Chamaerops Humilis Fan Palm - How hardy?

have ordered 2 - Chamaerops Humilis Fan Palms and will be planting them in a garden later this week in cambridge

Just a quick question ... I have read conflicting reports on the hardiness ... some sites say it is hardy to temperatures of -12 degrees C and some sites say -5 degrees C

these 2 palms are approx 1 meter high (3 feet) and will be planted in a sheltered position near a south facing wall

there is lots of light, but much of the direct sunlight is blocked by the 3 storey house that is near the bed, and the palms will be protected from wind, as there are 6 foot walls behind the bed and on both sides

then, to be on the safe side, what is the best way to protect them during winter? .... I have seen that many tie the leaves together and wrap fleece etc around the trunk/leaves

Have also seen on youtube where people use 4 bamboo sticks, make a frame and drape clear plastic over the palm .... the only problem with this method is that the owner of the house would not remove the plastic daily and I only visit once every 2 weeks .... so will this method not rot the palm if the plastic is left on for long periods?

I have planted a few Trachycarpus fortunei /Chamaerops fortunei in a garden nearby 3 years ago, and they have thrived with no damage whatsoever ... and with no winter protection except a thick mulch around the base ... from what I have read, these have a similar hardiness to the Chamaerops Humilis?

I have planted these before Humilis Fan Palms(a year ago), and they done fine in the winter without protection, (except for a thick layer of well rotted manure around the base) but they are over 1,2 meters tall and the trucks are a lot thicker than the 2 that I will be planting later this week

sorry if this has been discussed on this forum before, but I have not found the answers

 

I think that the trachicarpus is hardier than the chamaerops (which grows in Montecarlo and riviera in general).
Although in the site below I see photos of it covered by snow...

Right now in the mediterranean many palms are attacked by a bug "rynchophorus ferrugineus" which I don't know whether it has reached the UK yet. Let's hope not.

Anyway, here is a site about tropicals. They may know more about it...

Homepage - Hardy Tropicals UK

 

thanks ... have registered on that forum and awaiting approval

 

Well i'd say they are probably the hardiest palm we grow apart from Trachycarpus.
I've had my well established plant survive a couple of minus 12s with no damage, but they were one offs.
My normal low is around minus 6 at the worst.

My thoughts are, with the extra cold winters for the last three years, it would be a good idea to give some protection.
I dont like tying up the fronds and polythene is not good.

Maybe some fleece would work, the kind you can buy as bags, should it become a real cold winter again.

 

thanks Pete ... I think frost combined with morning sun is the killer and not the cold ...

have seen some Japanese Maples thet survived a cold winter, get devasted by the late frost we had 2 years ago ... buds had formed, but late frost killed the trees .... those that were in semi shade had no damage

the 2 palms are going to be planted in a fairly protected area of the bed

I have planted 6 Trachycarpus fortunei in a garden 3 years ago ... they were small (approx 1 1/2 feet high) ... 4 were planted on the outside pavement in front of the garden wall and fully exposed

2 were planted in the back garden close to some large trees and east facing and partial shade

all palms are doing well, have grown approx 300mm per year (1 foot per year), however, the 2 in the semishade / protected area have grown higher than the ones in the front garden, and have thicker trunks

I'm not an expert, and am merely guessing based on what I have seen

 

I dont think the morning sun effect happens regarding palms, that's a "frost on new growth" thing, and occurs when new buds have burst.


That dont happen with palms, most dont start growing until spring is well under way.

To my mind its continual hard frost over a period of days or weeks that affects palms, this usually occurs in Jan or Feb.
If its wet before the frost, then its worse.
However the damage rarely shows until late spring.

Dont be fooled by Trachycarpus, its considerably hardier than Chamaerops.
For instance, small seeding plants with one or two proper fronds of chamy have been killed in recent winters in my garden, Trachys however of the same age have been untouched.