COLD TOLERANCE 101
One of the first
questions people ask about a certain palm is its cold hardiness or cold
tolerance (both mean the same thing). This refers to the minimum
temperature that a palm can withstand before it begins to freeze to death.
Different types of palms come from different parts of the world.
Some come from tropical rainforests while some come from hot, dry deserts.
A palm's natural habitat is where it has been growing since the beginning
of time (in most cases). Thus, the palm has become accustomed to the
climate, conditions, and environment around it. If a palm is
subjected to colder or drier conditions than it is used to in its native
home, it can suffer damage or even death.
Temperature
Simply put, a palm has
a temperature and humidity range in which it is able to photosynthesize
and grow. If the temperature falls below this range, the cells in
the palm's leaves (chlorophyll)
stop photosynthesizing and begin to die. The leaves will be the
first to go, followed by the stems, crown, and lastly the main trunk.
Some palms have been chilled long enough to lose all their leaves
(defoliate) but not long enough to freeze the grow point (crown).
In this case, the palm will usually recover by pushing new growth once
temps become warmer. Full recovery can take years.
This Spindle Palm has
sustained cold damage.
This Flame Thrower Palm has been sunburned.
Notice the leaflets are burned at the tips and there is
Notice the brown patches in the middle of the leaflets.
spotting throughout the leaf.
Don't confuse this with cold damage.
Cold Tolerance 201
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