NORTHEAST HARDY TROPICALS
Our Hardy Tropicals
Windmill Palm
🌴 Windmill Palm 🌴
(Zone 6 with protection)
One of my hardy palms that stay outside all year. This one in particular has been in the ground with minimal protection for a decade. Not only that, this palm has been planted and dug up 3 separate times due to buying and selling our homes over the years. Very tough palm tree.
The Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei ) is considered one of the most cold hardy “trunking” palm. This is a popular palm tree among the tropical zone pushing community. They get quite large and are sure to turn heads in any garden. Other similar Trachycarpus species exist that are just as tough and cold hardy.
Check out our palms on YouTube!
Needle Palm
🌴 Needle Palm 🌴(Zone 5 with protection). This is considered to be the most cold hardy palm in the world. The Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) is more shrublike as opposed to the classic trunking palm. These slow growing palms get dense and look great in northern gardens, In this picture you can see the flowers of the palm forming.
Check out our palms on YouTube!
Musa Basjoo
🍌 Musa Basjoo Banana Tree🍌
(Zone 5 with some protection)
My banana trees are 3-4 years old and topped out at 9-16 feet this year! The leaves by themselves are over 6 feet long! Easily my favorite hardy tropical.
Musa basjoo, also known as the Japanese fibre banana is known as the most cold hardy banana tree in the world. Despite its name, Musa Basjoo originated from southern China.
Check out our banana trees on YouTube!
Yucca Recurvifolia
Yucca Recurvifolia
(Zone 6b-7a)
My favorite yucca species has to be Y. Recurvifolia. I first saw these many years ago down Ocean City, MD and instantly became obsessed.
These Southeast US natives can reach heights of 6-8+ feet! After a few years their older dead leaves form a trunk resembling a palm tree. Each Leaf is roughly 2-3 feet in length and are flat with sharp tips that can hurt. I seriously have over 10 at my house lol!
Yucca Gloriosa
Yucca Gloriosa (Zone 6b-7a). I first discovered this yucca walking the street in Center City Philadelphia. A large cluster of them were in a raised bed. I did a double take when I saw the trunks and variegation. Once I found out what they were, I immediately bought some online. They are similar in appearance to Y. Recurvifolia and will also get over 6 feet.
Hardy Hibiscus
🌺 Hardy Hibiscus 🌺
Hibiscus moscheutos also known as rose mallow or swamp mallow is a beautiful cold-hardy perennial. This North American Native stunner is a wetland plant and loves full sun. The can get tall up to around 7 feet and is hardy to zone 5.
