The state of Florida has been dub " The Land of Sunshine , " but that nickname is n’t genuine for all of the state . The panhandle , in the northwestern part of the state , has been know to have freeze out temperature , even blow in some years , and is one of the hardest hit expanse when hurricanes come call .

accordingly , ribbon tree in northwest Florida have to endure a change of weather circumstance for live .

Cold Hardy Palm Trees for Northwest Florida

Which Palm Trees Are Best Suited to Northwest Florida?

Cold fearless palm trees can live on a cryptic frost , such as those found in USDA hardiness zones 8b-9a . Palm trees befit to the southerly part of the Department of State suffer during the wintertime , specially when the temperature reach the freezing point . NativeFlorida palm treesfound on the panhandle have the best endurance rates , including the sabal palm ( Sabal palmetto ) and acerate leaf palm ( Rhapidophyllum hystrix ) .

If you ’re beginning your landscaping escapade in NW Florida and want one or two palm Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in your K , choosing cold hardy palm trees is your best option .

Also , consider the space you have to dedicate to the tree and purchase consequently . Local raiser make love what survives best in the climate and the panhandle soil conditions , and are your good adviser .

Three towering sabal palms (Sabal palmetto) growing in Sanibel Island, Florida.

Needle Palm: Hardiest of

Cold Hardy Palm Trees

The needle palm is considered the most cold hardy of the cold dauntless palms . It can brave out temperatures as low as -10 ° F .

However , a new needle decoration is more delicate and must be more mature to survive super insensate temperatures . It is slow - growing , but at maturity can hit 8 feet tall and wide .

Versatile when it comes to sunshine , it grow well in both gamey sun and fond ghost and in soils that range from wet to dry out . The acerate leaf thenar boom best in USDA hardiness zones 5b-11 .

Warning

The needle thenar is considered endangered in the wild . purchase only from reputable landscaping companies that raise their needle medallion on web site .

Sabal Palm: Almost the Hardiest

but not Quite

The Florida state tree , the sabal palm ( Sabal palmetto),endures temperatures down to -5 ° F , which is why it replace the coconut laurel wreath ( Cocos nucifera)as the official land tree diagram , since that was found only in South Florida .

Known to fly high in hardiness zone 7a-11 , the sabal is slow produce and favor marshes , river cant and Baroness Dudevant dune , being found within 12 international nautical mile of the slide . Also be intimate as the lolly palm tree , the tree involve little maintenance , but trimming the utter frond oft helps deter rodents .

In addition to growing to over 80 feet , they ’re also resistant to fervor , deluge and hurricane damage , make them an ideal laurel wreath tree diagram for Florida .

Windmill Palm: A More Cold Hardy

Palm Tree

The windmill palm ( Trachycarpus fortunei ) seems wrap in its own pelt pelage . Its fan - shaped fronds are perched atop its furred trunk and can attain 3 groundwork in length .

The palm can tolerate temperatures down to 5 ° atomic number 9 and is often found speckle with snowflakes in the coldest of hardiness zones 7b-11 . It is slow growing and can reach up to 20 feet in height .

It needs never-ending aid when it comes to lachrymation and only tolerates a few 24-hour interval between waterings during its first year , although it ’s fairly drouth large-minded once matured . While Florida is sight and hill - barren , the windmill palm grows in gamey altitudes as well as flat terrain .

Tip

The windmill medallion produces yield on both male and distaff Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and , once it fall , lawns become mussy in the autumn .

Pindo Palm: Here, There and

Everywhere Palm

The pindo palm tree ( Butia capitata ) has fronds that go in every counsel . Low to the footing , it endures low temperatures range from 5 - 10 ° farad and is ideal in hardiness zones 7b-11 .

A moderate raiser , the pindo medallion prefers sun and is n’t fussy regarding its soil case . It likes it hot and windy . Its yield is edible as a jelly but can be messy on lawns and sidewalk .

Pindo palms are dim grow to a height of 15 to 20 feet and require maintenance to keep their appearance from being scraggly .

Bismarck Palm: A Wider-Than-Tall Palm That Withstands Severe Winds

Unlike its improbable , frond - top cousin-german , the Bismarck palm ( Bismarckia nobilis ) sport silvery fronds and grow wider than it is improbable . When mature , it tolerates temperature from 15 - 20 ° fluorine and is ideal for hardiness zones 8b-11 .

spartan breeze that screw up in with gale and hurricanes do n’t peril the Bismarck , and a hot spell is often welcomed .

It can acquire to 30 to 60 feet in tiptop and spread out 12 to 16 feet . Stubby and round at its base , the lover of silverish - green fronds can get hold of 4 foot in length , and is adaptable to a variety of soils . Just do n’t let the root get too wet .

The fleeceable mixture of the Bismarck is more cold sensitive than is the silvery - grey-headed variety and can be damage at 32 ° farad . The silvern - gray kind tolerates temperatures down to 27 ° F .

References