Livistona chinensis (Chinese Fan Palm)

A beautiful species with its soft, cascading appearance, Livistona chinensis (Chinese Fan Palm) is a medium-sized evergreen palm with a slender trunk adorned with up to 50 large, coarse-textured, emerald-green, palmate leaves, up to 3-6 ft. across (90-180 cm). Each leaf is divided into thin, long lobes that gracefully drop and arch at their tips like a cupped hand facing the ground, giving the canopy a ravishing, fountain-like look. The petioles are stiff and highly serrated with sharp brown spines, up to 1 in. long (2.5 cm). The gray-brown trunk, 12 in. wide (30 cm) is smooth because the petiole stubs tend to fall away once the old fronds are shed. Creamy flowers are produced in huge sprays, up to 6 ft. long (180 cm), but are hidden by the large leaves. They are followed by great quantities of beautiful, dark blue to gray-blue fruits. Fairly slow-growing and exotic-looking, Livistona chinensis tolerates dry periods and enjoys fair salt tolerance. Cold-hardy, it can withstand temperatures down to 15-20°F (-9 to -12°C), however the leaves may be severely damaged. Chinese Fan Palm is the most commonly grown Livistona species in the world. Easy to grow, it makes a handsome landscape specimen or container plant.

• Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
• Grows with an upright habit up to 10-30 ft. tall (3-9 m) and 10-15 ft. wide (3-5 m). Chinese Fan Palm can form dense thickets that can crowd out and overshadow native species.
• Easily grown in moist, fertile, well-drained soils in full sun. Young specimens of Chinese Fan Palm should be partially shaded. Fertilize two or three times during the year. Plants should be watered during dry spells and will benefit from an organic mulch.
• No serious disease or pest issues. Keep an eye out for scale insects and lethal yellowing disease.
• Needs little pruning to develop a strong structure.
• Propagate by seed.
• Chinese Fan Palm is listed as invasive in Hawaii, Florida, Bermuda, Mauritius, Reunion and New Caledonia. In Florida, it is listed as a category II invasive plant, a category designed for species with the potential to disrupt native plant communities.
• Native to Eastern Asia including China, Japan and Taiwan.