Windmill palms (Trachycarpus fortunei) are the gold standard for palm lovers in colder climates. No tropical garden "up north" is complete without them! These were the first "hardy" palms I ever purchased. They were planted in the ground from 3-gallon pots in March 2009. I was only 14 years old! Fast forward 11 years and these palms have grown a lot. Windmill palms have a reputation for being slow-growing, but I don't think it's warranted! Mine is putting out 1 new frond a month and over the course of a 9-month growing season, that's going to give you a pretty full looking palm by the end of the year!
I moved south in 2017 so these palms have had a lot less intervention. Unfortunately, their beauty did take a hit in 2018 and 2019, but they're starting to bounce back!
For those of you growing (or thinking of growing) windmill palm seedlings in a cool climate like NY, here's what you can expect from them over the next few years!
SUMMER 2009
WINTER 2014 (5 YEARS LATER)
SUMMER 2017
This was the last year I was able to check on the palms throughout the winter. They still receive winter protection, but 2018 and 2019 were the harshest winters in their lifetime (near 0F both winters). You'll see the impact from that damage in the next picture.
A peek from a freak March snowstorm in early 2018. The fronds were protected during the winter, but at this point, the worst of the winter cold was already over.
Summer 2018
The palms aren't as full and actually appear smaller as they recover from winter damage.
Summer 2019
The winter of 2019 completely defoliated my windmill palms despite protection. I was worried they weren't going to make it, but they managed to make a slow come back later that summer!
Now (Summer 2020)
I'm much happier with their look here! The winter of 2019 - 2020 was very mild. Our coldest low in my parent's NYC yard was 14F which is so manageable for Trachycarpus. They aren't quite as tall as they were in 2017 because the fronds aren't quite as stretched out (they're getting more sun these days). They really look pretty close to flawless and still have plenty of growing left to do this summer!
Thanks for looking! You can follow my plant adventures on social media and on this blog!
