Coming from Chile, the honey palm is hardy, but the plant has to grow properly first. With a growth of about 5 cm per year, it takes about 5 years before the honey palm is allowed to overwinter outside.
Older honey palms can cope well with frost down to -15°C
How do I overwinter a young honey palm?
A young honey palm should hibernate as frost-free as possible. This is hardly possible in German gardens. Therefore give your honey palm a bright, not too warm winter quarters. This can be a frost-free greenhouse or an unheated conservatory. If the honey palm is very warm in winter, for example in a well-heated living room, then it must slowly be accustomed to colder air again in spring.
If you grow your honey palm as a houseplant, then it can be in the living room all year round. It does not need hibernation like some other plants. The warmer the honey palm is, the more it should be watered. With a honey palm as a houseplant, you don't have to make a distinction between summer and winter, at least not when watering. You can definitely reduce the amount of fertilizer in winter.
How do I overwinter an old honey palm tree?
An old honey palm tree can grow over 20 meters high. At some point it will be too big to be put into winter quarters. However, it is then already hardy and tolerates frost down to about - 15 °C. Potted plants need winter protection, especially for the root ball. If it freezes, the plant dies easily because it can no longer draw water from the ground.
However, there is a risk that your honey palm tree will die of thirst if it does not get water in winter. Therefore, water the palm tree on frost-free days, because it evaporates a lot of moisture through its leaves, especially on sunny winter days.
Interesting facts about the honey palm:
- young honey palms are not yet hardy
- older honey palms can overwinter outside
- Be sure to protect potted plants from frost (root ball)
- water less when it's cold
- Do not fertilize honey palms in the garden in winter
tips
Since the honey palm grows very slowly and is not hardy in the first few years, it is advisable to keep this palm as a houseplant until it is about 5 years old.