Windmill Palm Trees
From PlantWiki
| Windmill Palm Tree |
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| Species |
| Trachycarpus |
History
One of the earliest plant collectors was Robert Fortune who made successful expeditions into China and Japan. Although Dr. Von Siebold sent seeds of the Windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) from Japan to Holland in 1830, it was Robert Fortune who was responsible for their successful introduction as a staple of subtropical gardening. He first saw the palm on the islands of Chusan off the coast of east China and collected young plants in 1849 on a trip into the interior. Fortune wanted to collect green tea plants, which were far from the coast so, in order to go undetected, he wore a Chinese costume and had his head shaved in the Chinese style to conceal that he was a foreigner. On the journey by boat to the tea district, he came across the Windmill Palm Tree that was to be named after him. He arranged to send a young plant via Hong Kong and Calcutta to William Hooker at Kew. He requested "that he would forward one of them to the garden of His Royal Highness Prince Albert at Osborne House, Isle of Wight." It is interesting to note that, in 1871, William Robinson wrote that the palm tree in Her Majesty's gardens at Osborne "had stood out for many winters and attained a considerable height". Over a hundred years later in 1989, Roy Lancaster observed that trees from Fortune's introductions are still alive and well outside at Kew, Osborne House, and elsewhere Lancaster (1989).
Characteristics
The erect, single trunk of Windmill Palm Trees] is covered with dense, brown, hair like fibers, and the three-foot-wide, fan-shaped fronds extend from 1.5-foot-long, rough-edged petioles. The trunk appears to be wrapped in burlap. A very slow-growing palm, Windmill Palm can reach 40 feet in height but is often seen much smaller, 10 to 20 feet tall. It does well in confined areas, is pest and disease resistant.
Theses Palm Trees are very cold hardy. It can tolerate the extreme climates of the colder regions. It can tolerate harsh freezes and snow. The Trachycarpus Fortunei can stand temperatures down to 5 F and even lower.
The Windmill palm is an easy to grow palm tree. Windmill Palm prefers light shade but will grow in full sun and in most well drained, fertile soils. The Windmill palm tree is wind and salt tolerant and can be used in coastal plantings. It is also drought tolerant and can tolerate hotter climates.
Uses
Palm Trees work well as a framing tree, accent, specimen, patio or urn subject. It is ideal for use as an accent in a shady shrub border or by a front entryway. Windmill Palm is used for mass plantings and can add a formal elegance to any structure.