Mexican Fan Palm Trees

November 09, 2024 Post a Comment

Mexican fan palm trees

The Mexican Fan Palm grows up to 3 feet a year once established, delivering a tropical look to your garden in no time.

Is a Mexican fan palm a good tree for backyard?

The Mexican Fan Palm Tree, scientific name Washingtonia robusta, is a very popular indoor and outdoor palm because of its striking appearance and cold hardiness which makes it a great choice for landscape in USDA zones 8b-11.

How tall do Mexican fan palm trees grow?

The Mexican fan palm is a fast-growing species that can reach heights of 70 to 100 feet, making it too tall for typical residential landscapes. It is native to northern Mexico but grows well in Florida, being hardy down to about 20°F or USDA hardiness zone 9A.

How fast does Mexican blue fan palm grow?

Growth Rate and Size The Mexican Blue is a slow grower, clocking in at a rate of 3-5 inches per year in Southern Californiaand growing up to 30-40 feet tall with a 16-foot-wide canopy.

Are Mexican fan palm roots invasive?

Mexican fan palm is a common landscape ornamental that has become invasive in riparian areas, orchards and landscaped areas. This palm is known to create monospecific stands in riparian areas, and dead fronds of the tree can create a fire hazard.

How cold is too cold for a Mexican fan palm?

Hardy down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the Mexican fan palm is a popular indoor and outdoor tree. It has a single trunk topped with arching, fan-shaped leaves that grow up to 5 feet long.

How long do Mexican fan palm live?

A Mexican Fan Palm can grow to over 100 feet tall, adding 2 to 3 feet per year when young and slowing to about 1 foot or less per year near maturity. Research on native stands shows that they can live up to 500 years.

What are the disadvantages of palm trees?

Cons

Maintenance – Palm trees require some maintenance. Smaller trees can be easy to do on your own, but larger palm trees may require professional assistance.
Sensitive to cold – Palm trees are sensitive to cold environments.

Do Mexican fan palms need a lot of water?

A newly planted Mexican Fan Palm can be deeply watered and allowed to dry between watering. Once established, these fast-growing palms require little to moderate water.

What is the difference between California fan palm and Mexican fan palm?

The main differences are that Mexican fan palms have slimmer trunks that grow taller and also have shinier fronds. Additionally, they are slightly less tolerant of frost and drought compared to California fan palms. In the following image, Mexican fan palm is on the left and California fan palm on the right.

Can fan palms take full sun?

Chinese fan palms are cold hardy to about 20°F, making them suitable for planting in USDA plant hardiness zones 9A–11. They are adaptable to a wide range of soils, and are considered to be tolerant of drought and moderately tolerant of salt spray. They grow well in light shade or in full sunlight.

How deep do fan palm roots go?

In fact, palm tree roots are no deeper than three feet into the ground. What's unique about the roots of this type of tree is instead of growing vertically into the ground, they grow horizontally. There is no tap root. As the tree goes into the ground, there's an area called the initiation zone.

How do you winterize a Mexican fan palm?

Mulch small palms with a layer of chopped leaves. Cover the base and crown, but don't smother the plant completely. During a cold snap, protect the entire plant by adding a box or blanket over the leaf mulch. Do not cover a palm completely (excluding sunlight) for more than 3 days.

Are Mexican fan palms drought tolerant?

Mexican Fan Palm is easy to grow in well-drained soil in full sun to partial sun. It is drought, wind and salt tolerant. It is often used in coastal plantings but because of its height, it looks best in lawns with tall buildings or houses.

How do you take care of a Mexican fan palm?

The Mexican fan palm thrives where water is easily accessible which includes areas with a high water table. Though they are desert plants and are drought-tolerant, they do not do well in overly dry conditions. It is best to let the soil dry out between waterings to ensure the plants don't receive too much water.

Can you plant a palm tree close to a house?

You shouldn't plant a palm tree, or any other tree for that matter, too close to your home. The canopy of a palm tree should be able to fully spread out and clear a roofline. And, even though palm roots are not known to cause damage to concrete or pipes, you don't want them crowding any structure.

Do Mexican fan palms produce fruit?

Fan Palm fruits are 1 to 1.5 centimeters in diameter and grow by the hundreds on branched inflorescences, or flower clusters. Each cluster of fruits can weigh up to 20 pounds with most trees producing an average of 12 clusters. The small bluish-black fruits are covered in a sap, giving them a greyish bloom.

When should I trim my Mexican fan palm?

We recommend pruning Fan Palms between June 21th and July 15th. If they are trimmed too early, you will still get fruit stalks that will emerge and create a mess.

What is the hardiest palm tree?

Needle Palm Tree (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) Meet the hardiest palm on record: needle palm. This is a clump forming palm and makes a nice statement in a landscape. The northernmost clump known to be growing without protection resides on Cape Cod.

Should I cover my palm tree in the winter?

Warm Cover – During cold days, it is a good idea to cover your palm. If your palm tree is small, you can cover it with a weighted down box or a blanket. On sunny days, partially open a box to avoid air heating up to damaging temperatures inside. This can happen even with the outside temperatures being below freezing.