Origin: Europe
Height: 6 metres.
Requirements: Full sun. Good drainage.
This lovely palm is grown widely throughout the Mediterranean.
Immature specimens can be easily mistaken for small Trachycarpus (Chusan)
palms. However, mature Chamaerops are easily distinguished
from these since they are smaller, bushier plants which often form
great bristling mounds of fan-shaped leaves. In fact, Chamaerops palms
are highly variable in form. They frequently produce several trunks
which may be short and straight, long and thin or hidden altogether
by the leaves.
The leaf appearance is equally variable. They may have long, delicate
spokes or short, stiff leaves. Some are bright yellow-green others
are dark, olive green. Some are even appear to have a thin, silvery
fringe. All of them, however, are beautiful plants.
In cultivation, Mediterranean Fan Palms rarely grow higher than
about 2 or 3 metres. It likes a sunny, well drained spot and is
fairly tolerant of wind and sea air. Best of all, it is very cold
hardy and can survive several degrees of frost even as a young
plant. Juvenile and adult plants (of say 1 metre or so in height)
can normally shrug off temperatures down to -10C or lower.
Note: This plant is not to be confused with Chamaerops
excelsa! The plant which is labelled Chamaerops excelsa in
some garden centres is not actually a Chamaerops palm
at all. There is only one species of Chamaerops - and
that's Chamaerops humilis. Plants labelled Chamaerops
excelsa are, in fact, just Trachycarpus fortunei by
a different (and incorrect) name! |
