Chusan Palm, Windmill Palm, Chinese Windmill Palm

Please note: These are supplied in 150L containers.

Trachycarpus fortunei, also known as Chusan Palm, is a genus of hardy Palm trees that were introduced into the UK by Robert Fortune in 1849.

The Chusan Palm is native to Central China, Burma, and India and won the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 2002.

The tree considered to be the hardiest palm in the UK. at Barcham we grow this interesting specimen on a single trunk, with deep green leaves that are fan-like, with the leaflets towards the end of the leaf. 

The bark is rough and dark brown, with the leftover leaf bases giving a coarse appearance to the trunk. 

At maturity, the trunks remain fairly slender, with even the tallest of mature trees only having a 30 cm diameter trunk!  The flowers can be both male (yellow) and female (lime green) and are produced in hanging panicles that can reach 1m long in the spring; the female and male flowers are borne on separate trees. 

The fruits are blue-black and produced in late summer to ripen by mid-autumn. Whilst it is recommended as a hardy Palm, Trachycarpus fortunei is best planted in sheltered areas where the large leaves will not be damaged by the wind.  It is best suited to soils that are well-drained. 

This unique tree stands out from the other specimens we stock at Barcham Trees. It is the only palm we confidently recommend for surviving our winters, as it tends to perform better in cooler climates than in very hot ones.

Mature Height: 3-7m

Common names

Chusan Palm, Windmill Palm, Chinese Windmill Palm

Height of tree

3-7m

Tree type

Evergreen

Soil type

Well drained, Chalk/Alkaline, Acidic

Shape

Rounded

Blossom Colour

Yellow

Foliage Colour

Green

Information Flags

Award

Looks good in

Summer

Genus

Trachycarpus