The sago palm (Cycas revoluta), also referred to as the Japanese sago palm, funeral king and palm sago, is a stocky plant that is not actually a palm. It is a cycad, though the form of its fronds have produced that the “palm” name stick. Sago palms grow outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10. Sagos are fairly powerful plants and can hold up to a warm, windy day, however they don’t have a weak spot that cold winds can aggravate.

Wind Force

Sagos don’t to have problems with physical end force. The trunk of this plant is hardy and thick, and the plant keeps a relatively low profile. Sagos can reach around 12 feet tall, but they develop gradually, occasionally taking 12 years to develop about 12 inches. University of Hawai’i in the Manoa advocates the sago for a barrier plant despite its summit, because of its sharp leaf tips.

Drought Intolerance and Cold Winds

Sagos need moisture to live. They are tropical plants in warm, rainy climates, and they don’t tolerate drought well when younger. They get better at handling drought when old, but newer crops won’t do too well if exposed to dry conditions with no additional watering. And plants generally, regardless of drought hardiness or era, can dry out when subjected to cold winds that carry moisture away from the plants. Sagos can not actually live temperatures lower than 15 degrees Fahrenheit, either. If you’ve got a cold snap in which the temperatures fall unusually low, and you’ve got cold winds assailing the plant, then the sago may dry out and die. So while the plant can withstand warmer winds, try to guard it in strong, drying winds in winter.

Protecting and Customizable

Of course, any region can experience unusually cold weather, along with winds. If you’ve planted sago palms and you’re facing record lows, particularly with end, protect the plant by watering the dirt around it well one day prior to the cold weather is predicted to hit. Then, cover the plant with a blanket. North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension notes that a double layer of blankets could be even better. Leave the blankets in place until you’re certain the cold weather has passed.

Toxic Warning

Remember that sago palm components — all of them — are toxic. Floridata notes that the starchy trunk has served as a famine food in the past, but the substance has to be prepared correctly to neutralize a neurotoxin from the plant. To put it differently, treat the entire thing as toxic, and keep children and pets away from the plant if they are prone to chewing on everything they see.

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