I am confused by your posting. Is this for inside or outside? If outside, none of these will work outside in Zone 7 and I won't expect one to survive short of dropping a greenhouse over it.

I would suggest the following which woud survive with either no protection or limited.

Sabal minor and Louisiana
Raphidophyllum hysteria
Chamaerops humilis

Trachycarpus wagnerianus

Butia capitata (protected from excessive moisture), maybe a 'Mule' Palm

Washintonia filibusta (nice hybrid compromise of better traits)--some protection to moderation depending on the winter weather. Mine look great far and all I have done was drop a blanket over them on a few nights recently but e are in a good microclimate.

I was going to post a question about Foxtail's and I may as well hijack this thread. I'm looking to put some Foxtails in pots for the summer and bringing them into the greenhouse in the fall.

Does anyone see any issues with this?

Also, if you are leaving your palms in your house, you actually aren't pushing any kind of Zone denial.

Foxtail palms seem to do the worst indoors for me (out of the palms you mentioned) in my personal experience. I have 2 foxtails and without sun and humidity the fronds start to brown on the edges. They are relatively fast growers so even if they dont look great when they are indoors they will recover pretty well outdoors. I dont do anything special to my palms, I just keep them well watered and in a room with warmth and some sun.
Royal palms are kind of hard to find around here at good sizes. I have only seen them sold as really tall palms (over 20 feet tall!). I've seen christmas palms in all different sizes and same for foxtail palms so I think those are your best bets. Both are pretty cheap too if you find the right place to by them at!

Good luck!
-Alex

I agree with njoasis. You'll need a green houe if you wanna push them long term.

@ tropicalzone7- Wow! 20ft tall?!! Thats crazy! lol How much they usually sell them for? I find it interesting they only sell them that big. Looks like to me they are trying to make quick money.

-US_Marine

I think the best indoor outdoor palm out of those 3 would be the Christmas palm. They can handle relatively low light and don't mind the dry air too much but they are also the least cold hardy of the 3.

If these are indoor/outdoor palms only, my vote goes to the Foxtail (of which I have three from a divided triple). They full sun outside for about 7-8 months then either go in a southern exposure in the living room or the basement. I also overwinter both Roystonea and Adonidia under florescent. Of the latter two, I find Christmas to be more temperamental. If the intent IS indoor/outdoor feather palms my top pics would be...

Phoenix (probably Roebellini if your interior space is more limited)
Butia capitata
Syagrus (Queen Palm)

I grew a foxtail palm seasonally outdoors for several years. It did ok in low light during the winter as long as a I kept it on the dry side. Overall, it was a poor performer over the long term. Whatever growth it put on during the warm months, the winter months set it back just as much until it eventually withered away. That took 4 years.

If your heart is truly set on a foxtail, royal, or christmas palm, that's probably what you'll end up getting. If you have a greenhouse to keep it in the winter you probably will have better success than I did.

Id sure like to know where everyone keeps getting all these palms at..I have never seen a foxtail for sale around here. not at a lowe's HD or at a greenhouse. I was acually going to order a palm today to hold me over till spring but the list of sellers with a good palm for a resonable price is empty. I love the look of foxtails and royals if I had to pick it would be on of those 2 although none are really a good choice to zone push with

This is for outside guys, is there any way I can protect it to survive here? Or what other palms could I plant that would be pushing the zone limit

The Foxes I got at one of he Big Box stores. Actually, the local Boxes carry a selection that is not all that different from the ones I see in the Miami BB stores, except, here, there is larger selection in the growing season than now, in mid Winter. These are species that I can find at the Box stores in season:

Majesty (of course)
Dypsis lutscens
Phoenix canariensis
Phoenix roebellini
Foxtails
Fishtails
Chinese Fans
Mediterranean fans
Spindle Palms
Raphis palms
Bamboo palms
Christmas palms
Sago palm (cycad)
Areca triandra
Washys
Sometimes coconuts

And within just the past few years are now selling the Blue Pot Hardy palms
...Sabals, Blue Meds, Trachys, Siver Dates, Butias, and Needles.

Been to many of the Big Box stores between Boca and the Keys--the selection is amusingly similar to those I can get locally--talk about the homogenization of US culture! Actually, that's not true--I couldn't find 5gallon Sabals in South Fl. ANYWHERE! The more exotic palms I have either bought at good, local, big nurseries or from eBay venders.

If I were to grow a mule palm, how could I protect it? It looks very nice.

there are many ways you can protect it. burlap wrapped with xmas lights. If its small a rose cone with x mas lights. mine have 2 layers of burlap and a paper garden bag over them. If your really worried I have seen people cut holes in the bottom of small camping tents and light the inside up. a million way you can do it..you just want it warmish and dry.

Not to derail the thread but that is complete BS njoasis LOL! I went to lowes the other day and got a pygmy date for the house. I looked on there website and asked to order me a butia. They said it wasn't set up for this area so they couldn't order it. no lady palms no fish tails nothing like that even in season. I have seen one med. fan the green form and got a needle at walmart. other than that no palms for sale at any of my local BB stores. there is a wonderful tropical nursery near me but the palms are small. I want somthing just a bit bigger. I have no luck with ebay either seems like everyone sells seedlings. I'm fine with that if its rare but if I want a sabal minor I should be able to get a 10 gallon with out problem.

Would mulch and high powered christmas lights be enough?

"Complete BS!"

Guess I must be hallucinating...whatever. good luck!

Njoasis, you said I could grow a mule palm down here, can I only use mulch and christmas lights to protect it? Anyone???

NY, I do not have a Mule. Have considered getting one but want to pull a Butia through a few winters first. I lost the supposedly hardier B. capitata a couple of seasons ago in a very bad/wet winter. Frankly, I also just really like the regular Butia but may eventually try a Mule. I have three tall Queens I purchased from HD, but they go into the 'barn'/cold greenhouse over the winter. I would suggest you try B. capitata first. If you can't get this to overwinter, you will have a problem with a Mule only more so.

I'm two zones warmer and I don't think I've ever seen those here either. Except maybe on a few rare occassions. But they are never in a bigger container then 10-15 gal. All I see in the house plant section is mostly majesty's, kentias, cat palms and 2 other palms that I can't remember their names. I think one was like a bamboo palm? Anyway every now and then they will have coco's. The palms they have in the out door section is much larger. But I think the most sensitive one they put out there is the pygmy date.

@ NYHamptons- How far are you willing to go to protect? If you have a big enough yard and don't mind a little extra work you can put up a temporary green house of some kind. But it will probably need to be heated.

- US_Marine

Well my house is on 3 acres, but unfortunately I have put a pool and tenis court. So I have maybe 1 and a half acres or a little more left. I could put up a greenhouse but they're expensive. But I would go as far as buying christmas lights, mulch or a little more. Not much more than that. So could you tell me how to protect it? I would try the butia capitata, but I don't find them as nice looking as the mule palm because mule palms look more like coconut palms. So could you tell me how to protect it?

I believe they are there njoasis I just don't understand why. I am in the same zone 400 miles south and they tell me there not for my zone but you have a selection of 15 or 20 at a BB store. Dosent make sence at all. I was just looking on ebay for some palms but there all so small. Mostly the price reflects that but I would pay more for a bigger one. guess I'll wait till spring and check the BB stores again. I never see palms planted at peoples home so if they are selling them out early IDK where they go after that.

Anyone?? Would christmas lights and mulch be enough to protect a mule palm???

Anyone?? Would christmas lights and mulch be enough to protect a mule palm???

the mulch would help and the lights as well. I would try to throw somthing over the top to keep the frost burn off the leaves. a blanket will work but burlap is better. large rolls are only a few dollars. I use the real thick paper lawn bags for grass clipping and they hold up all winter.

Miketropic, thank you for your reply, I would probably put black garbage bags or burlap over the leaves and of course mulch and xmas lights. However, when it grows too tall, what should I do? I won't be able to cover the leaves.

I wouldnt recommend plastic unless you can assure its 100% dry. to much moisture in the crown will cause fungus and rot. once it gets to big for that your going to have to make a little box greenhouse around it for the winter. unless you go with a meedle or a windmill or somthing it will have to have some protection at some point..unless global warming takes over

Yeah, I guess you are right, but if I place it at a southern exposure would it still rot? And what I really meant was what if I can't get up to the crown of the palm?

NYHamptons once the garbage bag heats up from sun so does the moisture inside. Unfortunately you will increase the chance for fungus if this happens. (especially for extended periods of time)

I've found Foxtail's up to 14' tall for $168.00.

Where?

Through one of my wholesalers in Florida. Southeast Coast Inc.

They have Field Grown Fox tails as well as container grown.