snowmanone wrote:Hi
The main palms that I'm looking for are trachycarpus wagnerianus , needle palm and the sabal minor . They all should survive the winter in my area no problem
You may want to do some more research on this topic. These palms will all need protection for the first few years in your climate, and likely afterward if you want pristine looking palms. Needle palm is hardy to zone 6, BUT, it is hardier in southern zone 6's. In the north it is a true zone 7 plant which looks ratty and/or can be killed by zone 6 temps. It also has a tendency to have spear pull. Sabal minor foliage is less hardy but they are resilient palms. They can be killed to ground and, as long as they are killed to the ground again, can recover in a fairly short period of time (I'm guessing 2-3 years for a full recovery in Amherstberg).
The only unprotected palms that I know of in Ontario are needle palms in Niagara. I personally can vouch for 3 or 4 needle palms that are established and doing OK in good microclimates. Jim (Niagara) also has a few select Trachycarpus seedlings planted out that seem to survive there without extra heat. Keep in mind though, that he is in a zone 7a climate, with micro climates that may be 7b.
T. fortunei var. wagnerianus is notoriously inconsistent in terms of hardiness. Some of them can take temps around 0f (-17C) without too much leaf damage (when established) while others can be killed by temperatures in the 15f (-9C) range. The same story is true of T. fortunei, as I'm sure Jim can tell you. It's not necessarily the low temps, it can be a combination of factors.
In short, yes you can probably get away with many of these palms. You need to realize that they are not fool proof, nor will they be bulletproof. If you have strong wind the palms can have the moisture sucked out of them in frozen soil. Extreme lows can and do happen, this can be the death of a palm. Warnings aside, go for it. But, if you're going to spend the money be smart about what you plant and how you treat it.
