow much let alone a citrus..For one, not enough sun.
Is the Cypress you mention a relative or the same as Papyrus?
What about the Fig? Is the the Brown Turkey Fig? Do they grow here? How tall will one get? Do they fruit?
And the Mediterranean...are you referring to the Med Fan Palm? They grow here, too???

I have a zillion questions, and would love to see more pics, but don't want to pester anyone, too much. lol..

For now, I'd like to ask one question..what is the most important thing to know/do when growing a tropical/semi-tropical plant 'outdoors' in z4-6? Thanks so much.
Your 'tropical, lol' gardens are gorgeous.. Toni

Lots of questions... Sounds like I was when I first discovered this stuff was possible.

In my little micro climate (kind of) here in MN I'm basically a zone 5a. We are not likely to ever see a low of lower than -15F, have not since I've been in this house for more than a dozen years. Also see the link I posted regarding zone map. I believe it to be accurate. The lowest temp we have experienced so far this season (in my yard) has been about -3.5F which is unusual this time of year. In a normal winter, with an established (larger) trachy, it would need to be covered from early/mid December through late Feb/early March. After this season I'll be covering/uncovering only when it is certain the lows won't go below the mid/upper teens. Trachys are more hardy than that though when established.

Zone map:

http://www.paradisepalmco.com/site/products/zoneMap/Windmill+Palm

Mine is in kind of a raised planter, just a little bit raised though. Just a couple inches. It does get good exposure to the south (sun) even more so when the leaves are off the other trees. My recommendation is to put in a larger trachy and do it in the early spring so it gets established well before winter. The bigger the tree the more hardy it will be. You might be looking to spend somewhere in the $200 range for one as large as mine (about 7 feet). Well worth it though, they are slow growers. Do your homework this winter and come up with a plan for the spring. Then you will have plenty of time to gather all the info you should need for success. There are lots of people here who protect their trees in the winter and you will be able to develop your plan using other's experiences. I definitely recommend a larger trachy over other breeds though, your best shot at success in my opinion, plus it is an instant landscaping impact, big tree right now, don't have to wait years for the look you want. I also recommend reading through the thread here in the "palms and cycads" section titled "I hope the plams make it through this" There are several pictures of my protection for my trachy as well as a picture of dln949's protection of hers in Rochester, MN. Some summer pics of mine also. Good luck!

You saw one of the cats? Check out the picture below... You can actually see my largest trachy in the background too. Now that's a cat!

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention. The Vikings are going to CRUSH the Bengals! Should be a good game, I wish I was going.

MN...sorry about all the questions..I did some research before coming here, even discovered about micro-climates in different parts of a yard.
I still don't understand how it works, or how testing is done though. LOL

Guess I'll look through older threads, too.

MN, how accurate is your map? I thought IL 'my part' is z5?? No?
Did you first test different parts of your yard before choosing the area your palms/musas are planted?
Also, how does wind chill fit in? Is MN windy? IL, especially Chicago is extremely windy, hence, Windy City..though I no longer live in the city, we get very windy days and nights.

Oh my, $200.00?? Think I best wait until my Trachy matures..lol..That's way beyond my budget......worse, it'd be tragic if it died..

I'll read through the threads..thanks so much for your help. You and Mike have impressive yards.

Is your cat a Sphynx? He's gorgeous..Yep, he's in the pic walking beside the pool. BTW, nice, pool.

BTW, I tend to agree the Vikings are going to 'CRUSH' the Bengals. Since we're in IL, 'Chicago Bears territory,', we don't get the Vikings/Bengals game..the Bengals just scored a TD. If you're watching the game, and you see a guy wearing a Bengals cap and jacket, that's my son..lol..
Thanks again..I'll try to figure something out about the palm tree..including read the book, Palms Won't Grow Here and other myths..Toni

Toni-

You are probably a whole zone warmer than me, a solid Z6 I bet. My planning included being shielded from north and west wind which is where the cold/winter weather comes from. With the fence and other trees in my yard that is a lock. To the south, the other consideration, the planter sees most of the day's sun. I don't have the micro climate some get by planting right next to the house's foundation on a south side (very good if you can do it). Just not possible in my yard because of the garage, wrap around patio and boat storage area, etc. That's why I heat the ground well inside my enclosure also. My trachy is exposed to more wind out of the south, the tree got a little battered in the spring winds. At least it is warmer air it brings though. I'd select a similar spot, if I was you, pay attention to the wind.

Yes, I have nearly $200 into my trachy, getting it already that big. You can find them that size for half the price if you want to drive south and pick it up yourself. That price was for the tree shipped UPS. I actually got a break by buying two at the same time. I'm building up another in a pot, it is past 4 1/2 feet tall now and with about 2 feet of trunk. I bought it for $30. It is growing fast indoors right now. Monrovia trachys seem to grow very fast! Experimental tree...

Yes the cat is a sphynx. It is a female calico. She is 90% hairless, just has a little fuzz on the tail and behind the ears, paws, etc. A little of the genes from being bred with devon rex gives it the fuzz. Actually the cat in the other picture is a female blue point siamese. 4 cats around here! My wife really is into them. Though I've got to admit the "freak" has really grown on me. Very cool breed.

Sorry for your son, the Vikings were due to get back on track! Vikes are very tough at home.

Good luck with your planting. You have some time to figure it out for sure. Be ready to get things in ground in April for sure. Keep us posted as to what you end up doing.

MN..the Vikings Won..lol..our son has always been a Bengals fan since he understood football...don't know why since he's never, ever gone or lived in Ohio..lol.
BTW, talked to son, Mike, after the game...he said everyone in MN is really nice..

You said, if I drive a little south I could get a large palm w/o having it shipped, for half the price..
How far south? Probably FL..lol.

Areas in my yard..One problem, someone, long ago, planted a Maple tree, smack in the center!! I wanted that tree gone when we moved here, 21 yrs ago, but my dh didn't..he won that fight, but lives to reget it now..lol..j/k
The front gets more sun..west and some south light..the strongest winds blow north to south. If I planted in the front garden, it'd get light from all directions, but, it'd also be a winter wind target.
You know how it is..when it's really windy, it feels like wind is coming from every direction.

How much space will be needed? There is a limited amount of space behind my small green house, facing east and south. Ferns grow alongside the neighbors garage but the spot I'm talking about is unobstructed..facing south and east..it wouldn't get much west/north light. What do you think?
Would you happen to know the diameter of your largest palm?

What about soil? Would it need amending? I have a few indoor palms, but they're planted in potting soil, Peat, Perlite, etc. Do these mediums apply to ground planting?

April? MN, April is way too cold to plant, the earth is still frozen..Planting season used to be Apr 15th. They changed the date from Apr to May 15th..
OR, are you saying it should be cold to plant a palm???
I understand the sooner a tropical is planted, the more time it has to acclimate to our conditions...I used to haul house plants outdoors in May..now I'm lucky getting them out in early June.
On the positive side..plants deemed annuals are returning the following year, 'Petunias, Morning Glory, Datura, plus some z6 + 7 perrenials,' something that's never happened in the past.

What is the minimum height a Trachy should be for it to survive z5 or 6?
Has anyone on this forum who lives in a cold climate started a smaller palm, that survived?

I'd like to see a closeup of your blue point..Siamese are my favorite..I had a chocolate point long ago..he was the best. I have birds, so can't get a cat..although, we had a cat 17 yrs..he passed away a few days after his 17th birthday..the birds would land on his head, and he'd look at me, innocent-like..lol...poor baby..I miss him. We also have two dogs..An English Mastiff and Shih tzu..the Mastiff wouldn't bother a kitten, but the Shih would drive the poor thing up the walls..lol..

Thanks again for your help..There's a lot to learn. And expense too..Every so oftn HD has 5-6' palms for 20.00..wonder if that would do?

I have a palm w/o an ID..If I post here, do you think I'd get an ID?
I bought a variegated palm on Ebay..it's very slow-grower..one frond..lol..
Thanks again, Toni