Can Majesty Palms Live Outside? (In Winter?)

Originally found in Madagascar, Majesty Palms are beautiful, sleek, and can spruce up any garden or patio. However, many often wonder whether it is a good idea to leave this plant outside for long hours.

So, can majesty palms survive outside? While this entirely depends on your hardiness zone and current temperature, it is always a good idea to move your majesty palm indoors or elsewhere during a sudden temperature drop. These plants cannot survive the winter and they may eventually die if left outdoors, in a chilly temperature for a long time.

Unless you have a dedicated greenhouse with an excellent mechanism for temperature control, it is certainly not a good idea to leave your majesty palm outdoors, especially during the winter months.

In the following few sections, we will discuss more on this and try to understand what temperatures work best for majesty palms and what best practices you should follow while caring for them.

Can Majestic Palms Live Outdoors Throughout the Year?

No, your Majestic palm cannot be left outdoors over the year because the plant gets extremely finicky with cold temperatures and can potentially die during temperature dips. If you really want it to survive, make sure it gets a temperature between 35 and 80 degrees F.

Additionally, you also need to check your hardiness zone. If your hardiness zone is anywhere ranging from 9 to 11, you can comfortably grow your plants outdoors without having to worry too much.

However, if your geographical location witnesses frequent frost or hard winters, you should not leave the plant outside for the longest time. You need to give ample attention so that the plant doesn’t die or try growing it unpotted.

Regardless, the best idea in this situation would be to get your plant home during the winter months to prevent any accidents due to snow, frost, and everything in between.

While these palms are usually hardy and you would live them for their bond, if you expose them to a cold temperature between 10 and 34 degrees, they will end up dying and it will be almost impossible to recover the plant.

Protecting your plant during winter months

You can, however, protect your plant during the winter months by getting a burlap or cotton cloth around its trunk. You will also find a bunch of covered parts for the fronds. Use them judiciously and you will soon witness your plant growing regardless of the temperature.

Can a Majesty Palm Live Outside in Winter?

As previously mentioned, majesty palms can only thrive outside during winter months when the temperature ranges between 35 – 85 degrees F. If it is anywhere low, the plant may catch frostbites, dry up, and eventually die. Of course, you can implement the following protective measures while keeping your plant outside in winter.

Winter protection

Even though a large number of Palm trees can withstand a dip in temperatures, such is not the case with Majesty Palms as they thrive best only in tropical and subtropical regions. If you really want your plant to thrive, try growing it indoors.

Of course, you still need to arrange some source of indirect sunlight. Perhaps, you can put your plant on the windowsill to achieve this. Additionally, make sure it receives ample moisture and maintenance.

It is not always a good idea to grow your Majesty palm outdoors, especially because you need to move the plant indoors after a certain point.

When grown outdoors, these plans can assume a full height of 15 to 20 feet. However, this won’t be the case if you are growing the plants indoors. They won’t assume the height as soon and maintaining them during the winter months would be easier.

As a rule of thumb, try to fertilize the palm at least once every 2 to 3 months. Use a slow-release fertilizer and start this routine from the summer months. As your plant receives ample fertilizer, it will only get stronger over time and its resistance will be greater every time there’s a temperature dip.

Safety measures

While fertilizing your plants, make sure you do not end up overfertilizing them. To avoid this, only water the plants when needed and fertilize no more than once every two to three months. If you do not follow the correct safety measures, the leaves and fronds will quickly turn yellow eventually leading up to greater signs of damage.

You should also check the pot size of your palm and try to replace it once every two to four years or as required. Potted palms may perform sub-optimally with a crowded root system. That is why we recommend changing the pots to accommodate its growing web of roots.

When Can I Put My Majesty Palm Outside?

If you live in a tropical or subtropical region, you can grow your Majesty palm outdoors all year round. However, if you live in a fairly colder area only move the palm outdoors during the summer and late summer months.

While growing the plant outdoors, make sure the roots are fully moist. If you find the leaves assuming a yellowish hue, it is probably because you have overwatered the roots. Alternatively, if you find dry roots, the tips will assume a brownish hue and you may need to trim them out.

Like every other plant, your Majesty will need a proper amount of light. Ideally, create a condition where it gets a combination of both shade and light. Do not leave the plant under the full sun as the leaves will eventually dry out.

For best results, place it near some water source where it receives indirect or partial sun.

Caring for your plant

As with your indoor Majesty plant, you also need to care for your outdoor variants of Majesty. If you are getting these palms from a nursery try to get them accustomed to the sunlight, by leaving some direct sun contact for a few hours every day.

As mentioned already, you should also fertilize the plant starting from summer. Avoid overdoing anything as it might cause the plant to dry out.

Also note that while Majesty palms thrive in humid areas, they do not prefer extremely arid areas. So, if you find the air drying out frequently, you want to wet the soil once in a while. Avoid misting as it might lead to fungus and other deadly infections.

How Do You Keep Majesty Palms Alive in the Winter?

You can keep your Majesty palm alive in winter by moving it indoors during the fall and winter months. After the transfer, make sure it continues to receive the optimal indirect right and just the right amount of moisture.

If your plant grows outdoors and is not potted, you can’t move it indoors during the winter months. Your best option here would be to apply a slow-release fertilizer on your outdoor palms starting from the summer months.

Additionally, right before the sun is about to set, cover your palm with a high-quality blanket or sheet. Make sure it only covers the palm and doesn’t touch the leaves. You might need stakes to position the blanket properly. Sadly, you cannot protect the fronds in any way during the winter months.

If you want to go the extra mile, consider adding a burlap layer on the palm’s trunk. However, don’t forget to remove the sheet the following day, once it is warm again. You don’t, however, need to get rid of the burlap at this point.

How Fast Does a Majesty Palm Grow Outdoors?

Majesty palms typically have an outdoor height of 20 to 40 feet. However, it might take several (at least 4 to 8) years for the palm to assume a height of 10 feet.

For faster growth of the plant, you need to make sure the root is evenly spaced and the soil, temperature, and water conditions are optimal.

Can Palms Survive Frost?

Unfortunately, palms do not survive frost and the Majesty palm is no exception. The same applies to snow. Both frost and snow can lead to the untimely demise of your outdoor plant. This would be the case even if you have covered your plant well with Burlap coverings and any additional protective method.

Frost and cold temperature lead to a moisture spike that ends up running the root web and the fronds of the majesty palm. That is why it is best to move your outdoor Majesty palm indoors especially during the winter months.

What Temperature Can a Majesty Palm Tolerate?

Most Majesty palms can withstand a temperature between 35 degrees F to 80 degrees F. However, if the temperature drops below 35, the plant will soon dry out and eventually die.

Now that you know what exactly to do to protect your Majesty palm in winters, follow these guidelines and you are good to go! Because these plants do not perform well during temperature dips, always use slow-release fertilizers as and when needed.

Additionally, consider repotting the plants once in a few years, to accommodate its thriving root system. Finally, if you are growing your Majesty palm outdoors, try to move it indoors even before the start of fall. Create alternative lighting arrangements if needed. However, under all conditions, avoid keeping the plant outdoors during stark winter months.

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About Rinkesh

A true environmentalist by heart ❤️. Founded Conserve Energy Future with the sole motto of providing helpful information related to our rapidly depleting environment. Unless you strongly believe in Elon Musk‘s idea of making Mars as another habitable planet, do remember that there really is no 'Planet B' in this whole universe.