Anyone with Areca Vestiaria Experience?

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Chris_Lorry Vero Beach, FL(Zone 9b) Jan 14, 2006

Does anyone have any experience growing areca vestiaria outdoors, or have insight on the topic? I've heard a lot of conflicting info on it's cold hardiness. Opinions range from death at temps below 40F to survival at 28 F if kept rost free. Not being able to resist this palm I purchased a maroon leaf variety about six weeks ago from a palm collector. Currently it is potted and living very happily on my back porch. It has survived our worst cold snap this year with flying colors. I did not take any protective measures, however, it is very sheltered on the porch. We had two successive nights in which the temps dipped into the 30's. On the coldest night the temperature bottomed out at 30 F. It has even opened a very healthy new frond since our cold snap. I can provide a very sheltered area in my yard, but if there is good evidence it will perish I shall continue to enjoy him on my porch. I understand there are no guarantees, but if growing this outdoors is the equivalent of growing coconuts in Atlanta I'll shall not experiment. Otherwise I'm willing to be daring... We are in FL (zone 9B) and in most years we have one or two nights per year in which the temps drop to 28 - 30 F.

Thanks,
Chris.

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palmbob Acton, CA(Zone 8b) Jan 14, 2006

This palm is hopeless in California, though it is still tried by several who just won't give up. Sometimes it will trick you by surviving a winter, but living through 2 or more is extremely rare out here. However, if you live in a climate where it gets warm the day after a cold snap, you are likely to have much better luck than we are. It is a very tender palm, and my guess is it will eventually succumb in your climate (as I know you get some pretty hard freezes sometimes- fortunately not every year). But you can certainly grow it as an 'annual' there and it will probably be very happy til the end. Only Areca species anyone can make live out here in So Cal is triandra... not the most ornamental species, sadly, but better than nothing I guess.

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Chris_Lorry Vero Beach, FL(Zone 9b) Jan 14, 2006

Palmbob,

Thanks for the reply. Regarding your annual comment, are you saying you would expect the roots to survive a freeze? If that's the case, I may try adding it to my landscape. This would be more encouraging than other comments I've read. In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have even bought the thing. I already have a sealing wax palm that my wife is jealous of. She claims it's babied more than her.

This area does get hard freezes about every 20 to 30 years. The last was in the late 80s, so we appear due. A lot of royals and coconuts died that year. Although many survived. I guess there is no telling if you'll get lucky or not...

Thanks again,
Chris.

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