Top 10 Cold Hardy Palm Trees for European Gardens and Landscapes – Best Species That Survive Frost and Low Temperatures
Plenty of palms will grow well outside the tropics. In this list, “cold hardy” means the lowest temperature an established plant can usually survive for a short cold spell. Close to that limit you can expect some leaf damage. Young plants are more tender. Long freezes, cold wet soil and icy wind are harder on a palm than a single frosty night. Good drainage, a sheltered spot such as a south-facing wall, and some winter protection in the first years make a big difference.
The figures below are the ones we use on our product pages. They are guides, not guarantees.
1. Dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor) – about -20 °C
The toughest palm on this list. It is a small fan palm that usually stays trunkless, with its stem hidden below the soil. That makes it hard to damage, and it copes with damp soil better than most palms. It is slow, but very reliable.
Sabal minor seeds · Sabal minor seedlings
2. Windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) – about -15 °C
This is the classic palm for cool, wet climates and the one you see most often in British and northern European gardens. It has a single trunk covered in brown fibre and dark green fan leaves. It handles wind well, and in a sheltered spot it grows quite quickly.
Trachycarpus fortunei seeds · Trachycarpus fortunei seedlings
3. Cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) – about -14 °C
This tall, single-trunked fan palm comes from the south-eastern USA. It tolerates drought and wind and takes real frost. It grows best with warm summers and can be slow in cooler climates.
Sabal palmetto seeds · Sabal palmetto seedlings
4. Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis) – about -12 °C
This is Europe’s own native palm, found wild in southern Spain and around the western Mediterranean. It is a compact, clumping palm with several trunks and stiff fan leaves. It is very tough in dry, windy places and good for pots. The silver-blue form, var. cerifera, is listed at -14 °C.
Chamaerops humilis seeds · Chamaerops humilis seedlings · var. cerifera seeds
5. Mexican blue palm (Brahea armata) – about -12 °C
This palm is blue, slow-growing and very cold hardy, with stiff silver-blue fan leaves. It is one of the hardiest fan palms and very drought tolerant. It does best in full sun and very free-draining soil, and it dislikes cold, wet winters.
Brahea armata seeds · Brahea armata seedlings · Read more about Brahea armata
6. Chilean wine palm (Jubaea chilensis) – about -12 °C
This is one of the most cold-hardy feather palms in the world. It has a massive grey trunk, the thickest of any palm. It is very slow to form a trunk, so it is a palm to plant for the long term. It likes full sun, cool wet winters and dry summers.
7. Caranday palm (Trithrinax campestris) – about -12 °C
This palm comes from the dry plains of Argentina, where it has to cope with hot summers, drought and winter frost. It has very stiff, grey-green fan leaves with sharp tips, so plant it away from paths. It is slow, but very tough.
8. Pindo or jelly palm (Butia odorata) – about -10 °C
This is the hardiest of the popular feather palms. It has arching blue-grey leaves and a stout trunk, and its sweet orange fruit is edible. It handles drought, wind and coastal conditions well.
Butia odorata seeds · Butia odorata seedlings
9. California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera) – about -10 °C
This is a fast-growing desert fan palm with a thick trunk and leaves edged with white threads. It is more cold hardy than its relative Washingtonia robusta. It is happiest in dry, sunny climates and does not like cold, wet winters.
Washingtonia filifera seeds · Washingtonia filifera seedlings
10. Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) – about -10 °C
This is a small, clumping palm. It has creeping stems and fan leaves on saw-toothed stalks, and it slowly spreads into low clumps. It likes sandy, well-drained soil and warm summers. There is also a beautiful silver form, listed at -9 °C.
Serenoa repens seeds · Serenoa repens seedlings · ‘Silver’ seeds
Want to grow your own? See all our palm seeds and palm seedlings, and our guide on how to germinate palm seeds.
