,
New York The fan palms (
Arecaceae tribe Corypheae; palms with fan-shaped
leaves) include all of the hardiest palms. •
Trachycarpus palms (particularly Chusan palm
T. fortunei and Kumaon palm
T. takil) – these are considered to be the most cold hardy palms in the world. These tough species are native to eastern
China,
Myanmar, and the
Himalayas where severe (though brief) winter conditions occur. Hardy to about unprotected, with exceptional tolerance recorded of , they grow at high altitudes where temperatures are cool. It is also tolerant of low summer temperatures. Mature specimens can also be found in
Ireland, throughout
Great Britain (north to northwestern
Scotland), southwestern
Canada (in the city of
Vancouver and on
Vancouver Island), southern
Switzerland (
Ticino).
Trachycarpus is also grown extensively in
Japan,
Australia, and
New Zealand. and along the Atlantic coast as far north as southern
Connecticut. Large mature specimens can be found from
Maryland south to
Georgia, though numbers decline toward southern Georgia south toward
Florida, where native palms exist. Across the interior of the United States, there are reports of long term specimens that have survived north to the
Ohio River, with several long term plantings in the higher elevations of
Tennessee and western
North Carolina. It is rated as winter hardy to USDA zone 7.
Trachycarpus palms are the most cold and cool summer hardy of all the palms, although absolute minimum temperature may be exceeded by needle palms,
Sabal minor, as well as very brief nighttime cold exposure to desert palms. For instance, on the northern coast of
Estonia, in hardiness zone 6, individual
Trachycarpus fortunei are also grown. The northernmost reported growing successfully are at 62°N latitude in
Tórshavn in the
Faroe Islands. •
Mediterranean fan palm (
Chamaerops humilis) – the only palm native to southern
Europe besides the
Cretan date palm, it is very drought-tolerant and hardy to , but does prefer hot summers. Despite the fact that this palm is less hardy than many palms listed here, it has the northernmost native habitat. It is rated as winter hardy to USDA zone 8. It is found in abundance across most of southwestern Europe and northwestern
Africa. It is a very slow-growing plant. The blue variety
Chamaerops humilis var.
argentea (syn. var.
cerifera), native to high elevations of the
Atlas Mountains, has recently been introduced into the trade and early reports indicate that it may be or more degrees hardier than the green variety. •
Needle palm (
Rhapidophyllum hystrix) – this clustering and usually trunkless palm is native to the subtropical southeastern United States, from central Florida to Georgia, Mississippi,
South Carolina and Alabama in the United States. It is considered hardy to , and is cultivated along the East Coast from Florida to southern
Massachusetts, and along the West Coast from California to
Seattle. They have proven hardy in the Tennessee Valley region and up into the lower
Ohio Valley. The needle palm is very slow-growing and rarely reaches heights of over , though very old specimens in the deep south can reach in height and width. There are documented specimens that have been growing in
White County, Tennessee, since the early part of the 1960s, as well as the
United States National Arboretum in the city of
Washington D.C., that are at in height. •
Mazari palm (
Nannorrhops richtiana) – this palm, native to the dry, mountainous terrains of northern
Pakistan,
Afghanistan,
Iran and surrounding regions, is also thought to be extremely cold hardy (perhaps to about ), though also requiring hot summers and dry soils. However, due to its limited availability in cultivation, not much is known about this palm. Mazari palm is not easy to grow; perfect drainage and full sun are required for this palm to survive. This palm will not tolerate wet freezes. •
Saw palmetto (
Serenoa repens) – these palms are native to Florida and coastal areas from South Carolina to Louisiana. They are found in various pine-dominated habitats (such as
Longleaf pine ecosystem,
Loblolly pine areas, and
South Florida pine flatwoods), and in
scrub,
dry hammocks, and
dry and wet prairie. •
Sabal palms (palmettos; 13 species) – these palms are native to the southeastern United States,
Mexico,
Central America, and the
Caribbean. The
cabbage palmetto (
Sabal palmetto), the
state tree of both Florida and South Carolina, is widely cultivated along the south Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coast of the United States, and needs hot and humid summers to grow. The species is considered hardy to
USDA Hardiness Zone 8, and may survive short periods of temperatures as low as . Large and older specimens can be found from southeastern
Virginia south to Florida and west to Texas. There are a few documented smaller specimens of cabbage palm growing in zone 7b in southern
Maryland,
Delaware, and coastal
Connecticut in the city of Bridgeport. The
Mexican palmetto (
Sabal mexicana) is a close relative of the cabbage palmetto that is native to southern Texas and northern Mexico.
Dwarf palmetto (
Sabal minor) is considered hardy to USDA zone 6b, like the needle palm. It can tolerate short periods of temperatures as low as . Endemic to the swamps and lowlands of the south
Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico coast of the United States, it can stand long periods of heat and drought.
Sabal minor is successfully cultivated across the entire southern United States below 35 latitude, and up the East Coast to 41 latitude and up the West Coast to 45 latitude. •
Caranday palm (
Trithrinax campestris) – this
South American palm is native of
sabanas in
Uruguay and northeastern
Argentina. It is a palm that grows in arid, well drained, rocky soils. Its distinctive features are its compact shape, short green to greyish foliage, and trunk fully hidden by dry dead branches (coat) remaining from several previous seasons. It is very resistant to drought, and -9 °C/-15 °C temperatures when not in growing season, although it tends to shed its leaves in these conditions. It is one of the most cold-hardy palms in the world, because it also grows in the mountains of
Sierras de Córdoba. •
Washingtonia palms (
Washingtonia filifera var. filifera, W. filifera var. robusta) – these palms are native to southern
California and northwest
Mexico, growing as high as in their native habitat.
W. filifera is hardy to ; it prefers a dry
Mediterranean climate, though it still grows in areas with humid subtropical climates like
Brisbane,
Sydney,
Houston, and
New Orleans. It is sometimes grown in containers, or planted as short-term specimens in areas where it is not quite hardy.
W. f. var. robusta is somewhat less hardy, native to the
Baja California Peninsula of northern Mexico It has a more robust trunk and stiffer leaves than
W. filifera, and is hardy to . •
Livistona australis – It is native to southeastern Australia. •
Rhapis excelsa – native to
China and it is hardy to about . •
Mexican blue palm (
Brahea armata) – native to Baja California in Mexico and hardy to about . ==Pinnate-leaved palms==