Q. My son gave me a small coconut tree in a pot for
Mother’s Day. I waited about 2 weeks before I planted it in a bigger pot. I’ve
put it on the patio that faces west so it’s hot in that location. How can I help
this coconut thrive in the desert?
Mother’s Day. I waited about 2 weeks before I planted it in a bigger pot. I’ve
put it on the patio that faces west so it’s hot in that location. How can I help
this coconut thrive in the desert?
 |
| A palm is a nice Mothers Day gift but you cant keep it unless you are in south Florida or live in the tropics. |
A. You can’t. This isn’t the tropics. It can handle our
heat but not our cold temperatures. It can’t
thrive here even if it survives the freezing temperatures of our winter. The
biggest problem it faces, besides surviving the winter, are the cool spring and
fall months. Extended periods of cold below 45° F causes permanent damage to a coconut
palm.
heat but not our cold temperatures. It can’t
thrive here even if it survives the freezing temperatures of our winter. The
biggest problem it faces, besides surviving the winter, are the cool spring and
fall months. Extended periods of cold below 45° F causes permanent damage to a coconut
palm.
 |
| This coconut fell from a palm into this water in the Philippines. It germinates easily if temps are warm enough. |
Coconut
palm is truly one of the tropical palm trees. You will find coconut palms in
Hawaii and southern Florida but it’s even too cool for coconut palms in
Southern California so we seldom see them there.
palm is truly one of the tropical palm trees. You will find coconut palms in
Hawaii and southern Florida but it’s even too cool for coconut palms in
Southern California so we seldom see them there.