Trachycarpus (trahk-ee-KAHR-puhs) fortunei (fohr-TOON-ee)
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Old specimens, Georgia, USA
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Scientific Classification
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Genus: |
Trachycarpus (trahk-ee-KAHR-puhs)
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Species: |
fortunei (fohr-TOON-ee)
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Synonyms
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Chamaerops fortunei Trachycarpus wagnerianus Trachycarpus excelsus
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Native Continent
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Asia
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Morphology
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Habit: |
solitary
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Leaf type: |
palmate
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Height: |
10-13 m
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Trunk diameter: |
20-35 cm
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Culture
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Sun exposure: |
full or part sun
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Survivability index
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Common names
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Chusan Palm, Windmill Palm, Chinese fan palm
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Habitat and Distribution
Trachycarpus fortunei is Native to southern and central China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Fujian, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), often in mountainous regions growing at altitudes of 100–2,400 m (328–7,874 ft), where the climate is cool and wet in summer, cold and often snowy in winter.
Specimen of 'Wagnerianus', Balboa Park, San Diego, CA.
The exact natural distribution is uncertain due to extensive cultivation for fibre products; some sources suggest it may also be native in southern Japan but it is more likely introduced and naturalised there. Chinese fan palm is native to temperate and subtropical mountainous areas of Asia including southeastern China, Taiwan and the Chusan Islands. It is commonly grown as a landscape specimen in central and northern Florida, the southeastern U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, and in mild areas along the west coast. It has been sighted in northerly latitudes from Charlotte, North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia to Vancouver, British Columbia. This picture perfect hardy palm is an internationalist who decorates postcards from Lake Como in Italy, the southern coasts of the British Isles and the Crimean Peninsula. (floridata.com)
Description
Single-trunked, palmate palm to 10 m (rarely 13 m) tall. The trunk is 15 - 30 cm diameter, often with a slightly wider base, and usually remains covered in dense fibre from the leaf bases; rarely this is shed on very old specimens leaving the trunks smooth. Rounded crown of dark green leaves 1-2 m long, with 30-50 leaflets, these 60-80 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide, arranged in a tight fan at the end of a 60-100 cm petiole. Unlike the closely related genus Chamaerops, the leaf petioles are not spiny. The species is dioecious, with separate male and female trees. The fruit is dark purple-blue when ripe, round, about 1 cm diameter, with a single seed. They are produced on densely branched panicles. Editing by edric.
- IMAGE GALLERY
Chusan Palm in snow, 55°N latitude, Northumberland, UK.
Specimen of 'Wagnerianus', Balboa Park, San Diego, CA.
Old specimens, Georgia, USA
California. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Hangzhou, China. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Dubrovnik, Croatia. Photo by Dr. Phillip J. Cribb, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Photo-missouribotanicalgarden.org
Photo-missouribotanicalgarden.org
Zhejiang, China. Photo by Shizhao
English Bay Beach, Vancouver, Canada. Photo by FlickrevieweR
Düsseldorf, Germany. Photo by Marek Gehrmann
Zhejiang, China. Photo by Shizhao
Northern Ireland. After a light fall of snow. Photo by Peter Clarke
L.A., CA. Photo by Geoff Stein
Santa Barbara, CA. Photo by Geoff Stein
L.A., CA. Photo by Geoff Stein
"Trachycarpus fortunei is the most common palm tree found along coastal British Columbia, Canada. Most specimens are seen around Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo, BC. This is a picture (February 2004) of the Kipling Street grove in Victoria, BC." Photo by Denis_Canada
Lantzville, BC, Canada. Piture taken in February. Photo by Barrie McGuire
Victoria, BC, Canada. Piture taken in February. Photo by Denis_Canada
"Our Trachycarpus fortunei has so far survived its second winter in Denmark in our garden 45 north of Copenhagen." Photo by LBM
West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Photo by Denis_Canada
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. Photo by Denis_Canada
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. Photo by Denis_Canada
British Columbia, Canada. Photo by Denis_Canada
Photo taken 2004. Planted as a seedling (1970) in Victoria, BC, Canada. Photo by Denis_Canada
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. Point Grey area. Photo by Denis_Canada
Southern California. Photo by Geoff Stein
English Bay, Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Photo by growin
English Bay, Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Photo by growin
Pacific & Beach, Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Photo by growin
UBC Botanical Garden, Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Photo by growin
UBC Botanical Garden, Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Photo by growin
Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Photo by growin
At a hotel in south GA. Photo by tropicsofohio
Portland, Oregon. Photo by lehua_mc
Nelson, New Zealand. Photo by RosinaBloom
Nelson, New Zealand. Photo by RosinaBloom
Bottom. Photo-idtools.com
Basque Country, Spain, Photo-monsite.com
Basque Country, Spain, Photo-monsite.com
Basque Country, Spain, Photo-monsite.com
Basque Country, Spain, Photo-monsite.com
Old Beach, Tasmania. Garden of Troy Donovan. Photo by Troy Donovan.
Machado -Minas Gerais, Brazil. Photo-FARM MURICY
Marco Herrero's Farm, 2008 costa Rica. 2008 IPS Biennial. "That palm on the left is a Bottle Palm, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis." Photo by Ryan D. Gallivan.
In heavy rain on last day of this summer (2015-09-22) / Heidelberg. Photo by Research Work Editor Pal Meir.
2015. Kyle Wicomb's palms at McCarty Hall, the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. In ground 2007. Photo by Kyle Wicomb.
External Links
References
Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.
Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.
Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.
Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.