Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's possible to grow many palm species in Melbourne and parts of Vic with warm enough summers and minimal frost. Queen palms are common everywhere.
Here's a few scenes from Mildura clearly showing these bangalow palms. It's a semi arid region and gets frost a few times in winter but days are quite mild (average July high about 16C) and summers are hot and sunny.
and a huge collection of Queen Palms
Great photos!
Charleston, SC has the same max/min average temps for the coldest month as this place. Charleston is even at a lower latitude. Yet, I challenge anyone to show a street view showing a picture of a Charleston, Mobile, New Orleans, Houston, etc. etc. street looking that tropical. Heck, I don't even think Orlando looks that tropical as the decade of the 80's would have killed them off.
I think you would have to go to Melbourne, FL to find a street looking that tropical. Mildura is miles inland, yet as we have discussed the inland subtropical US South looks a lot more dead in winter than this place ever would.
We have no ocean between us and the arctic, nor no high mountain chain blocking the artic air. As a result, our subtropics just cannot match Australia.
Mildura record low is warmer than Orlando, FL, and probably most of Florida.
There could a be a few specimens in the US South, but they would likely be damaged because of all the cold snaps they get that SoCal doesn't.
Also wanted to say that Hong Kong and Bermuda both get similar winter temperatures to SoCal during the daytime, and both grown coconuts. Reason why? Nights are warmer in both places, meaning there is warmer soil. Also, it rains more in each place.
Actually, you do see King Palms in the inland areas more nowadays. It's becoming more common to see them, as they love the summer heat and sunshine there. Of course, it is cooler in wintertime, and drier all year-round...they probably do as well as those on the coast (coast is wetter and has warmer winters, though summers are cooler). But they do not survive in the Bay Area. Even Queen Palms don't do well in the Bay Area. King Palms are a tropical tree that is just hardy enough to grow here, but would never survive in the foggy, cool climate of the Bay Area. It just isn't warm or sunny enough for them.
I would have thought King/Bangalow palms would survive in the Bay Area. They grow here, with colder winters and summers that are no warmer or sunnier.
Actually, you do see King Palms in the inland areas more nowadays. It's becoming more common to see them, as they love the summer heat and sunshine there. Of course, it is cooler in wintertime, and drier all year-round...they probably do as well as those on the coast (coast is wetter and has warmer winters, though summers are cooler). But they do not survive in the Bay Area. Even Queen Palms don't do well in the Bay Area. King Palms are a tropical tree that is just hardy enough to grow here, but would never survive in the foggy, cool climate of the Bay Area. It just isn't warm or sunny enough for them.
Interesting. I haven't been to the Bay Area in years, so forgot what grows well there.
King and Queen palms are a dime-a-dozen in Orange County, where I'm from. They shipped in a bunch of Royal palms and planted them around South Coast Plaza in OC about a decade ago, and they're doing great. I'm surprised they haven't caught on since they obviously grow well there. I've never seen one other than around SC Plaza.
Interesting. I haven't been to the Bay Area in years, so forgot what grows well there.
King and Queen palms are a dime-a-dozen in Orange County, where I'm from. They shipped in a bunch of Royal palms and planted them around South Coast Plaza in OC about a decade ago, and they're doing great. I'm surprised they haven't caught on since they obviously grow well there. I've never seen one other than around SC Plaza.
I've seen some Royals down here in San Diego. However, for the tropical species, it seems that Foxtails and Arecas are used more often down here, probably because of the smaller size. The Royals are getting more popular, though. IMO, they're even more beautiful than their lookalikes, the Queens and Foxtails (which are still pretty). Just so much more 'tropical rainforest' looking.
I would have thought King/Bangalow palms would survive in the Bay Area. They grow here, with colder winters and summers that are no warmer or sunnier.
I've been up to Big Sur, just south of that. There are Kentias, Washingtonias, and a few stunted-looking Queens, but no King Palms. I think it has something to do with colder soil, but I'm not sure. The furthest north I've seen them is San Luis Obispo, with a clump of bananas, but they looked damaged by the cold. They seem to grow best from Santa Barbara down, with a few specimens in SLO.
Ok, I should've said in San Francisco (if I didn't say it already). Los Altos is more inland, so they get more sun and summer heat (they also get more winter cold, but nothing those palms can't handle).
Charleston, SC has the same max/min average temps for the coldest month as this place. Charleston is even at a lower latitude. Yet, I challenge anyone to show a street view showing a picture of a Charleston, Mobile, New Orleans, Houston, etc. etc. street looking that tropical. Heck, I don't even think Orlando looks that tropical as the decade of the 80's would have killed them off.
I think you would have to go to Melbourne, FL to find a street looking that tropical. Mildura is miles inland, yet as we have discussed the inland subtropical US South looks a lot more dead in winter than this place ever would.
We have no ocean between us and the arctic, nor no high mountain chain blocking the artic air. As a result, our subtropics just cannot match Australia.
Mildura record low is warmer than Orlando, FL, and probably most of Florida.
Thanks mate! Looking on Google streetview, there seem to be a few random palm groves aswell throughout the Mildura area. The town's record low is only -4C, average July high is about 16C and summers are hot, annual average sunshine is 3140 hours.
I'll post these streetview pics of these random palm tree stands in the Mildura area...these are the only palm groves growing in the wild in Victoria apart from another species, the Cabbage Tree Palm, which grows near Orbost.
And a property in the same area with Bangalow/King and Queen Palms
There are other palm groves near Mildura which don't appear on Streetview. One time I remember driving up to Mildura and seeing date-palm bushes growing in the wild on the side of the road, they probably are on streetview as it was the main highway but can't remember the exact location.
The Mildura area is a borderline desert climate, so I'm thinking these Bangalow palms need to be watered to be healthy in this climate. They are a subtropical species, best suited to wet climates with warm humid summers and mild winters and are common along the NSW coast, especially north of Sydney and into Queensland where it is much, much wetter and more humid. However, summers are significantly cooler and cloudier than Mildura.
Last edited by Galaxyman; 04-25-2013 at 08:53 AM..
Thanks mate! Looking on Google streetview, there seem to be a few random palm groves aswell throughout the Mildura area. The town's record low is only -4C, average July high is about 16C and summers are hot, annual average sunshine is 3140 hours.
I'll post pics of these random palm tree stands in the Mildura area...these are the only palm groves growing in the wild in Victoria apart from another species, the Cabbage Tree Palm, which grows near Orbost.
And a property in the same area with Bangalow/King and Queen Palms
There are other palm groves near Mildura which don't appear on Streetview
From what I've seen of Queen palms in Florida and Califorina, they are not really all that sensitive to modest cold. From what I've read they can take lows in the - 1 - 7 C/20's F easly, for short duration.
I don't remember seeing many queens in north Califorina (but I know they are there). In north Florida I took thei landscaping picture a few years back in a town callled Palm Valley (just to the south of Jacksonville, Fl), and they had queen palms and the area sees lows in the 20's F on a few nights each winter. So queen palms can't be that intoerate of brief cold temps.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
