Washingtonia Robusta / Mexican Fan
Mexican fan palm as the name signifies is native to Mexico but has been adapted to other regions with different climates like the UK, USA, and many other regions. They are rapidly growing, extremely tall, evergreen palm trees with a small rounded crown that holds beautiful, fan-shaped, rich green, palm fronds that grow in an upright habit.
The palmate leaves are divided almost half of the base and have slightly falling tips. For most palm trees, when their fronds begin to die, they dry up and drop off leaving a scar on the trunk but for the Mexican fan palm, the dead fond simply folds against the trunk and forms a dense skirt.
Hardy Fan Palm – Washingtonia Robusta
The trunk of the tree swells considerably at the base and on tall trees, it curves a little.
Washingtonia Robusta produces a hanging spray of copious, small, slightly fragrant, white flowers followed by a bountiful of pea-sized black fruits.
How to grow Washingtonia Robusta
Washingtonia Robusta is one of the most commonly grown trees worldwide, honouring the first president of the United States with its name.
It is a hardy, exotic-looking plant, easy to grow and maintain. Though if temperatures drops below -6 degrees Celsius, it may cause damage. It is ideal for planting on coastlines because it is salt tolerant and wind-resistant.
It is an amazing accent plant with great ornamental value.
Where should I position Washingtonia Robusta in my garden?
As an exotic plant, Washingtonia Robusta thrives in the full sun.
How tall does Mexican Fan grow and spread?
The unbranched grey trunk of Washington Robusta is slender and grows to about 12 to 24 metres in native lands and 30 centimetres across. The crown of palm fronds at the top is 2 to 3 metres wide.
What kind of soil does Mexican Fan need?
Loamy, well-drained, acidic to neutral soil is the best soil type to grow a Mexican fan palm.
Further Reading:
- Grow Guide: Trachycarpus Wagnerianus
- Can you eat Jelly Fruit Palm?
- Grow Guide: Butia Capitata
- How fast do Jelly Palms grow?
- How quickly does Trachycarpus Palm grow?
Other popular palm trees you might be interested in are the hardy backbone Trachycarpus Fortunei Chusan Palm, Butia Capitata, Chamaerops Humilis, Chamaerops Humilis Cerifera, Chamaerops Humilis Vulcano, Howea Forsteriana (Kentia Palm), Livistona Rotundifolia, Phoenix canariensis, Washingtonia Robusta, Areca Dypsis and Yucca Palms.
