I would say that no, they aren't hardy in SC. The farthest north I've seen them growing is Panama City very close to the water. They're only hardy til about 20 degrees, and they don't grow very fast, so if you do get winter damage, which you will, they will take forever to recover. You'd be better off with a Mexican Fan palm.

Could not agree more with islandbreeze i am in zone 8 and had one get damaged i finally got tired of watching it die and pulled it up !

Interesting, why dr D. Francko recommend to grow this species as "die-back perennials" in cold climate?

I'm in upstate S.C. and agree with all previous responses.
Use them for house plants and more hardy palms for your landscape.
Randall

Here is a link that might be useful: Polar Palm Palace

I would also agree with the above views. I overwinter a lot of palms in a minimally heated garage (winter max 48-60 F./min 38 F.). Under rather chilly conditions, I experienced no problems with Phoenix canariensis, Pindo palms, Chamaerops humilis, Sabal mexicana, and even Phoenix roebellini. My Livistona chinensis did, however, burn (more so than I would bave expected).

Mine proved to be hardy enough to survive with protection but it was only partially successful. 3 of the 5 trunks had spear pull. I removed the three dead trunks after I dug it up and potted it a while back and now its growing pretty fast. So D.Francko was right but its just not worth the stress on the plant. I may try this again in the future and make sure it stays completely dry. I think that is the key to overwintering as a die back perennial. As far as frond hardiness goes I would guess nothing less than 20f for more than a few nights a winter and not in a row. (Pics of my experiment)

Winter protection

After potting with new spears pushing up

Today

Good job Jay!

There are several on the pennisula of Charleston that have been in the ground for decades. Although a rare extreme winter will kill back the top growth, they are evidently root hardy. You'll have to adjust this for your slightly different climate but I'm getting ready to plant some myself across the river in Mt. Pleasant.

I'm a far cry from a palm expert but I know Charleston and I know people who know palms!

I grow Windmill Fan palms in Ohio and they come back after winter the most that happens is the leaves burn from the cold and drop off but come back in spring. We had a hard cold winter here and I had just planted 6 seedling in early summer,I covered them with a clear plastic container from Lowes when it really got bad to help get started .They made through our Ohio winter,{the worst one we have had in years] The palm you want is Trachycarpus Fortunei ,it is in the windmill palm family and is the hardiest of them all .Any thing you buy at Walmart up here is not hardy to winter over.I have had good luck with these in Ohio so I'm sure in S.C you will have no problem.I also grow Bananas that I just cut down mulch over and they come back every spring early summer and just a note this Fan Palms like's well drain soil or they will die[They don't like to be wet ] very drought tolerant and these bare fruit.

I live in Greenville, SC also.

i cover my Chinese fan palms with frost cloth and put a string of c9 light bulbs inside.

when the weather drops to low twenties I turn the lights on and they do fine.

greenville is usually mid twenties to mid thirties in January - February. It's the 2 - 3 day and nights that kill the leaves and then the plants also.