The nuts come in carefully sealed botanical boxes to Ireland. They grow there (and even in Scotland) because it never gets really cold there because of the gulf stream. In fact, on the British isles there is hardly any difference between summer and winter: it is always raining.

"In fact, on the British isles there is hardly any difference between summer and winter:"

On a trip to Whales a few years ago I was informed that there is a substantial difference between summer and winter weather!!

In summer the rain is vertical
In winter the rain is horizontal

I think it was the guide on the hop on, hop off bus that said they floated there. Maybe they float there in carefully sealed botanical boxes! :-d

(I guess I shouldn't believe everything I hear from a tour guide!)

Let's go back from Ireland to Madrid.

They have a different problem. The stream there, Rio Manzanares, is called "charco ambulante", which means "moving puddle".

Yes there are palm trees in Madrid, not many though, but they can grow, Trachycarpus fortunei, the hardiest of palms, them, Chamaerops humilis(also quite hardy) washingtonia, and phoenix canariensis. The last two can suffer a bit in a very cold winter, but Madrid doesn´t seem to suffer very cold winters, only ocasional. But also the centre of the city has what's called urban heat, which means the temperatures are a little warmer than the outskirts or suburbs. So they can grow more tender plants and trees.

There are palm trees in Atocha station, if you need to see a few.

this thread is from 07. Adu is right, though.

The palm tree in the botanical gardens, the Canary palm, I have seen them growing freely in Toledo province, is one of the most commons in the south, and along the Granada and Malaga coast they are all dying attacked by a red bud that's eating them from inside. It seems the bugs (a flying scarab)came with an uncontrolled import from somewhere. The date palm (very similar) and the washingtonia are the other common varieties here, and they seem to be inmune so far.

TYPO: I repeatedly corrected bug, not bud, but my keyboard thinks for itself.

Hello,

Madrid is the second highest city above sea level in Europe, not sure which city comes first. It is extremely cold in winter and very hot in summer with a more like desert platuea, i do recommend a visit, However the palm trees could be found in Barcelona and the costal areas of Spain, i havent been everywhere in Spain but i currently reside in Barcelona and for sure there are lots of palm trees here!

Enjoy your trip!

Lifestyle Barcelona

There are a few palm trees outside the Principe Pio mall/station, on the plaza - they may be in large (make that huge) pots, I don't recall, but they are there for sure.

kanadajin

Madrid can be cold in winter, but I think "extremely cold" is a bit ridiculous. I'd save that for Moscow.

Yes, it can get cold during the winter in Madrid, relative to Barcelona, but lifesylebc tends to exaggerate somewhat.

And yes, you can find palm trees growing in the garden at the Thyssen, and you'd see a number of them in the Basque country and Green Spain, if you ever venture up that way.

If you consider Madrid cold in winter, I wonder what you would say about my hometown :) We would consider that in January, anything remotely approaching (from below, not above) the freezing point would feel absolutely balmy !