Trachycarpus fortunei - Chinese windmill palm

A beautiful winter-hardy palm with free palm potting soil.

Trachycarpus fortunei is the best-known fan palm in Europe.

Trachycarpus fortunei is native to China where winters can be severe and very cold. This fan palm is the most common palm for cooler climates. Brought to Europe over 150 years ago it has been a feature of Europe's parks and gardens. Whilst this palm's main claim to fame is its incredible resistance to cold it is also an attractive palm in its own right. Trachycarpus fortunei can withstand severe cold, mature palms have been known to recover from temperatures as low as -18C. As such, it's a great plant for beginners and enthusiasts alike!

This palm prefers cooler, temperate areas. It is not fussy, easy to grow and adapts well to most situations, providing the soil is not prone to waterlogging. Initially quite slow, once it reaches trunking size growth is quite rapid, this palm tree is capable of growing up to 0.5 metre (2 feet) of trunk per year. It dislikes wind and should be planted in a wind-free part of the garden or it will look untidy.

The Palm potting compost has been specially developed by us for use with palms. It also consists of three types of bark, many sorts of osmocotes (21-7-21+trace-elements), low-EC peat and pumice stone (4-8mm) to supply minerals at ph 5.5 and to aid drainage. This special mix is used by many professional palm growers and does not need to be complemented or fertilized for 16 months!