Pronunciation: tray-key-CAR-puhs NAH-nuss
Common Name: Yunnan Dwarf Palm, Dragonhead Palm
Trachycarpus nanus is a very rare palm, but a great one for smaller gardens or raised beds in most California climates. Unfortunately, many palms sold as this end up being something else. It has barely any to no trunk at all, and nice, neat, leathery leaves. It is reportedly a fairly hardy palm, but not many have tested its extremes in California, so most hardiness limits are estimates.
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary, trunkless palm with about 8-10 palmate leaves
- Height: 0' stem height, but overall palm height about 1'-2'
- Trunk: none
- Crownshaft: none
- Spread: 2'-3'
- Leaf Description: palmate; semicircular; deeply divided with fairly leathery, narrow leaflets
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 18" long; narrow; stiff; arching only slightly; unarmed
- Reproduction: dioecious
- Inflorescence:
- Fruit: 3/4" long, kidney-bean shaped; pale yellow
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 25F
- Drought Tolerance: fair to poor
- Dry Heat Tolerance: fair
- Cool Tolerance: fair
- Wind Tolerance: good
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: very slow
- Soil Preference: well draining
- Light Requirement: partial to full sun
- Human Hazards: none known
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: none known
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: unknown
- Availability: very rare
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growing in a nearly frost free climate in northern California
mature palm, Orange County, California
