Windmill palm

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; shelter from strong winds, which shred the leaves. Light afternoon shade helps in hot, dry climates.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, keeping the root zone moist but not waterlogged. Established palms tolerate short dry spells but grow better with deep watering during prolonged drought.

Soil

Well-drained loam, sandy soil or improved clay; tolerates acidic to alkaline conditions. Avoid sites that remain wet in winter.

Height

20-40 ft (6-12 m)

Spread

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Flowers

Branched clusters of small yellow flowers in late spring to early summer; male and female flowers usually occur on separate plants. Pollinated female plants develop blue-black fruits.

Foliage

Evergreen. Dark green, pleated fan leaves on long stalks; the trunk retains a coarse covering of brown fibres.

Growth

Slow to moderate; growth is slower in cool climates and containers.

Care needed

Low

• Plant in spring where winters are cold, choosing a sheltered spot with good drainage.
• Water deeply during dry weather for the first two growing seasons; check container plants more frequently.
• Apply a slow-release palm fertiliser in spring at the label rate, particularly in containers or poor soil.
• Mulch over the root zone, keeping mulch away from the trunk.
• Protect young palms during severe freezes with breathable fleece around the crown; remove it when conditions improve.
• Insulate containers or move them into a bright, frost-free space where winter temperatures threaten the roots.

Pruning. In late spring or early summer, remove fully brown or broken leaves with clean tools, cutting the stalk without injuring the trunk. Leave green and partly green leaves, and never cut the central growing point or top the trunk.

Spring

Plant or repot once severe frost has passed, and water thoroughly.

Spring

Apply slow-release palm fertiliser if needed and refresh the mulch.

Late spring

Remove dead or broken leaves once winter damage is clear.

Summer

Water during prolonged dry spells and check container plants for drying roots.

Autumn

Check drainage and prepare fleece and container insulation before freezing weather.

Winter

Protect young plants during severe cold and remove temporary crown coverings during milder weather.

• Use as a vertical focal point in a sheltered courtyard, allowing room for the full leaf spread.
• Pair with ferns, hostas and Japanese aralia for contrasting leaf shapes in a sheltered, partly shaded border.
• Plant in a small group of different heights to create an informal palm canopy.
• Grow a young plant in a large, frost-resistant container beside a terrace, with a plan for winter protection and eventual planting out.

Garden styles it suits: Architectural minimal, Modern tropical, Modern courtyard, Urban city garden, Tropical and Victorian.

Plant it with: Japanese aralia, Soft shield fern, Hosta, Lilyturf, Cast-iron plant and Hardy banana.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen and nectar for visiting insects. Birds may eat the fruits and disperse the seeds.

• Wind-torn leaves: choose a sheltered position; damaged leaves will not repair themselves, but new growth replaces them.
• Winter crown rot or spear loss after freezing: improve drainage, protect young crowns during severe cold and keep damaged crowns free of trapped wet debris. Recovery depends on whether the growing point survives.
• Scale insects: inspect leaf undersides and stalks; wipe off small infestations or use a labelled horticultural oil according to its instructions.
• Spider mites, especially under cover: look for fine webbing and stippled leaves, rinse foliage thoroughly and use a labelled treatment if the infestation persists.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people; no part is recognised as a significant poisoning hazard. The fruits are not recommended for eating, and swallowing fibrous leaves or large quantities of plant material can cause digestive upset.

Where it spreads. Spreads into woodland and is recognised as invasive in southern Switzerland, particularly Ticino, and parts of northern Italy around the southern Alpine lakes. Remove fruit clusters before seeds ripen where escape into nearby habitat is a concern.

• Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis)

  Usually forms a clump of several trunks and has conspicuous sharp spines along the leaf stalks; windmill palm normally has one trunk and much less heavily armed stalks.

• Wagner's windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei 'Wagnerianus')

  Has smaller, stiffer fans that hold their shape better in wind. It is generally treated as a cultivated form of windmill palm rather than a separate species.

• Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta)

  Has strongly hooked spines on the leaf stalks and often white threads along the leaf segments; its trunk lacks windmill palm's dense, shaggy fibre covering.

Trachycarpus comes from Greek words meaning rough fruit, fortunei honours plant collector Robert Fortune, and windmill palm refers to the spreading fan-shaped leaves.

Propagation. Grow from fresh seed in a warm, moist but well-drained seed compost; germination can take several months. It does not normally produce offsets and cannot be propagated by trunk cuttings.

Accepted botanical name

Trachycarpus fortunei

Native range

China South-Central and Myanmar.

Measured

Average height 1000 cm.

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