Hardy palms are any of the species of palm (Arecaceae) that are able to withstand brief periods of colder temperatures and even occasional snowfall. A few palms are native to higher elevations of south Asia, and a few can tolerate hard freezes with little or no damage. Many of these "hardy " species can be cultivated in warm temperate climates.
The hardiest species are found in the genera Rhapidophyllum, Sabal, and Trachycarpus. Members of these and other genera are sometimes grown in areas where they are not truly hardy, overwintering with the aid of various kinds of artificial protection.
The minimum temperature a palm can sustain depends on a variety of factors, such as humidity, size and age of the palm, daytime high temperatures, or the length of time the temperature is at the minimum. −5 °C (23 °F) for several days will do far more damage to a palm than an overnight low of −8 °C (18 °F) for an hour or so.
The fan palms (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae; palms with fan-shaped leaves) include all of the hardiest palms.
Few palms with pinnate leaves tolerate much frost. They belong to several tribes of the Arecaceae, with the species listed here belonging to Tribe Areceae (Chamaedorea), Tribe Cocoeae (Butia, Jubaea) and Tribe Phoeniceae (Phoenix).
Some plants used in subtropical landscaping in temperate climates like much of Europe, northern China/Japan, Korea, the northern USA, New Zealand, etc. that are commonly referred to as “palms”, but truly are not in the Arecaceae family, include the following: yucca, Aloe barberae, Cordyline australis, Cordyline indivisa, Cycas revoluta, Macrozamia communis, Macrozamia johnsonii, Macrozamia riedlei, Cyathea australis, Cyathea capensis, Cyathea cooperi, Cyathea dealbata, Cyathea medullaris, Dicksonia antarctica, Dicksonia squarrosa, Pseudopanax ferox, and occasionally the sumac Rhus typhina.