Here, where we live in Lake Elsinore, CA, It is considered “low desert” which means we get some of the coldest temperatures as well as the hottest driest temperatures in Southern California.  Many palms that do well along the coast won’t grow at all here.  Chances are that if I can grow a palm here well, that it will probably grow just about anywhere in Southern California.  Although there are a few desert species that grow better and faster here because of the high heat. 

     One question I’m often asked is “which of the palms do I like the best for Southern California”?  My answer is “The palms that thrive here”.  I’ve also heard people say “Why grow Sabals in your garden, they aren’t very pretty palms and they are very common”?  My answer is “They don’t die”.  A large Sabal that is well established is actually a pretty spectacular sight.  Plant a small Sabal in your yard and I guarantee in a few years you won’t be disappointed.

     Many tropical palms survive here but just never look to good.  If it’s not for the cold damage, it’s the dry heat or Santa Ana winds that keep them looking like their one foot from the grave. 

     After trying a couple of hundred different species in my garden, I have come up with some pretty nice palms that can take the extreme weather conditions.

• BISMARKIA NOBILIS  is probably one of the most spectacular palms in my garden.  I have one that is only about 7 years old and is already starting to show clear trunk.  It doesn’t grow any in the winter but it has taken down to 19 degrees without any damage.  Between late spring and autumn, it puts out between six to eight huge leaves, making it one of the fastest growing palms I have.  I also have been growing Bismarkia in containers inside a cold frame that receives full sun all day.  A few years back, I accidentally left the doors and ventilation closed when I went on vacation in August.  When I returned home and opened the door, I nearly passed out from the extreme heat flowing out of the door.  Instead of seeing dead plants everywhere, much to my surprise, everything was looking better then ever and had grown considerably.  It must have been close to 140 degrees in there!  Hence, I closed the doors back up and have been growing seedlings in extreme heat ever since.

Bismarkia nobilis

• NANNHORROPS RITCHIANA is practically another un-killable desert palm.  I purchased a two leaf seedling from Phil Bergman in 1997.  It is now a large clumping mass of beautiful blue foliage.  Supposedly a slow grower, mine has grown very fast.  They like the high heat, lots of water and a little fertilizer.  In habitat, this palm grows in very harsh environments so it’s one of the few palms that grow better in the Southern California deserts than it does in habitat.

Nannhorrpos ritchiana

• LIVISTONA NITIDA is not from desert areas.  In fact it’s from very tropical areas of Queensland Australia but adapts extremely well to Southern California deserts.  It has taken down to 19 degrees in the winter with very little damage and grows very rapidly.  I love the dark green leaves that it retains for a long period of time.  The reddish trunk and the fast growth rate make this one of the finest palms I grow.

Livistona nitida

For anyone who lives in the hot inland area, these three fan leaved palms should be “must have” showcase specimens adding extreme beauty to any garden.

• CHAMAEROPS HUMILIS var. “CERIFERA” is a great desert palm.  Blue palms always look spectacular in a desert setting and there is no bluer palm then Chamaerops “cerifera”.  In a very hot sunny environment, this plant can be a fast grower.  The leaves seem to get more strikingly blue with age unlike some other blue palms like Nannorrhops that lose some of the blue color over time.  Chamaerops cerifera is the epitome of bulletproof, taking temperatures down to 6 degrees and thriving in temperatures up to 120 degrees making it not only one of the world’s most cold tolerant  palms but also one of the most dry heat tolerant palms known.  This plant is also drought tolerant making it hard to kill which makes this a perfect palm for anyone who is negligent of their plants. 

CHAMAEROPS HUMILIS var. “CERIFERA”

• SABAL “RIVERSIDE” – This plant is not an official species but probably a hybrid of Sabal bermudana.  There are a couple of different entertaining stories on the original plant growing in Riverside, CA but since I’m not sure which one is the true story, and which ones are the fairy tales, I’ll just comment that it does make for good conversation.    Sabal riverside likes some shade when very young but other then that, it seems to be the easiest to grow in the genus as well as one of the biggest most spectacular.  It is very cold hardy, reporting down to 15 degrees with no damage.  The large blue green leaves and the growth rate, make it one of the most attractive and desirable bullet proof palms for desert areas.   

Sabal Riverside

I know there are many species of true bullet proof palms for Southern California  deserts but these are a few of the palms that seem to do the best for me. 

Kevin Weaver