End of winter report from Manzanita OR after first zone 8 wi

[TerdalFarm]

I'm in the multi-year process of moving out of Oklahoma. In 2012 I drove some Waggies and a few other palms out to the Oregon coast and planted them at my parent's cabin on the Oregon coast. They did well with no protection at all, so a year ago I drove west with CIDP, sago cycads, Chameadorea radicalis, Sabal minor "Ft Worth" strap leaf palms, etc. Plus bought a Nikau palm here in Oregon plus a few hundred dollars of other cool plants. Planted them, then drove back to Oklahoma in a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder 4wd I bought out here to replace W's Volvo I killed.

Had a great year. Drove that Nissan out East to visit Sid and his amazing bananas. Then drove the Nissan across Texas and Mexico, towing a boat, to Belize, where I left it and flew home. Been riding my old Harley ever since, not having the funds for another 1990s vehicle.

I finally flew out here to Oregon this week. Got to the cabin last night after sunset. Woke up this morning to see the garden. First sight? A black-tailed deer doe nibbling my plants. Surely that hadn't been going on all year?!?

Below are some snapshots. Background: this area right along the coast was upgraded from Zone 8 to Zone 9 recently. That gave me unwarranted confidence. Because, in December, this area got colder than it had in decades. For example, at the nearest airport, it was +12 oF on December 8
http://www.wunderground.com/history/air ... story.html?

Now, for the folks on this forum, that is downright balmy. But, mind you I planted for zone 9 and did not protection at all. No extra mulch, zilch. Gulp.

[TerdalFarm]

CIDP looks very bad:

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/14003007757" title="Palms manzanita may 2014 006 by Erik Terdal, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5231/140 ... 4621_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="Palms manzanita may 2014 006"></a>

[TerdalFarm]

But spear is green and pushing so it will recover:

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/14166466706" title="Palms manzanita may 2014 007 by Erik Terdal, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2939/141 ... b765_z.jpg" width="425" height="640" alt="Palms manzanita may 2014 007"></a>

[TerdalFarm]

The survival of CIDP was not expected. It should be dead.

Dead, and not at all surprising, is the Nikau palm. I had high hopes for this risky palm as it is native to a similar latitude (albeit S not N) in New Zealand, and also along the coast. But, definitely upper zone 9.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/14189633235" title="Palms manzanita may 2014 001 by Erik Terdal, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7460/141 ... 3d4e_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="Palms manzanita may 2014 001"></a>

[TerdalFarm]

W has nurtured a couple of sagos for years. She trusted me to plant them. What a fool!

One looks totally dead; I have [tiny] hopes for this one to recover:

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/14189632685" title="Palms manzanita may 2014 003 by Erik Terdal, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7378/141 ... d11a_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="Palms manzanita may 2014 003"></a>

[TerdalFarm]

The survival (if barely) of CIDP was a surprise. The biggest shock to me was Chameadorea radicalis.

I bought this one from Phil at Jungle Music a few years ago. It has survived extreme cold before, in February of 2011. It was in an insulated and heated greenhouse on the infamous morning when OK was colder than the south pole. It was colder than -25 oF one morning and +7 oF in the insulated, heated greenhouse. This C. radicalis died to the mulch line; it was planted (I built the greenhouse over it). But, it recovered. I dug it up in the Summer of 2011 and let it recover in a pot until I planted it here a year ago. I really expected it to be defoliated again but hoped the base would survive.

I should not have expected even that. The roots were exposed! This palm should be dead. But, it isn't!

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/14186327441" title="Palms manzanita may 2014 005 by Erik Terdal, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7346/141 ... 744b_z.jpg" width="425" height="640" alt="Palms manzanita may 2014 005"></a>

[TerdalFarm]

In the foreground of that last pic you can see one of the Sabal minor "Ft Worth" seedlings. I grew those from seed I collected in the wild in Ft Worth, Texas, and so know they are from the WNW extreme of the distribution.

As expected, all are fine. But, there is some cold damage which confirms for me that yes, it really was quite cold, and for quite a while.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/14186327951" title="Palms manzanita may 2014 004 by Erik Terdal, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5571/141 ... 2155_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="Palms manzanita may 2014 004"></a>

[TerdalFarm]

and last but not least: waggies!

I have two Trachycarpus fortunei "wagnerianus" here. Both did just fine with lower zone 8 temps, as expected. As with Sabal minor, Trachy are the palms to go with if you might have zone 8 temps and cannot protect, even with mulch.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/14002952159" title="Palms manzanita may 2014 002 by Erik Terdal, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7391/140 ... e0de_z.jpg" width="640" height="425" alt="Palms manzanita may 2014 002"></a>

[Paul Ont]

Thanks for the update! That C. radicalis is a winner, and is very suprising!

[TerdalFarm]

Nikau lives! Just now I was doing some tidying up and discovered a green spike coming up from the centre.

So, killed to the ground but not dead yet!

[lucky1]

Great update, Erik.

Glad that one of your fav palms (Chamadorea) and now the Nikau, made it.
I bet the CIDP, with some age, will come through in better condition.

So you've definitely decided to settle in Oregon?
That'll probably be the last time in the next 20 years the west coast had such a cold winter.
So, it's a good time to go.

Thanks for this update.
Barb