The balcony and terrace look so beautiful in summer when they are decorated with a variety of potted plants, including palm trees! It's all the sadder when they have to move indoors at the end of the season or, worse still, when you can't put up potted plants at all because you don't have enough space for winter quarters. Are there hardy palm trees for the container garden that can solve the problem?
Before you decide on the right types of palm trees, you should also know the difference between frost-hardy and winter-hardy so that you don't end up with any unpleasant surprises.
Are there any hardy palm trees for containers?
The palm trees basically differ between frost-hardy and winter-hardy. However, many people are not aware of what the difference actually is.
What are frost hardy plants?
Palm trees that are frost-resistant can survive some frost or temperatures down to freezing point. However, such plants cannot tolerate more, so they would suffer damage or even die without additional winter protection. While sheplanted in the gardenmay still be protected by the ground, this is not the case in the bucket. There the pot and the above-ground parts of the plant must be insulated and wrapped. However, winter quarters would be even better and safer.
How much cold can hardy plants tolerate?
Such specimens can withstand sub-zero temperatures over a longer period of time in the pot. Usually these are temperatures of at least 9 degrees or sometimes lower temperatures over a short period of time. But there are also winter-hardy palm trees that can withstand temperatures down to minus 20 degrees below freezing. A few hardy palm trees for the container garden are:
Hardy balcony plants in a pot – the blue Hesperide palm
As the name suggests, the leaves have a bluish-silvery nuance, which gives their interesting structure an additional special charm. These are hardy palms for the container garden that can withstand temperatures down to minus 10 degrees and are therefore among the most popular container palms. They are alsovery heat tolerant, real dream plants when it comes to robustness. So that the Blue Hesperides Palm (Arm brace) can survive the winter particularly easily, you should not water them on frosty days: the drier the soil, the more cold-resistant the roots.
Chinese hemp palm for terraces and balconies
A typical feature of this widespread pot palm is its hairy trunk. The texture of the leaves is very similar to the Hesperides palm, but here they are green. The Chinese hemp palm can reach temperatures as low as minus 18 (Trachycarpus fortunei), so that it can easily continue to decorate the balcony and terrace in winter. The plant likes it protected from the wind and, above all, bright. A few hours in the sun is enough for it.
Real date palm in the container garden
However, the beautiful date palm requires slightly higher temperatures of at least minus 9 degrees (Phoenix dactylifera), which may well be sufficient. If necessary, you can still do so during a colder periodapply cold protection. Otherwise, look for a bright location for it, preferably in partial shade, where it can delight you with its beautiful palm leaves.
Overwinter green saw palmetto in a pot outside
While it can withstand minus 15 degrees in the garden, it should not be less than minus 12 in the pot. Find a location that is in partial shade all year round or, better yet, gets some sun. Be sure to reduce watering in winter because wet soil freezes, damaging the roots. Waterlogging is particularly important to avoid. Otherwise the saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) quite easy to care for.
Hardy palm trees for the container garden – the honey palm
You can also get pretty hardy palms for the container garden with the so-called honey palms (Jubaea chilensis). Down to minus 15 degrees are absolutely no problem for it, both in the garden and on the balcony or terrace, because it comes from the mountainous areas of Chile. The palm tree likes it rather dry and, above all, nice and bright and sunny.
Palm trees for outside – Hardy needle palm
One of the sturdiest palms when it comes to cold weather is the needle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix). With these copies you will receiveextremely hardy potted plants, which can withstand temperatures of up to minus 22 degrees. Its leaves are fan-shaped and look wonderful in combination with pinnate-leaved palm species. With a maximum height of around one meter, it is relatively short in stature, which makes it particularly ideal for container planting. After she was initially given a period to get used to it, she prefers a location in full sun.
Wagners Hanfpalme
Visually, this type of palm is similar in principle to the Chinese hemp palm, the main difference being the size of the leaves. Otherwise, it can also withstand temperatures of up to minus 18 degrees and in this way reliably decorates the terrace with its fan-shaped leaves even in winter, thus ensuring a certain exotic flair at all times - even when surrounded by snow.
More hardy palm trees for the container garden
Which palm trees are still hardy? How about these:
- Blue Dwarf Palm (Chamaerops humilis var. Cerifera), until minus 15
- Erytheapalme (You eat Brahea), to minus 7 degrees
- European dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis), up to minus 13 degrees in dry soil
- fishtail palm (Caryota maxima), to minus 7 degrees
- jelly palms (Butia happened), up to 8 degrees
- Cretan date palm (Phoenix of Theophrastus), to minus 15 degrees
- Madagascar Royal Palm (Deeply deceiving), to minus 8 degrees
- Woolly Gelee Palm (Butia eriospatha), up to minus 12 degrees with winter protection, otherwise up to minus 9 degrees
- Yatay Palme (Bhutia horizontal), to minus 10 degrees
- Yunnan dwarf palm (Trachycarpus nanus), up to minus 18 degrees with winter protection, otherwise up to minus 10 degrees
- Dwarf saw palmetto (Minor Sabal), to minus 20 degrees
- Dwarf Yatay palm (Butia paraguayensis), to minus 11 degrees
