Planting a Trachycarpus Fortunei Chinese Windmill Palm UK Exotic Plants

Trachycarpus Fortunei. Exotic Plants.

1. Also known as Chinese windmill palm, Chusan Palm or Hemp Palm.
2. The name comes from Trachy – meaning rough (the trunk) Carpus (fruit), fortunei – from the plantsman and horticulturalist Robert Fortune.
3. Despite being called Chinese windmill palm it is not determined whether it is from, could be China or Japan.
4. Dioecious, which means plants will either have male flowers or female flowers not both, so you need one of each to propagate.
5. Male flowers are yellow, female flowers are green. Produce thousands of seeds and when fertilised can be invasive.
6. Multi-trunked plants are actually more than one plant close together and can be split apart.
7. Can grow up to 12 metres. But because of it’s slow growth rate it is ideal for containers. These have been in containers 10+ years.
8. Likes full sun or some shade, any soil PH, fertile, well drained, likes to be moist but not waterlogged, overwatering can cause root rot, especially in a container.
9. Evergreen, Very hardy, down to -15 centigrade or further, younger plants less hardy, -7.
10. Doesn’t like exposure to strong wind or sharp sudden frost. Consider sheltering in winter time, wrap with fleece or move if in a container.
11. Produces it’s own trunk from leaves and these stringy bits are the leaf sheaths. These have been used to produces rope, sacks, string, hats. The birds also love this for nest building.
12. Not really affected by pests, which lends to its hardiness, although be aware of root rot of too wet and wind damage to leaves.
13. Ideal for greenhouse or conservatory.
14. Propagated by seed, need male and female plant, collect seeds store in moist warm compost over 25 degrees and be patient, up to 3 months to germinate. In the wild the seeds are dispersed by wind, gravity and birds.
15. No pruning required although cosmetic grooming can be done, remove the spent leaves near the trunk and brown leaf tips.
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