The Fatality List Is Ugly

The carnage from this past winter with our extreme cold temps (8 degrees F) is showing its ugly head. The dead include:
1. Two European Fan Palms, in semi-heated pavilions
2. One Saw Palm, in pavilion

The extensively damaged:

1. Mexican fan palm. Completely defoliated, but greenish in the central spear area.
2. Windmill palm: A lot of leaf damage, but continued to grow throughout the winter.

Not phased at all:

1. Sabal Birmingham
2. Sabal Minors
3. Sabal Palmetto
4. Needle palms.

The Ugly Reality of a Cold Winter

The damage of this cold winter is starting to show its ugly face in my front and back yard, where temperatures reached 9 degrees F one night. This is the first single digit reading at my house in at least 5 years. Despite the heavy protection, I'm not sure if the Mexican Fan Palm Survived. The central spear is fried, but not mushy. It hasn't pulled out yet, and appears to be green deep down. Despite being enclosed in plastic, the feathery leaves of the Pindo Palm and European Fan Palm are badly burnt. The Chinese Windmill Palm, in the front yard, has some leaf damage but is sending up a new leaf nevertheless. The Sabal Minors: unfazed.

What Lies Beneath?

I've been looking at my W. Robusta, wrapped in blankets and plastic (and heating cables) and despite the efforts, all I see is dead fronds. When I peel back the plastic, I smell dry, dead leaves. I'm not sure if I'll have anything left of my Mexican Fan Palm by the time this winter is through with us. It got down to 9 degrees in my backyard, which is certainly cold enough to kill the palm. Sans winter protection, that is. The question that won't be answered until March 15th when I unwrap the palm is whether or not this protection was sufficient. I guess I need to enjoy the winter and know that time will tell....