palm availability

Does anyone know a nursery in SC that sells California fan palms and/or Crete Island date palms? I know this isn't the time of year to think of such things, but I'm already thinking about next Spring. And I'm afraid it's going to be a long winter. Let's hope the cold and wet winter forecast for SC is all wrong.

Can't answer your question directly, donnacreation, but know who could...His name is Ollie Olivier, and the guy knows Palms! Inside and out, upside-down! It's all he does... Don't know his numbers offhand, but could dig them out for you, if you want...

Thanks Stono, that would be very helpful. I'm growing Mexican fan palms, but the fronds are usually dark and unsightly by Dec. I'm also trying a Sylvester palm. This will be it's first winter inground, and I'm trying to decide if I should wrap it in xmas lights and frost cloth, or just drape frost cloth all around it without lights. SC has such lovely, balmy barrier islands - how lucky you are to reside on one.

Donna, not in SC, but there is a company that specializes in palms in eastern NC, between here and the coast.

On November 21, the Southeastern Palm Society will be holding their citrus expo at Moore Farms in Lake City. They will likely have plenty of palms available also. These meetings are open to the public and are usually free but I believe there is a $10 charge this time to get into Moore Farms - which is awesome, palm folks or not.

Most of the members in this group specialize in cold hardy palms.

California fan palms and/or Crete Island date palms, just of interest why are you after those those palms? That Sylvester palm is a nice palm for this area. Think that will be much nicer looking than a crete palm even though I have no experience except what I just googled. With the crete palm that is. I'd like to get a couple of bismarck palms because the color is odd but I just can't figure out where to put them. Think a bismarck would not be cold hardy for you though. In fact I don't think many palms will make it through your winters without some die back. I could be wrong about that.

Hi Core, I'm just a palm nut who yearns to grow every palm that will grow in zone 8a. I love sylvesters, and last summer they were selling them like crazy at my local Lowes (bought 3 ). I've learned that just because they're marketed here doesn't mean they're cold hardy in my backyard. I've never seen any true date palms growing in the midlands. I LOVE Bismarcks - had no idea they were cold hardy anywhere in SC. Last June, I stopped at a small nursery near Daytona that sold bismarcks. The owner said their low temp the previous winter was 24 f and their Bismarcks looked pretty damaged. Ofcourse they weren't in ground. The closest I can get to that gorgeous Bismarck color would be a silver European fan palm- cold hardy to 7b. Palms and cycads reliably cold hardy in the SC midlands include palmettos, windmills, pindos, sagos, coonties,european fan palms, and all the scrub palms that are natives - dwarf palmetto, needle palms, saw palmetto, etc. If my sylvesters can survive in my backyard with minimal protection, I'll forget about the Crete date palm. I think a califronia fan palm would stay greener in zone 8a, although they must be planted in a well drained area. Thanks, Ardesia, for the SE palm society info in Lake City. They might even be able to advise me where to get the California-Mexican hybrid fan palm which I've read is best suited for our humid zone 8a climate. Sorry, this is turning into a novel.

This message was edited Nov 2, 2009 1:03 PM

Here's the Palm Society link: http://www.sepalms.org/

They have a great little publication that comes out several times a year and their meetings are always fun. Plus, they trade and sell lots of plants.

Thank you Ardesia! I was down your way recently and was delighted to see in ground pygmy date palms. What a slice of paradise!

:-) we enjoy it.

BTW, there is a good palm tree nursery on Johns Island, Chilly Palm Trees. They are on Bohicket Road, on the way towards Kiawah.

Love palms to just purghases a product called Frese Proff,supose to give you a 9 deegre edge,i plan on apraying some of my canary island palms,and try it on one of my mexican fan palls that lost it leaves last year but came pack,ive tried lady palm but they dident make it,my pindo are 10ft tall,mexican fans about8 ft tall have some nedlle palms about 20 ft tall,and quite a few 3and4 ft.also have had good luck with washingtonias abou six ft,I purchases some really nice ones at H D and Lowes,took some back after a year thet dident make it and they refunded my money,going to try that Palm Society Link LOL Hoitider

What's your zone there in Emerald Isle? Please let us know how Frese Proff works for you. Are you in an area that receives frequent heavy frost? I hope not for the welfare of the CIDP's. THINK MILD WINTER.

According to the manufacturers rep, FreezePruf works best when sprayed on both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves. Please let the company know if it is successful for you in your area; they are interested in learning how well it works and on what plant material.

Even though we do not get a lot of freezing down here I am interested in seeing if it will help with the damage caused by the sudden drops in temperature that sometimes occur before the plants have hardened off. You know, like when it is 80 during the day and 30 at night.

I have as few pendo palm seeds left if you want them.

Let me know, they do great here at the NC coast.

there is a place called Gary's Palms somewhere in New Bern NC but I haven't been there


Lavina

I've heard good things about Gary's Palms, but also, haven't been there.
I'm going to try FreezPruf. I talked with a local nursery (well, I talked with someone at the nursery, not the nursery itself...)
and found that similar products have been around for quite a while. They do work.
A couple of neighbors have canary dates that are gorgeous.I don't ahve room for those, so am on the lookout for mule palms. My queens died after last winters cold, so I'm hoping the mules would work.
Barb