Central belt (Scotland) palm tree
Hi folks
Can anyone tell me what would be a good palm tree to grow outdoors, this is to give as a present to a gardener friend who lives in central belt of Scotland, or would it be too cold for any to survive up there? |
Central belt (Scotland) palm tree
On 20/06/2011 07:14, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:37:43 +0000, scrapmum wrote: Hi folks Can anyone tell me what would be a good palm tree to grow outdoors, this is to give as a present to a gardener friend who lives in central belt of Scotland, or would it be too cold for any to survive up there? I've read that Trachycarpus fortunei, the Chusan palm, is hardy in most parts of the British Isles, and that its natural habitat is in the forests in the Chinese Himalayas where it copes with temperatures as low as -20C. It's trunk is covered in a mat of fibrous 'hair' rather like coconut fibre, which probably helps. Whether it would cope with the temperatures in Scotland's central belt, I don't know, but it must have a better chance than almost any other palm. Many years ago there was a Trachycarpus fortunei said to be growing on the north coast of Scotland, maybe Durness or around Loch Eriboll. There are several said to be growing on the NW coast (Ullapool, Scourie), but all of these areas will have temperatures moderated by nearness to the sea - particularly the effect of the Gulf Stream. Any area many miles from the sea and more than a few tens of metres above sea level would almost certainly not sustain any palm tree - even Trachycarpus fortunei. -- Jeff |
Central belt (Scotland) palm tree
"scrapmum" wrote in message ... Hi folks Can anyone tell me what would be a good palm tree to grow outdoors, this is to give as a present to a gardener friend who lives in central belt of Scotland, or would it be too cold for any to survive up there? -- scrapmum Trachycarpus fortunii is the only one with a realistic chance of long term survival, it will cope with wet as well as cold down to around -25c and was undamaged by snow this last winter (which did for several supposedly hardy palms) -- Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella and Lapageria rosea cvs http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk |
Central belt (Scotland) palm tree
All well and good as far as Trachycarpus fortunei's reputation for
cold hardiness, but this past winter has wiped some out so it's not quite as tough as was previously believed. Windy situations will burn and batter the leaves in any climate and it does best in a sheltered, semi-woodland site with well drained, but moist, humus rich soil. I'm not convinced that it would be suitable for planting that far north unless it was given a sheltered spot. |
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