Chinese fan palm

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; young plants benefit from light shade, especially in hot, dry climates.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then during prolonged dry spells. Keep container plants evenly moist in active growth but never waterlogged; water less in winter.

Soil

Well-drained loam or sandy soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral. Avoid sites that stay wet in winter.

Height

30-50 ft (9-15 m) outdoors in suitable climates; considerably smaller in containers

Spread

10-15 ft (3-4.5 m)

Foliage

Evergreen. Large, glossy green fans divided into narrow segments with distinctly drooping tips. Leaf stalks carry sharp spines, especially on younger plants.

Growth

Slow

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   8 ft (2.3 m)

3. After 2 years

   9 ft (2.6 m)

4. After 3 years

   10 ft (2.9 m)

5. After 5 years

   12 ft (3.6 m)

About 32 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Invasive in

the US

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Slow

• Water deeply through the first growing seasons, allowing the soil surface to dry slightly between waterings.
• Feed during the warm growing season with a palm fertiliser containing potassium, magnesium and trace elements, following the label.
• Mulch the root area, keeping mulch clear of the trunk.
• Use a sturdy container with drainage holes, and repot when roots fill the pot.
• Move container plants to a bright, frost-free position before cold weather; acclimatise them gradually to outdoor sun in spring.

Pruning. Remove fully brown fronds during warm weather, cutting the stalk without damaging the trunk; wear gloves and eye protection against the spines. Leave green and partly green fronds in place, and never cut the central growing spear.

Spring

Check drainage and repot container plants if root-bound.

Late spring

After frost risk has passed, gradually return sheltered plants outdoors and begin feeding.

Summer

Water deeply during dry weather and check container plants frequently for drying out.

Summer

Inspect leaves for scale insects and spider mites; remove only fully dead fronds.

Autumn

Bring container plants under bright, frost-free cover before cold nights.

Winter

Reduce watering under cover, keeping the root ball slightly moist rather than wet.

• Plant as a specimen in a sheltered lawn or generous border where its fountain-shaped crown has room to develop.
• Use a large container beside a sunny terrace or entrance, allowing clearance from the spiny leaf stalks.
• Combine with bird of paradise and cordylines for layered, bold foliage in warm-climate gardens.
• Underplant established palms with cast iron plants or mondo grass in the shade beneath the crown.

Garden styles it suits: Architectural minimal, Modern tropical, Tropical, Luxury resort, Modern courtyard and Chinese scholar garden.

Plant it with: Bird of paradise, Cast iron plant, Clivia, Dwarf mondo grass and Cordyline.

Wildlife: Flowers attract insects, and ripe fruit is eaten by birds and other animals that can spread the seeds. Prevent fruiting where the palm is invasive.

• Spider mites, especially under cover: look for fine webbing and stippled leaves; rinse leaf undersides and use an approved mite treatment if needed.
• Scale insects: inspect leaf stalks and undersides; wipe off small infestations and treat with a labelled horticultural oil where appropriate.
• Potassium or magnesium deficiency: older fronds develop spotting or yellow margins; use a balanced palm fertiliser rather than removing affected leaves prematurely.
• Root rot in wet soil: improve drainage and reduce watering; badly rotted plants may not recover.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. It is not a food plant; the sharp spines on its leaf stalks can cause puncture injuries.

Where it spreads. Listed as invasive in Florida and Hawaii, and invasive on islands including Bermuda, Mauritius and Réunion. Birds spread the fruit into woodland and other habitats; check local guidance before planting and remove flower or fruit stalks where spread is a concern.

• Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta)

  Usually develops a much taller, slimmer trunk, and its fan leaves often have threadlike fibres along the segment edges rather than the pronounced fountain-like tips of Chinese fan palm.

• Australian fan palm (Livistona australis)

  Typically forms a taller, straighter palm with more upright-looking leaves and less conspicuously drooping segment tips; its ripe fruit is dark rather than the blue-green fruit typical of Chinese fan palm.

• European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis)

  Usually forms a low clump of several stems with smaller, stiffer fans, rather than a single trunk carrying large, drooping fans.

Livistona honours Patrick Murray of Livingston, a Scottish plant collector, while chinensis means 'from China'.

Propagation. Grow from fresh seed after removing the fleshy fruit covering. Sow in a free-draining medium and keep warm and lightly moist; germination can take several weeks to several months. It does not produce divisions, and stem cuttings will not root.

Accepted botanical name

Livistona chinensis

Native range

China Southeast, Hainan, Japan, Nansei-shoto and Taiwan.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.