NatureMan's Official Blog: Growing Coconut Palm's in Florida

Florida is NOT tropical. It is sub-tropical. All of Florida can see freezing or near freezing temperatures, even Miami. In fact every couple of years you can expect Miami Florida to see temps in the 30s with frost. It has even snowed once in Miami in January 1977. True tropical regions are areas where it never dips below 50°F. This would be places near the equator. Florida is far from the equator. Places like Brazil where the Amazon Rainforest is, and Indonesia are Tropical places because they have temperatures that rarely dip below 50°F, and are close to or at the equator. It is a world of a difference from Tallahassee to Miami. It can be 20°F in Tallahassee and 60°F in Miami. But every so often, temps below 40°F that brings frost/freeze threat reaches Miami. Many non-natives don't realize that in Miami its happen far more than they think. In fact at least once every couple years, if not once per year, temps will dip into the 30s in Miami/south Florida. There are deciduous trees and Pine trees that go dormant in the winter from cold all the way down to the Florida Keys. Bald Cypress is a deciduous Conifer, that drops it's leaves in the winter, and is the dominant tree in the Everglades. The Red Maple a Maple tree growing from South Florida (like Miami) to southern Canada (like Toronto) in it's native range.

I just wanted to share that so you guys can understand why you can't Grow Coconut Palm trees in most of Florida. Only the southern areas have potential to grow it. The Coconut Palm has virtually no cold tolerance. Only tolerating temps to right above 32°F. It has been known to survive temps at the freezing point for brief periods of time with significant damage, but recovering. The coldest average temperature in Florida ranges from 15°F (Northern FloridaF to near 40°F at it's southern most tip (Keys). Miami, to the Everglades, down to the Keys are the best areas for growing the Coconut Palm. There is one exception, people have had success growing it north, only along the coast to near Tampa, and along the other coast to near Melbourne. But even there they may survive many years, but a rare but likely cold front where temps dip to the freezing point is bound to happen that will kill them. I was in Ana Maria Island (near Tampa) earlier last Spring, on the beach I saw a few Coconut Palm's. That is the absolute farthest north it can grow. I am sure in the past it has had some severe damage from the cold, but recovered. It will die in the coming years eventually, it is inevitable. But can survive quite a while, due to the coastal warm air. Tampa has dipped to the upper 20s in recent years, but places on the coast like Ana Maria Island stayed above freezing or warmer due to the breeze off the warm waters.

I have made some maps that give an idea where to grow Coconut Palms. The second map I circled the two areas along it's growing range, that simply shows you can grow it in those areas, but will need protection in the coldest of times, or it will probably die.

NatureMan

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