It is very difficult to grow palm trees in Missouri due to how cold it gets there during winter. Missouri has a humid continental climate with long, hot summers and cool to cold winters. The July average temperature is about 79°F (26°C). The average January temperature is about 26°F (–3°C).
The warmest temperature ever recorded was 118°F (48°C) and the lowest was –40°F (–40°C). Annual average snowfall ranges between 10 in (25 cm) and 20 in (51 cm) depending on the location. Missouri gets about 35 tornadoes each year. Missouri USDA hardiness zones range from 5b to 7b.
Missouri USDA Zones
Growing Palm Trees in Missouri
Missouri is not the best state to grow palm trees due to its cold weather. The only area you can try to grow palms is in the zone 7 near Cape Girardeau city. Keep in mind, it takes only one extremely cold day to kill all of your palms. If you see that cold weather is coming, provide your trees with protection.
- European Fan Palm Tree – Zones 7b-11 (5 to 10 F)
- Pindo Palm Tree – Zones 7b-11 (5 to 10 F)
- Sago Palm Tree – Zones 7b-11 (5 to 10 F)
- Saw Palmetto Palm Tree – Zones 7a-11 (0 to 5 F)
- Windmill Palm Tree – Zones 7b-11 (5 to 10 F)
More Palm Trees»
Major Cities in Missouri
Cape Girardeau – Hardiness Zone 6a
Columbia – Hardiness Zone 6a
Independence – Hardiness Zone 6b
Joplin – Hardiness Zone 6b
Kansas City – Hardiness Zone 6b
O’Fallon – Hardiness Zone 6a
Saint Charles – Hardiness Zone 5b
Saint Joseph – Hardiness Zone 5b
Saint Louis – Hardiness Zone 6b
Saint Peters – Hardiness Zone 6a
Springfield – Hardiness Zone 6a
~Susan Brian
P.S. If you have any questions, leave me a comment below and I do my best to answer them as soon as I can.
Try Sabal Minor ‘McCurtain’, Sabal Minor ‘Arkansas’, and/or Rhapidophyllum Hystrix in the bootheel cities. If you grow them close to the south side of your house where they are protected from cold winds, you have a good shot at success. If you have to plant them in the yard, plant them under a Texas Live Oak or an evergreen tree of some sort for some level of protection. Cities like Caruthersville, Steele, and Cooter would be good spots for an attempt.
My family and I have visited Florida a few times, and the only thing my mom loves more than the beaches there are the palm trees. Every time we go, she always wants one, but we live in Missouri. Unfortunately the only thing I really understood about this article is that it’s impossible to grow them unless you line near CG, and unfortunately, we don’t. We’re an hour west of St. Louis, so that doesn’t exactly work out. Is it possible for us to grow a palm tree? Are there such things as mini palm trees that could be kept indoors?
Thanks, Megan
Megan,
All of the types I mentioned above are relatively small. You could growth email outside and just cover them if you get a deep freeze. If you want to grow them in pots inside, you could grow pygmy date palms. They are pretty compact and grow well in pots.
Hello Megan,
You could try rhapidophyllum hystrix (Needle Palm) or sabal minor ‘McCurtain’, ‘Arkansas’, or the varieties from northern Alabama or North Carolina. Plant them on the south side of your house and cover them during the really cold winter days.
Indoors, phoenix roebelenii stays relatively small. There are many others that grow well in pots. There is even an entire forum for this here: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/forum/45-palms-in-pots/