Mexican fan palm

Sun

Full sun; young plants tolerate light shade.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Established palms tolerate drought, but grow better with occasional deep watering during prolonged dry weather.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, loamy or gravelly soil; tolerates alkaline conditions. Avoid waterlogged ground.

Height

70-100 ft (21-30 m)

Spread

10-15 ft (3-4.6 m)

Flowers

Creamy-white flowers on long, branching sprays in late spring and summer, followed by small black fruits.

Foliage

Evergreen. Large, bright green, fan-shaped leaves with some threadlike fibres along their margins; leaf stalks carry sharp, hooked teeth. Dead leaves can remain as a hanging skirt around the trunk.

Growth

Fast in warm weather with adequate water and nutrients.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

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

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Needs looking after

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

1. Planting day

   10 ft (3.1 m)

2. After 1 year

   16 ft (4.8 m)

3. After 2 years

   21 ft (6.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   27 ft (8.2 m)

5. After 5 years

   38 ft (11.7 m)

About 13 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 and Australia

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant in spring once the soil is warming, leaving generous clearance from buildings, paths and overhead wires.
• Water newly planted palms deeply whenever the upper soil begins to dry; gradually reduce watering as roots establish.
• Use a slow-release palm fertiliser with magnesium and micronutrients during the growing season, following the label.
• Mulch the root area, but keep mulch away from the trunk and avoid burying the trunk base.
• Grow young container plants in free-draining compost and move them under bright, frost-free cover where winters are cold.
• Keep children and pets away from the toothed leaf stalks, and use a qualified arborist for work above safe ground reach.

Pruning. Remove fully brown fronds and unwanted flower or fruit stalks in late spring or summer; leave green fronds in place and never cut the central growing spear. Do not strip the crown into a narrow 'hurricane cut'; have tall palms and hazardous dead skirts managed professionally.

Spring

Plant or repot young palms after frost risk has passed and the soil has warmed.

Late spring

Apply palm fertiliser if needed and check new foliage for yellowing or distorted growth.

Summer

Water establishing palms deeply during dry spells; allow the soil to drain between waterings.

Summer

Arrange removal of hazardous dead fronds and unwanted flower stalks before fruit develops.

Autumn

Pull out unwanted seedlings while small and collect fallen fruit near paths.

Late autumn

Move container plants into bright, frost-free shelter in cold climates.

Winter

Keep sheltered container plants on the dry side without letting the root ball dry out completely.

• Use as a tall vertical accent in a large, sunny garden, with ample room for its mature crown.
• Plant in widely spaced avenues on large properties to create a strong skyline and repeated rhythm.
• Combine with agaves, yuccas and gravel for contrasting leaf shapes in a dry-climate planting.
• Use behind lower subtropical planting to create a high canopy without a broad, spreading crown.
• Grow young specimens in large containers as temporary accents, with a plan for their eventual size.

Garden styles it suits: Architectural minimal, Modern Mediterranean, Desert modern, Luxury resort, Mexican hacienda and Tropical.

Plant it with: Spineless yucca, Foxtail agave, Red yucca, Rosemary, African lily and Bird of paradise.

Wildlife: Flowers attract visiting insects, and birds eat the fruits and disperse the seeds. Retained dead fronds can shelter birds, bats and rodents, but may also create a fire or falling-debris hazard.

• Cold injury: frost can scorch leaves or damage the growing point. Choose a sheltered, warm site, protect small specimens during brief freezes and wait for new growth before removing damaged foliage.
• Root or crown rot: persistent wet soil encourages decay. Improve drainage, avoid overwatering and keep soil or mulch off the trunk; a collapsing central spear needs professional assessment.
• Nutrient deficiency: potassium or magnesium shortages can cause spotting, yellowing and premature death of older leaves. Use an appropriate palm fertiliser and retain partly green leaves while correcting the shortage.
• Palm weevils where present: larvae tunnel inside the crown or trunk, causing wilting or collapse. Seek prompt advice from a local arborist or plant-health authority; treatment and reporting requirements vary by region.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. The sharp teeth on leaf stalks can cause cuts and puncture wounds, and falling fronds or heavy cut sections can cause serious injury.

Where it spreads. Seeds freely in suitable climates and is invasive in parts of California and Hawaii. It is also regarded as an environmental weed in parts of Western Australia and Queensland. Avoid planting near waterways or natural vegetation where it escapes, and check local guidance.

• California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera)

  Usually has a much thicker trunk, a broader crown and greyer-green leaves with more conspicuous white threads. Young plants can be difficult to distinguish.

• Hybrid Washingtonia (Washingtonia × filibusta)

  A hybrid of Mexican and California fan palms, generally showing intermediate trunk thickness and leaf characters. Appearance varies, so confident identification may require known parentage.

• Chinese fan palm (Livistona chinensis)

  Usually shorter and slower-growing, with fan leaves whose long segment tips droop conspicuously, giving the crown a fountain-like appearance.

Washingtonia honours George Washington, robusta means robust or stout, and Mexican fan palm refers to its native country and fan-shaped leaves.

Propagation. Raise from fresh seed in a warm, free-draining seed mix, keeping it lightly moist. It does not produce offsets and cannot be propagated from trunk or leaf cuttings.

Accepted botanical name

Washingtonia robusta

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

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