[Metro-One]

But I have yet to see proof of palm trees in Ontario and Quebec as lush, tall and healthy as those along the south coast of BC, of any variety, that are grown outside, year round, without extraordinary care / attention, or simply replaced each summer, or put in a green house during the winter. While 10 foot banana plants are impressive to hear about in the east, most reach as high as 15 feet or even more along the Pacific Coast, such as the ones in my neighborhood, and these also grow back every year with no protection during the winter.

The palms along the south coast survive year round outside, the majority of them without protection.

While it is true that the Needle Palm will grow better in areas along the east coast from Long Island New York south than it would in the Pacific Northwest, I highly doubt that it would grow better in Eastern Canada than it would along the south coast of BC with no help in the winter. For it says that the needle palm is only tolerant to temperatures of -15C to -21C. And since even the warmest part of eastern Canada, Windsor Ontario, averages 1.6 days a year below -20, and 28.7 days below -10, it is highly unlikely that the needle palm would be able to survive on its own. It may survive an abnormally mild winter or two with no help, but eventually a colder than average winter would come to average out the temps. And keep in mind when they say a palm will survive these temps, it usually means they will survive them for brief periods and on isolated occasions, not for extended periods or frequent occasions. Coastal areas of New York is as far north as it can grow without help.

For a me to consider palms to be truly planted in an area they must survive year round outside with minimal winter help (or at the bare minimum, be firmly planted in the ground and not moved in the winter).

You have to admit that when it comes to exotics such as palms, coastal BC is the most hospital environment in Canada for them, since its climate is similar to that of Western Europe and central New Zealand.

As a side note, I was looking at the Tofino and Ucluelet area, along the west side of Vancouver Island, and it seems in this area of BC Cordylines are the exotic of choice, while it is the Windmill Palm in Vancouver and Victoria. I wonder if there is a reason behind that or if it is simply an aesthetic phenomenon.