Phoenix dactylifera (seedling)
Phoenix dactylifera (seedling)
The Date Palm. In this case grown from seeds collected from a particularly beautiful glaucous blue leaved specimen growing on a beach in Alcudia, Majorca.
Resistant to drought (admittedly this is not much use in the UK generally, although it means that you don’t need to be overly attentive when growing them from seed).
Reportedly cold hardy down to -10….if it’s dry, but apparently succumbs to cold / wet conditions more easily than its cousin, Phoenix canariensis. Can be grown perfectly happily and easily in a greenhouse, glasshouse or orangery, provided you have one that’s 50ft tall.
Or you could plant it in very freely draining soil (amended with gravel maybe) and see whether you can ‘get away’ with it. As seedlings at least they seem pretty unfussy; surprisingly do not have a high heat requirement to grow fast - and regular watering seems to suit them - even if it’s not typical of their natural habitats.
So - best guess….in a sunny, dry spot, in one of the milder parts of the country - I think it could be done ?