SPECIES ZONE SCALE FOR SUBTROPICAL CLIMATES

We need your help with this. Please feel free to add, edit, or otherwise contribute to this project. Use the discussion tab above for feedback.

Palmpedia is going to try a new way to rank and catagorize the cold hardiness of palms. Instead of trying to define the nebulous concept of low temperature limits and climatic zones, this will be a comparative rating of species. For example, if you see King palms growing in your neighborhood, then everything rated hardier on the SZS (Species Zone Scale), would be hardy for your area. Each zone will have a common palm as the "namesake" for the zone indicating the least hardy palm in that category. Therefore, if you see Queen Palms across the street, anything in the Queen Zone (SZS #2A) and below will be hardy enough to survive for you.

This will always be a fluid document, so jump in and add your 2 cents of wisdom.

SPECIES ZONE SCALE #1 - HARDY PALMS

SZS #1A: The Canary Zone

• Sabal minor - Phoenix canariensis

SZS #1B: The Washingtonia Zone

• Phoenix canariensis - Washingtonia robusta

SPECIES ZONE SCALE #2 - SEMI-HARDY PALMS

SZS #2A: The Queen Zone

• Washingtonia robusta - Syagrus romanzoffiana

SZS #2B: The Pigmy Date Zone

• Syagrus romanzoffiana - Phoenix roebelinii

SPECIES ZONE SCALE #3 - TEMPERATE PALMS

SZS #3A: The King Zone

Phoenix roebellini - Archontophoenix cunninghamia

SPECIES ZONE SCALE #4 - SUB-TROPICAL PALMS

SZS #4A: The Foxtail Zone

Howea forsteriana - Wodyetia bifurcata

SZS #4B: The Manila Zone

Wodyetia bifurcata - Adonidia merrillii

SPECIES ZONE SCALE #5 - TROPICAL PALMS

SZS #5A: The Coco Zone

Adonidia merrillii - Cocos nucifera

SZS #5B: The Lipstick Zone

Cocos nucifera - Cyrtostachys renda