Hi Canadianplant, Temperatures never quite got as cold as predicted. Many forecasts where estimating overnight lows to be in the -10c range on a couple occasions. Well that never happened here, perhaps in some of the Fraser valley locations on the mainland. In my area I recorded -6.9c (19.6f) and -6.2c (20.7f) on the 2 coldest nights. My lemon tree is fine and all the palms are in fine form. They shrugged off that cold blast without a hitch. Here's a couple of pics I took today 52.2 f (11c). Cheers, LPN.
How close to the Pacific did the snow and cold temps get? - was there much snow on the west coast of Vancouver Island (Clayoquot, Tofino, etc)? What about the QCI? Hi LPN - what's the palm in the middle pic?
Michael F, Cold weather reached every location on the coast. I'm on the south east side of Vancouver Island and haven't spoken to anyone directly about snow fall amounts in Tofino or Eucluelet. I would have expected those locations to see a couple of inches based on weather reports at the time. Maybe it's early, but what's "QCI" The palm pictured in the center is Butia capitata. Cheers, LPN.
OK Micheal, humm never heard it refered to QCI before. Locally it often get's an abreviated name, "The Charlottes". I don't know about the effects of that winter storm up there. Meteoroligists rarely consentrate on the region unless there's an extreme situation, which wasn't the case this time. The chaps on the UK Oasis messgage board, http://www.ukoasis.co.uk/ are routinely growing this Butia capitata palm over your way. They have plenty of experts that can stear you in the right direction if you want to grow one too. Cheers, LPN.
Canadianplant, Weird is right! It happens so infrequently that it's is cause for the camera to come out. There's a pic in this thread (scroll down) from the Northwest palms board regarding snow way down on Padre Island on the Gulf of Mexico. Crazy! http://www.cloudforest.com/northwest/forum/30318.html Cheers, LPN.
Interesting - I've never seen it grown around here (northeastern England). That's probably more a failure of imagination than lack of hardiness, people here are extremely unimaginitive in what they plant. Also, most gardens here aren't large enough for palms.
Sizeable Butia's = 1 arm and 1 leg, rough guide would be £300 per foot of trunk......bit risky for Northeast England.
This Butia and the more routinely planted Trachycarpus take up no more than about 10' across. I'm on a half acre lot so finding room isn't a problem, organizing and planning are. Cheers, LPN.
they gorw lots of palms and hardy tropicals uin england... although mabey not as far up as you... http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/europe/hze1.html see here. beliebve it or not most of europe is zone 8 or 7 england is 8 and 9 blew me away when i found this out
Some references place the extreme southwest region of England (Penzance, Lands End etc) and Scilly Ilses, in a zone 10a. Cheers, LPN.
LPN please tell us that you covered/ protected your specimen palms/agaves????? I am movin' to the Island!
Checked out on the NOAA snow cover maps - seems even when the snow was worst that the Queen Charlotte Islands and the coast further north stayed green: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/SNOW/ARCHIVE/AK/ims2006333_alaska.gif (map for 29 Nov) Should say though I have sometimes found those NOAA maps inaccurate (showing snow on the ground where I am when there wasn't, and vice-versa) People in southern England have got a lot more money to burn! That's the main reason why you don't see much in the way of expensive exotics up where I am (55°N, half-way up the east coast of Britain). I'd say yes to Scilly being zone 10, but not Penzance or Land's End. But also the extreme southwest/west fringes of the Republic of Ireland are zone 10. UK zone map: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/UK_zonemap.png
K Baron, All the palms in the above previous pics, Agave, Yucca etc where not covered, only in a blanket of snow. I did however tuck some dry burlap down into the growth spears of those palms pictured to insulate, since that's the most vulnerable point. All of my Windmill palms are never protected in any way. I have newly planted Washingtonia robusta and Phoenix canariensis that are covered but didn't get supplimental heat. All are just fine. As a side note, I planted a small seedling Phoenix theophrastii (Cretan Date) that has just started pinnate foliage. It managed without any intervetion. Great to hear you're moving to the "Rock". Have you settled on an area in which to move? Micheal F - Thanks for those maps. The NOAA shows very little detail. Looks to be an enhanced, high altitude sattelite image. Cheers, LPN.
Yes Micheal F ... Olea europea'Arbequina'. (good eye Micheal) Things have since warmed conciderably and today was 12 centigrade (54f), somewhat sunny and calm. A far cry from late November when that pic was taken. Cheers, Barrie. PS - Check this link to a very mild Austria. Europe is enjoying a mild start to winter. (scroll down for the pics) http://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm/msg/1165597408.html
My unprotected agaves and Butias also did fine in the recent blast of winter. My Butia is just a pup-3rd year, and still took that cold and snow without any troubles. They sure are tough palms.
Good to hear palmera! I'll bet your Opuntia vulgaris isn't blooming now. Some of mine broke under the weight of the snow. Cheers, LPN.
Right you are Barrie, the vulgaris has dropped the blossoms and looks a little droopy. The other Opuntias I have still look great, a violacea and an unknown. I will definately be propagating them this spring and planting around the yard as they haven't shown a hint of resistance to the wet snow and cold. (Barrie, was it a Freudian slip spelling Ucluelet with an E? Probably from hanging around too many Eucalyptus!)
palmera...it must have been. Sigmund would have enjoyed that one too. Let me know when you propagate your Opuntia. I always have room for more cacti. I'll see if I can get a pic of that Phoenix theophrastii and post it. Cheers, LPN. (Barrie)
