Trachycarpus

( track - ee - KAR - puss )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of palms does best in full sun to light shade with regular water. These trees are native to Asia, and are considered fan palms due to the composition of their large green leaves. Trunks have a hairy appearance. Individual trees typically reach between 30 and 50 feet tall, and produce large infloresences of yellow flowers in spring through late summertime. These palms are fantastic for cooler-weather areas, and prefer climates with damp, cool summer weather and mild winters. They can even tolerate snow in their native habitats. 

Trachycarpus species and varietals

The genus Trachycarpus is a member of the plant family Arecaceae and includes 11 species of palms. ​These landscape trees grow best in zones 4-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Trachycarpus fortunei (Chinese Windmill Palm, Windmill Palm, Chusan Palm, Hemp Palm)
 These are medium-sized palm trees native to China. They have a moderate to fast growth rate and reach 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Trunks are thicker on top than at the bottom, and are covered in black, fibrous bark. Young plants can be grown as indoor specimens, but will need to be transplanted outdoors eventually. ​

Trachycarpus latisectus (Trachycarpus sikkimensis) (Windamere Palm)
These attractive palms are native to Sikkim, India, in the Himalayas. They are cultivated widely as ornamentals outside of their native range, and are considered temperate palms, able to withstand a wide variety of climates, from tropical and subtropical to cold and wet conditions. This species also does well in containers, and does not have an invasive root system.

Trachycarpus martianus (Martius' Fan Palm)
These palms are native to India and Nepal. The species is named for German botanist Carl Friedrich Phllipp von Martius. These palms are often used to make Jhapi, a traditional honorary head cover worm in Assam, India.

Trachycarpus takil (Kumaon Palm)
This species is native to India and Nepal, where it grows at high altitudes and receives snow and frost on a regular basis. Trees reach between 33 and 49 feet tall when mature, and have rough trunks. Hardy to between 7 and -4 degrees Fahrenheit (with leaf damage or total defoliation). These make great ornamental landscape trees in cooler areas.

Caring for and pruning Trachycarpus Trees

These palms prefer full sun when grown outdoors, though they can take some filtered shade, especially if they are grown in a particularly warm climate. Foliage on these palms is susceptible to sunburn if they are exposed to too much direct sun during the warmest hours of the day. Protect palms from drying winds by planting them in a sheltered location. These palms do well in soil that is well-draining but retains some moisture. Loamy or sandy soils are ideal. If local soils are heavy or clayey (or both), make sure to amend the planting site with plenty of sand and organic material to increase drainage and improve soil structure. Apply a thick layer of mulch around plantings to increase soil moisture retention, suppress weed growth, and regulate soil temperatures. After planting, make sure young trees receive regular waterings to help them establish a strong, healthy root system. Mature trees should be deep watered to encourage a root system that stretches farther down into the soil, but are generally considered to be drought-tolerant landscape trees. Avoid overwatering these plants, as they do not like to have wet feet, and will develop root rot issues. Allow soil to dry out between waterings to avoid this issue.

These palms benefit from applications of organic compost in springtime each year. This is usually enough to supply nutrients for the year's growth and flowering, but if trees seem to be struggling or they are being grown in particularly poor soil, they may benefit from a feeding with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer (such as a 10-10-10). Avoid over-fertilizing these palms, as this can cause a buildup of salts in the soil, which will damage the root system. These trees don't require much pruning except to remove spent fronds as they turn brown. Avoid cutting healthy fronds, as this can harm the plant and reduce its overall health.

Propagation

Trachycarpus palms are best propagated by seed. Division of offsets is also a way to propagate these palms, but is much less commonly used. To propagate your palm, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Trachycarpus by Seed
  1. You will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds. The seeds produced by Trachycarpus plants are contained inside of the fruits produced by trees once they reach maturity and there are male and female trees in close proximity to one another. Fruits are typically dark blue to blackish in color, and are ready to be harvested in late fall to early wintertime.
  3. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot. Cover them with soil and water. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes a few months from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Trachycarpus fruits mature to blackish blue, and typically contain just one seed each.
Trachycarpus spp. produce seeds that range in color from dark almost black to greenish-brown.

Problems and Pests

Trachycarpus palms typically have issues with the following pests and diseases:
  • ​Scale Insects
  • Palm Aphids
  • Root Rot
  • Yellowing Disease
  • Leaf Spot
  • Deer
  • Mealybugs
  • Palm Weevil
  • Ganoderma Rot
For more information about these pests and diseases, consult the following links:
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Gallery

All species of Trachycarpus palms are dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on separate plants.
Trunks are typically hairy.
These palms can be grown in containers when they are young.
Here, a Trachycarpus palm is planted alongside Japanese Forest Grass, Agave, Abutilon, and Fatsia.
When young, these palms produce foliage quite close to the ground.
Trachycarpus are used to frame a grass walkway in this formal garden.
Trachycarpus palms are used in this garden to hide large areas of bare wall and as privacy screening.
Here, Trachycarpus palms are planted along a driveway.
These palms can make entrances and planting beds feel grand and somewhat tropical.

Videos

A full growing guide for these cool-weather Palms.
Check out these hardy palms.

Resources

Trachycarpus - Growing Guide
Trachycarpus fortunei
How to Grow and Care for Windmill Palm Tree
How to Grow and Care for Trachycarpus fortunei
Wikipedia: Trachycarpus
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 635, Trachycarpus fortunei