Palms For California

Pronunciation: tray-kee-CAR-puss for-TOON-ee-eye

Common Name: Chinese Windmill Palm, Chusan Palm

Trachycarpus fortunei is one of the most commonly sold and grown palms in the US, including southern California. It is arguably the most cold hardy of the trunking palms. It is so often used in public landscaping, and then ignored, many call this 'Trashycarpus'... but a well watered, well grown palm can be a magnificent specimen. Some consider Trachycarpus wagnerianus to be the same species, just a stiffer-leaved form.

Appearance and Biology Habit: solitary with a crown of 20-30 leaves Height: 35' Trunk: single, covered with fiber and retained leag bases; sometimes a dense skirt of dead leaves though rarely its entire height; can be trimmed to a clean look; 6" thick Crownshaft: none Spread: 5' Leaf Description: palmate; deeply divided and symmetrical with about 50 leaflets; leaflet ends often split; stiff with leaf droop in mature palms, but less so in immature palms up to about 15'; deep, dark green; 3' long Petiole/Leaf bases: 1.5' long and 1/2" wide; flat on top, curved on bottom; both sides smooth; margins 'armed' with relatively dull, tiny, closely spaced teeth; stiff with minor amount of droop; leaf bases unsplit Reproduction: dioecious Inflorescence: 12"-16" long, multibranched, stiff and arising within crown; yellow flowers, fragrant Fruit: 1/2" spherical and pale blue-green to blackish-blue when ripe Seed:

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 5F Drought Tolerance: moderate Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate Wind Tolerance: good Salt Tolerance: low Growth Rate: moderate Soil Preference: very adaptable to all sorts of soil types Light Requirement: full to partial sun (filtered in desert OK) Human Hazards: none Disease or Horticultural Problems: few in California Transplants?: good Indoor?: possible, but struggles with low light Availability: extremely commonly available