On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 07:16:40 GMT, Charles
wrote:

On 28 Dec 2004 07:02:21 -0800, wrote:

What type of palm-type trees can live year round, in the midwest? The
atmosphere where I live [in Dallas] varies greatly, from very hot to
very cold [100 degrees to 20 degrees] throughout the year. Rain also
comes & goes frequently. Obviously this is not a tropical climate, but
I've frequently seen people with evergreen palm-type trees that live
year round [typically found in backyards, or at restaurants]. Are they
desert palm trees? Does anyone have any idea what they might be? Thanks!


I'm wondering about the California fan palm, Washingtonia filifera.
they grow in the desert here, it gets hot and cold. they are weeds in
my neighborhood.

Hardy to maybe 15F. They might be a good risk in a sheltered location
in Dallas. The more common Mexican fan palm, W. robusta, is less
hardy.

W. robusta is taller and thinner than W. filifera, despite the name,
and it is the tall, elegant palm people associate with Southern
California. It seeds about enthusiastically and can become a weed.

W. filifera is shorter and stockier, grows in wild places like the
palm canyons around Palm Springs, and makes a picturesque specimen
tree, if a little shaggy and unkempt-looking.

Both are wonderful bird trees, because they provide an abundance of
sheltered nest sites. They are also fire hazards if you don't keep the
skirt of old dead leaves trimmed (when the trees get large, they will
require professional trimming).

--
Chris Green