Northwest Palm Trees

Every now and then, I find myself daydreaming about a move back to the Portland area—or somewhere else in the Pacific Northwest. While I know I’d miss the ever-present palm trees and warmth of Southern California, part of me is curious to see what kind of landscape I could cultivate in a cooler, rainier climate. Could I recreate even a hint of the lush, tropical atmosphere we enjoy here in San Diego?

Any future yard would reflect the regional climate of the Pacific Northwest, but I can’t help but imagine carving out a small oasis—perhaps a courtyard or sheltered patio—that stays green all year and evokes that same tropical feel that we enjoy in southern California.

This post is a collection of my notes and research on palms that may be viable in Portland and the surrounding region. There are, of course, a handful of palms that have long been proven hardy enough for the Northwest, and on a recent summer trip, I was impressed by how large and established some of these specimens have become over the years. I fully intend to plant a few of those tried-and-true varieties. That said, I’m especially intrigued by the less common species, and which may work well in the Northwest, but you don’t see too much. With a bit of experimentation, and maybe the help of microclimates or thoughtful placement, I’d love to push the boundaries of what’s possible and see just how far I can stretch the idea of a tropical garden in the Pacific Northwest climate.

Mule Palms

Nice Mule Palm in Eugene

Washington Mule Palm

Bolivian Mountain Coconut

These are supposeadly cold hardy down to 16 degrees, and they look fantastic — exactly the frond type I love. I don’t hear too much about them, but perhaps worth digging into.   I guess the following page says that they don’t like damp cold…so they probably won’t do well in the Northwest (although if I had that vacation home in southern Oregon where it’s a bit dryer…). I don’t know, maybe super-well-draining soil?

https://www.goldengatepalms.com/bolivian-mountain-coconut

Other Palms

Many of these probably don’t work in reality, but maybe possibilities for palms in Portland (8b):

Arenga engleri

Butia X Syagrus

Chamaedorea costaricana (Costa Rica Bamboo Palm)

Dypsis decipiens

Dypsis heteromorpha

Acrocomia totai

Chamaedorea radicalis

Chamaedorea linearis

**Some of the above list uses the following source…I’m not sure I believe some of it:

http://www.trebrown.com//palms_arecaceae.php?z=9a&l=true

Other Sources

This one seems like a pretty good source: https://www.junglemusic.net/palmadvice/palms-coldhardy1.htm

https://www.palmsnorthwest.com/palm-trees.html

Inspiration