Paradise lost: The fate of Nova Scotia’s final palm trees revealed
Six years ago, Dartmouth, N.S., tested out growing palm trees with the idea that mild winters could be suitable for them. The Weather Network followed up to see the result.
In 2018, the City of Halifax, N.S., embarked on a pilot project to plant palm trees that would put milder winters to the test.
The municipality planted nine palm trees in total throughout the region to bring diversity to park spaces. Park staff even boxed them up during the winter months to insulate their bases and trunks in an effort to maintain warmth.
And now we fast forward to 2024.
This year’s harsh winter produced the snowiest February on record in Halifax.
As a result, it put the nail in the coffin for the final two palm trees that remained, even after they were just been replanted in 2022. The trees simply couldn’t adapt to the cold that comes with a typical Nova Scotia winter.
"We were able to keep trees alive for nearly four years, but their health slowly declined over time due to the winters here," said Ryan Nearing, Halifax Regional Municipality public affairs advisor, in a statement provided to The Weather Network. "They were not replaced by palm trees, but rather, more hardy, ornamental trees. We have no plans to plant additional palm trees at this point."
Watch the video preceding the article for the full story on the disappointing outcome of Halifax's palm tree program.
