The hemp palm comes from China, where it can get very cold in winter. This type of palm tree is therefore winter hardy and can also be grown outdoors all year round. However, some winter protection is still useful. Potted plants tolerate less frost and must be protected over the winter.
How do I properly overwinter a hemp palm?
To overwinter a hemp palm successfully, protect adult plants in the garden with garden fleece and a layer of mulch. Potted plants can tolerate temperatures down to -6 degrees; at lower temperatures they should be brought into the house in a bright, cool place.
Preparing the hemp palm in the garden for the winter
The longer a hemp palm grows in the garden, the more robust it is. Temperatures down to -18 degrees are no problem. Frost damage can appear on the leaves without the palm tree suffering.
More than the cold, the moisture in the garden causes problems for the hemp palm in the winter. That's why you should make hemp palms winter-proof by covering the plants with garden fleece (€34.00 on Amazon) or burlap and laying a thick layer of mulch made of leaves, brushwood and fir branches around the palm.
Overwintering hand palms in a pot
In the pot, the hemp palm can tolerate temperatures down to -6 degrees. If it doesn't get colder, you can overwinter the palm tree on the terrace.
However, at lower temperatures you should bring the hemp palm indoors. Find a place where it is bright and not too warm. It shouldn't be warmer than around ten degrees in the winter location. Avoid sharp temperature changes. The hemp palm would not do well straight from the cold into the warm room.
Hemp palms that you grow as houseplants should be kept cooler over the winter and watered less. But the location must be very bright.
Tip
Young hemp palms are not yet hardy. They may only be planted outside in the garden when they are at least three or four years old. In the first year they need particularly good winter protection.
