It is common knowledge that palm trees grow in tropical and subtropical areas, but what most people don’t realize (including me a few years back) is that there are palm trees that grow in temperate areas (areas with cold winters). Unfortunately for us in Minnesota, these palms are only hardy in areas where the ground does not freeze solid. The roots of these palms are not frost hardy, the plant will be unable to take on water and it will dessicate (dry out). Windmill Palms, Cabbage Palms, California Fan Palms and Mexican Fan Palms are good examples of cold hardy palms that are grown in the United States.

There is a company called PalmTreeDirect.com in Shakopee, Minnesota that sells and rents palm trees. You can buy or rent a palm tree for $300 to $2,500 (renting is limited to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro area). This is all fine and dandy, but the average person can’t afford it. The information on this site will show you how to transform the average yard for under $300 using smaller palms (smaller palms cost $6 to $40) - once you are setup to do it. The amount of money needed to create a setup can be as simple as spending $20 for a flower pot, or you could install a simple drip irrigation system and Pot-in-Pot Method for under $100. Your tropical paradise could be one plant or many plants - the choice is yours.

Potted palms are a very common sight in the Desert Southwest; what I don’t understand is why potted palms are not more common in Minnesota. I think the problem is that most people do not really understand how to take care of them. I have seen some pretty sad looking potted palms in the local area - looking like they need water. Maybe the information presented on this site will encourage more people to use palms outdoors once they find out how easy it is to do. There are three things to remember about using palms anywhere, and they are: water, water, water - they need lots of water. Your success with palms will require you to learn what the plants needs are.

The methods that I advocate and use will allow you to bring your tropical paradise indoors during the winter. You need to remember that the height limit on any palm tree you buy is limited to the tallest ceiling in your home. I personally thought that I was limited by the 8 foot ceilings in my home, but then I remembered that the back entrance to my home has a 9 ½ foot ceiling (because of the stairs that go down into the basement). I was able to buy a 8 foot Queen Palm on clearance for $20 (9 feet with the pot).

Getting a palm tree home can be another problem. With the Queen Palm I had to tip my backseat forward and front passenger seat backward, and then slide the palm in the trunk and up through the passenger area of the car to get it to fit. Smaller 6 foot Majesty Palms can be transported by tipping the front passenger seat backwards, and don’t forget to ask the sales associate for bag to wrap the pot in - it will keep the carpet in your car from getting dirty.

Note:

While the main focus of this site is using palms and tropical plants in Minnesota, the methods presented on this site should also work in the following states, provinces and territories: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon.

Updated May 12, 2011