British Columbia: Mediterranean Fan Palm in Osoyoos

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by CountryPalms, Jun 28, 2010.

  1. CountryPalms

    CountryPalms Member

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    Is it possible to have Mediterranean Fan Palms in Osoyoos, BC? I hear it's pretty cold hardy and it loves hot summers. I don't think it gets too cold here in the winter (maybe and occasional cold snap) but I think with the proper protection it could survive. Also how hard is it to get these palms and are they expensive?
     
  2. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    No. Your 'occasional cold snaps' will get much too cold for it, that far inland. Maybe it might grow successfully in Victoria where the sea keeps conditions much warmer in winter, but not Osoyoos.
     
  3. CountryPalms

    CountryPalms Member

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    Is there any kind of Palm that will survive in Osoyoos?
     
  4. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Chusan Palm Trachycarpus fortunei might make it; that's the hardiest palm. Needle Palm Rhapidophyllum hystrix might also be worth considering, though it does need hot, humid summers.
     
  5. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Chamaerops less hardy than Trachycarpus, occasionally knocked to the ground in Seattle.
     
  6. bjo

    bjo Active Member 10 Years

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    Hi,

    Chamaerops humilis is native here in the south of Portugal. I agree with Michael and Ron that it is unlikely to survive long outside where you are. It has a distinctly maritime distribution here in europe and also in north africa. I suspect that this is because of its intolerance of prolonged low winter temperatures. I would think that the lowest temperatures it would experience here would be about -5´C....but most importantly these would occur for just a few hours, on at most a few nights a year. By 10.00 or 11.00 the next morning, the temperatures would be back in positive numbers. Here it is typical of sunny often rocky soils which bake hard during the summer (typically we have about 6 months without any appreciable rain).
    It is easy to germinate and grow from seed but it grows terribly slowly in the first year and usually very slowly thereafter. This slow growth makes it a good pot plant, so perhaps you could grow it in a pot and bring it indoors for the winter?

    Again, I agree with Michael that Trachycarpus is the best bet where you are for an outdoor palm. I think that you might enjoy Thomas Vestre´s excellent website about growing palms in Scandinavia:

    http://www.scanpalm.no/english.html

    good luck
    Brian
     

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