KCRag Forum

What many people don't know is that  certain cacti and Palms are able to thrive in Kansas City. My neighbor has her whole front wall filled up with native PricklyPear Catuses.

And what is even more suprising is that Palms are able to grow in KC. There are many cold hardy Palms. Some have even planted them in Kansas City. These Palms are Bulagarian WindMill Palms.

This is a great way to add life to KC during the winter. These Palms can survive in our zone of 6 (USDA Hardyzone) Yes they can survive our winter. They would aslo do great because Kansas City has more than half of the winter days with full sunshine.
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I've also seen a tree that is becoming very popular in the urbancore. This tree has it's leaves stay on all year round, which are shaped kinda like pears

Interesting. Can the palms withstand the snow as well as they do the cold? Some of the branches (fronds?) appear to have snapped under the weight of the snow.

As long as they're not fake palm trees. You can occasionally find some of those smattered throughout the city, in the front yards of the lumpen masses who are too clueless to realize such vile yard accessories are gauche and tasteless.

They can abosolutely with stand the snow.  Bugarian Windmill palms thrive in Bugaria which roughly has the same winter climate as KC.

Besides we really don't ever get much snow or extreme temps in the winter. These palms can survive cold snaps of sub-zero.

Anyways we have lots of mild days in the winter here.

P.S. that pic was taken in New Jersey

I'm looking to purchase a few of these Palms

these can also be grown in St. Louis. But you people in Omaha, Des Moines and the rest of the upper-midwest are out of luck

Believe it or not, Missouri does have some species of cactus that are native and grow wild.  I've never seen any of them around KC but in some of the counties up north like Caldwell and Livingston I have.

I've seen some out at Lake Jacomo.

Armadillo sightings are also up in the KC area.

KCghettoboi wrote: I've seen some out at Lake Jacomo.

Armadillo sightings are also up in the KC area.

I wrote to one of the Missouri Conservation offices in the area about an injured duck on the lake.  The lady who replied said they didn't usually attempt to rescue injured birds and that predators native to the area usually take care of those.  I then responded by saying that I had never seen any type of predator in the immediate area big enough to eat a duck.  I got an email back that said there were bobcats living in this immediate area.  Armadillos, bobcats, moose sightings......  What's next?  Grizzly bears?

KCghettoboi wrote: I've seen some out at Lake Jacomo.

Armadillo sightings are also up in the KC area.

Yeah, I've seen a big field of cactii off one of the trails at Lake Jacomo.  Burr Oak Woods has some cactus too.

Re: Post #1...

Californication of KC gone awry.  What next, the Dodgers play in KC?

I just bought a sago palm today. They are not true palms they are more closely related to needle evergreens but they look just like palms. They come from asia

Thrillcekr wrote: Believe it or not, Missouri does have some species of cactus that are native and grow wild.  I've never seen any of them around KC but in some of the counties up north like Caldwell and Livingston I have.

there is a small forested area behind my parents' house.  i used to collect small wild cacti from there when i was a kid.  the cacti were maybe 6 inches tall.

Does anyone know of a place that sells palm seeds or Bulgarian palms?

I can't find them anywhere. I would greatly appreciate it

That is why I love KC.  Within 30 miles, you have all kinds of terrain and plant life.  You've got forests, rocky desert-like areas, steep hills and bluffs, plains, etc.  Great place to be a lover of the outdoors and almost as many sunny days as Southern California.  KC rules.

    Plant Delights in North Carolina sells a shrub palm that was discovered recently growing wild in the Red River valley of McCurtain county Oklahoma.  I have a well established cactus garden at my home.  Prickly pears are for beginers and are sort of weedey.  I have 6 foot tall chollas, and many forms of barrel cactus, along with some agaves and tree yuccas.  Most of the cacti survive the winter by "deflating" , sort of like a limp penis.  That way the expanded frozen water does not burst the cells.  The most important thing is drainage.  Cold is not as much as a problem as wet feet in the winter which will cause rot.  A raised bed with at least a foot of pure sand and gravel has worked for me.  The hardiest agaves seems to get some major damage without some sort of winter protection.  I use 5 gallon water bottles with the bottom cut out to protect them in the winter, the neck opening allows heat to escaped when the sun is out.  The net effect is that when I look out the window, I almost can believe I am in Santa Fe.
      I have not had long term luck with any of the palms or banana no  matter where I site them or how I protect them.  They may survive one or 2 years then in not an unusually major winter they will not make it.

KCghettoboi wrote: I can't find them anywhere. I would greatly appreciate it

Froogle Bitch!

search for "Trachycarpus fortunei"

staubio wrote: That is why I love KC.  Within 30 miles, you have all kinds of terrain and plant life.  You've got forests, rocky desert-like areas, steep hills and bluffs, plains, etc.  Great place to be a lover of the outdoors and almost as many sunny days as Southern California.  KC rules.

Finding evergreen forests in eastern Douglas county is one of the ecosystem finds in the KC area that surprised me the most.