Originally hailing from the high altitudes of China, the Windmill Palm is no stranger to a little chill. Because it’s naturally adapted to cooler climates, you can actually grow this hardy beauty outdoors year-round. Just a heads-up, though: “hardy” usually applies to the grown-ups. Younger palms are a bit more sensitive and should spend their first few winters safely indoors.
Wintering Your Windmill Palm Outdoors
In the Chinese highlands, Windmill Palms deal with temperatures dropping as low as 0°F (-18°C). This means a mature fan palm can generally handle our winters without much fuss. However, damp cold can be a real enemy to those gorgeous fronds, often causing frost damage. To keep your palm looking its best, I always recommend a little extra winter protection.
If you’re growing your palm in a container, it can still stay outside, but you’ll need to be more careful. In a pot, you don’t want the temperature to dip below about 20°F (-6°C). Make sure to wrap the pot in blankets or mats and tuck it into a spot that’s shielded from the rain.
When to Move Your Palm into the Ground
Once your Windmill Palm hits about four years old, it’s ready to graduate to the garden bed. The secret to a successful transition is timing: always plant it in the spring. This gives the palm a full growing season to get comfortable and establish a strong root system before the first frost hits.
Protecting Your Palm from Frost and Moisture
While these palms can handle dry cold down to 0°F, adding moisture into the mix can lead to frozen roots or damaged leaves. To keep your palm happy and healthy, here are a few winter prep tips:
- Use well-draining soil so rainwater doesn’t sit around the roots.
- Wrap the fronds in burlap, garden fleece, or breathable fabric.
- Protect the “heart” (the center growth point) from moisture—if the heart freezes and rots, the palm won’t recover.
- Lay down a thick layer of mulch to insulate the roots.
- Wrap potted palms in coconut mats or heavy blankets.
- Move containers under a roof or porch to avoid drafts and heavy rain.
Post-Winter Care
When you unwrap your palm in the spring, don’t panic if you see brown tips or a few dead leaves. It happens! Just grab a sharp pair of pruning shears and trim them off. Leave about an inch or two of the leaf base on the plant rather than cutting flush to the trunk. Once the weather warms up, your Windmill Palm will start pushing out fresh, green growth in no time.
