Just as a bit of information....I saw Trachycarpus fortunei....BIG ones....at Mori nursery outside Niagara on the Lake last August......

Really...how big? Niagara-On-
The-Lake is closer to zone 7A, but a Trachy should do fine here too. Given the right protection they should be fine

Cheers, Rick

If I remember correctly, they had a couple of HUGE (15 foot plus) palms, but also smaller ones in the nursery. You should be able to find something in one of the Toronto nurseries, or order from Tropic to Tropic plants in BC. I've always been happy with what I get from them.

Hey Don, were they outside and planted in the ground? Thats soo cool!!

I know, this is a old post but since I'm reading them, I fund this link wich maybe interesting for the Mazari Palm, it's says that it's hardy to -20F

[img]http://www.localharvest.org/images/cat/prod_9022_2732.jpg[/img]

here is a link: http://www.localharvest.org/store/item.jsp?id=2732

Cheers

I think you guys are really over optomistic when it comes to calling anything in Ontario Zone 7, near a lake or not, you will get zone 6 and 5 temperatures that will fry and Trachy in the winter unless it is heavily protected. Even here in Virginia, I worry about the once in a decade or two sub zero temperature that will wipe out mine and how I will protect them.

Hi Rick,

I know I'm late with this message, you probably already have a house full of palms. I live in Toronto also, try Avenue Rd & Dupond, there is a huge garden centre with a variety of palms and tropicals (a bit expensive) or sometimes Home Depot carry the windmill palm.

Palms are tricky in our zone they sometimes act strange. My windmill palm lost all leaves and completely turned around with new growth, it's growing slowly in the winter but I think it would be fine.

Zarro

One other condition to consider for your Trachys is your hot, HUMID summers. Trachys do not like hot summer conditions either. They get a thin scraggly trunk in these areas and are more sensitive to the cold because of it. (Compare Pacific Northwest palms to those in California)
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for zonal denial-I still am planting oleanders after loosing them the past 3 winters, but I think of them as a crap shoot.

You may want to try to obtain a hardy Sabal that loves summer heat instead-not a tree but a palm none the less.

If you really, really want Tracys then give them the best place you can and go for it. If it is possible to find specimens propagated from Ontario, all the better, as Trachys can be much tougher from a cold area. Find a very sheltered location with a summertime partly shaded spot, next to a deciduous tree so they still get maximum winter heat but some summer shade. Give them a thick leaf mulch in the winter.

Good luck to you but don't break the bank getting one.

Cheers from the Island

I live in Winona, the South-Eastern end of Hamilton. I had two Windmill Palms for a few years. They are typically hardy to -12F. I kept mine in pots where they grew to a height of about 3 feet. The reason for the pots was that I could easily put them in the garage on cold windy days to avoid the wind "burning" the fronds. Unfortunately, I left for a two week winter vacation one year, and put them in the house to be safe. A mold had broken out on the soil while I was away that ended up killing both Palms. I plan to replace them soon.

You can purchase Windmill Palms in most of the nurseries from Vineland to Niagara-on-The-Lake. They will run you anywhere $50.00 for very small plants to several hundred dollars for the larger ones.

My next experiment is a hardy Orange that grows in Zone 5 and above. The fruit is apparently large but bitter.

To the Virginian; Niagara-on-The-Lake is very much Zone 7. It is the heart of the grape country and is home to transplants such as Hardy Kiwi's, Bamboo, Southern Magnolia, Papaws, Forest Pansy Redbud and the occasional Myrtle. There is even one area with native flowering Maples; these tend to have large green flowers with orange centres that bloom in Spring. It a micro-climate for certain.

Hi Rickey.

I live in Rochester, NY (zone 6a) and am just starting to get into the Trachycarpus fever. So far I bought a T. fortunei and a T. latisectus. I was told that the best for cold-hardiness is the Trachycarpus Wagnerianus. It's a little hardier than the fortunei and more wind-resistant. I'll be growing them in pots at first (they're 1-gal plants). I'm tempted to shell out the extra cash for a tall Waggie and plant it outside just to see how well it goes.

I also bought a few Musa Basjoos and passed two out to several gardeners I know just to see how it goes with different individuals here. Let's see how it all goes.

Hey, I have 2 large windmill Palm. I have them in large pots and I store them in my garage. This spring I plan on planting them in the ground. My front yard faces north, it gets mostly shade. Can I still plant them in the front or am I safer planting in my back yard safe from the cold north wind and shade?? Thanks.ps I live in Wasaga Beach. Just north of Toronto not sure what zone I'm in. Thanks

If you're in Toronto, unless you are willing to provide heavy duty protection, say, building a temporary greenhouse over the palms every winter, they probably will not be able to survive outside. Even in DC, they have trouble surviving colder winters. Keep them in pots.

Once established and if you have a protected location, you really just need to wrap it. Last winter (In Kingston Ontario) my 8 ft TF survived with only burlap wrap. I lost all the fronds but it came back with 8 new fronds over the summer. The Christmas lights I had used for heat failed.