Hey all.. I've created and read several threads about the most northern palm trees, but what about the most southerly ones? The most southerly Phoenix Canariensis could probably be grown or is already in Invercargill, NZ (46 degrees south) which is zone 9 (I've personally seen them growing in Melbourne, Australia at 37 degrees south but I'm sure they could be cultivated much further south than this). The most southerly Trachycarpus Fortunei could probably be grown or is already in Punta Arenas, Chile (53 degrees south - Zone 8). What are your thoughts?
I'd say they're likely in Chile; T. fortunei is most definitely in Punto Arenas. And while we're on palm-growing extremes, the highest-altitude ones are Parajubeas of Ecuador and Bolivia, both of which are found above 3,500 meters of elevation (11,400 feet give or take).
"(I've personally seen them growing in Melbourne, Australia at 37 degrees south but I'm sure they could be cultivated much further south than this)." Ah yes they were the tree of fashion about 50 yrs ago. These days any that have to be removed are carefully dug up and re sold/planted in all sorts of places. Whole new housing estates suddenly support full grown palms. Below a couple of the locals. http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2878066720063512923YstYOa http://family.webshots.com/photo/2962880280063512923asGPCI Liz
Chatham Islands are fairly far south. The native Nikau palm grows there. http://www.chathams.com/framesets/natureset.html Cheers, LPN.
Yeah Nikau is a beautiful palm...I did read that it's the southernmost native palm... but I think it's only hardy to zone 10 or zone 9 with protection.....
I have read somewhere that the Chinese Windmill Palm is one of the most cold/frost tolerant, feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
That is correct and Chinese Windmill Palm is Trachycarpus fortunei, mentioned above as a likely candidate.
From personal experience with my own palms is that most of what I grow will toerate frost and cold, even my citrus trees, what they won't tolerate is too much damp and wet, so the soil needs to be really well drained and then cover the area in the wet season to avoid problems also have a good fungacide handy, which reminds me Lorax I managed to get hold of some of that treatment you told me about, so fingers crossed. Nath
So you're in Ecuador... have you seen Parajubaea cocoides cultivated above 11,000 feet there? I had always thought the palm altitude award went to P. torallyi var. microcarpa (wild plants) in Bolivia.
I have, actually - in the town of Papallacta, which is at 3520m, or 11,548.556 feet. I'm not sure if they're wild or cultivated, but they're definitely there.
That's very interesting. I read (following a link on the IPS website) that wild plants P. cocoides were discovered recently in a small area of northern Peru, but it was only known from cultivation for a long time. Hopefully you'll be able to view this. http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=17323&hl=cocoides What's the highest altitude you've ever seen a Ceroxylon species? Another contender for highest cultivated palm might be Phoenix canariensis, which I have seen above 11,000' in Cusco.
For P. canariensis, I've seen it above 11,000' in Quito, too, and on the Latacunga plains. Those are definitely cultivated, though. For Ceroxylon, I think it was C. quindiuense in Colombia, at about 11,500'
