Washingtonia robusta     
Mexican fan palm   
Palmae Family     

Washingtonia robusta

Form: tall palm with fan fronds and thin trunk
Seasonality: evergreen
Size: 75ft or more, frond spread 10-12ft, trunk diameter may be only 12-14in
Leaves: fan 3-4ft wide, petioles are typically toothed, bright green
Flowers: large stalks extend beyond fronds with small white/cream flowers, bloom in early summer
Fruit: pea-sized black/blue seed
Stems/Trunks: distinctively narrow, sways in wind
Range/Origin: northwest Mexico
Hardiness: leaf damage at 20°F, recovers quickly; hard freezes may completely kill even mature specimens

LANDSCAPE VALUE:

• skyline tree
• silhouette
• tropical effect

CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Exposure: full sun, rapidly grows above all other canopy
• Water: moderate, deep, drought tolerant; best on once per month
• Soil: tolerant
• Propagation: seed from isolated source; hybridizes readily
• Maintenance: high; frond removal, trunk shaving, will sometimes self shave if leaves fall off cleanly

NOTES:

grows rapidly (6ft per year) when young
most people prefer shaved trunk look, frond removal and shaving best done professionally

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This page was first created July 4, 2001 and last modified May 16, 2004.

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email to: tmoore1@flash.net

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