European Fan Palm
Chamaerops humilis
Introduction
This small, multi-stemmed, hardy palm is the only one
native to Europe, and is hardier than most palms. The
curved, clumping, short trunks and gray-green, fan-shaped
leaves, borne thickly in a bushy head, make a stunning
sculptural element in a garden or patio containers. The finetextured
fronds make the palm stand out from other plants in the
landscape. Leaf color on individual plants ranges from light
green through silver. Although growth rate is slow,
it is well
worth the wait since even small plants will stand out nicely in
almost any landscape.
General Information
Scientific name: Chamaerops humilis
Pronunciation: ku-MEE-rops HEW-mil-liss
Common name(s): European Fan Palm
Family: Palmae
Plant type: tree; shrub
USDA hardiness zones: 8B through 11
Planting month for zone 8: year round
Planting month for zone 9: year round
Planting month for zone 10 and 11: year round
Origin: not native to North America
Uses: specimen; container or above-ground planter; near a deck
or patio; foundation; border; mass planting; accent; uitable
for
growing indoors
Availability: generally available in many areas within its
hardiness range
Description
Height: 8 to 15 feet
Spread: 6 to 10 feet
Plant habit: upright; irregular outline or silhouette
Plant density: moderate
Growth rate: slow
Texture: fine
Foliage
Leaf arrangement: alternate
Leaf type: simple
Leaf margin: lobed
Leaf shape: star-shaped
Leaf venation: palmate
Leaf type and persistence: evergreen
Leaf blade length: more than 36 inches
Leaf color: silver/gray; blue or blue-green
Fall color: no fall color change
Fall characteristic: not showy
Flower
Flower color: yellow
Flower characteristic: spring flowering
Fruit
Fruit shape: round
Fruit length: less than .5 inch
Fruit cover: dry or hard
Fruit color: brown
Fruit characteristic: inconspicuous and not showy
Trunk and Branches
Trunk/bark/branches: showy; typically multi-trunked or
clumping stems; can be trained to grow with a short, single
trunk
Current year stem/twig color: not applicable
Current year stem/twig thickness: not applicable
Culture
Light requirement: plant grows in part shade/part sun
Soil tolerances: alkaline; clay; sand; acidic; loam
Drought tolerance: high
Soil salt tolerances: poor
Plant spacing: 36 to 60 inches
Other
Roots: usually not a problem
Winter interest: no special winter interest
Outstanding plant: not particularly outstanding
Invasive potential: not known to be invasive
Pest resistance: long-term health usually not affected by pests
Use and Management
By removing suckers from the base of the main trunk, this
slightly salt-tolerant palm may also be trained as a ingletrunked
palm. Since the leaf stalks are spiny, Fan Palm may
also be used as a barrier, planted three to five feet apart. It
makes a nice accent plant in a shrub border or in a low-growing
groundcover. It can also be planted several feet apart in a mass
on a large-scale landscape forming a fine-textured accent area.
Growing best in moist rich soil, it is drought- and windresistant,
and established plants will survive temperatures to 10-
degrees F. or below, in full sun or light shade. Plants grow very
slowly in the shade.
Propagation is by seed or division.
Scale may be a problem.
Pests and Diseases
No diseases are of major concern.
by Edward F. Gilman
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