European Fan Palm
( Chamaerops Humilis )
European Fan Palm Origins:
– Chamaerops Humilis is native to the Middle East and makes an
excellent and very cold hardy potted palm or in ground landscape accent plant for North Florida |Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscapes.
European Fan Palm Preferred Exposure:
– European Fan Palm can be planted in a full sun or shaded location although growth may be slower in a shaded landscape.
European Fan Palm Fronds | Trunk:
– Foliage of the European Fan Palm remains evergreen through severe frosts and is extremely cold hardy withstanding winters much farther North than our area with light winter snows.
– Leaf colorings can run from green to almost silvery but are most
commonly grey – green in appearance.
– Slender trunks to only 6 inch diameter, trunks tend to retain connective fibers and frond ends and have a decorative appearance when exposed.
European Fan Palm Preference / Salt 
tolerance:
– Chamaerops humilis palms planted in the North Florida | Jacksonville |
St. Augustine landscape will tolerate virtually any soil condition, but will prefer a well drained site.
– Salt tolerance is poor, only slightly salt tolerant.
European Fan Palm Size Variance:
– European Fan Palms can reach sizes of 8-15 feet H | and spreading 6-10
feet in width but are extremely slow growing.
European Fan Palm Growth Habit:
– European Fan Palm has a clumping habit and will form multiple trunks with heads at different heights as it grows in a somewhat irregularly rounded cluster.
– Although not frequently seen, Palms pups can be removed at the base to form a single trunked specimen palm.
European Fan Palm Growth Rate:
– European Fan Palm trees are extremely slow growers only adding a few inches in height each year.
European Fan Palm Bloom:
– Yellow flower clusters with inconspicuous small brown fruit
clusters.
European Fan Palm Water Requirements:
– European Fan Palms are very drought tolerant.
Best Uses For European Fan Palm in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine
landscape:
– European Fan Palm is an excellent choice for an evergreen shade palm in smaller
landscapes or porches and patio areas where excessive growth on larger species would be problematic.
– European Fan palms shade tolerance makes them the perfect understory
planting under large oaks or established trees for an instant tropical effect.
– Great container plant is slow growing and wont need repotted frequently.
– Use as a single specimen or plant ingroups of 3 at 3-5 ft centers for a
landscape barrier or property boundary.
Care of European Fan Palm:
– European Fan Palm will need good water during the establishment period and is extremely drought tolerant once established into the landscape.
– Trim back damaged or older browned out fronds each year in early spring at the base of the stem to keep the plant at its best.
MINIMUM PALM FERTILIZER REGIMEN – what you should be doing to keep your palm healthy
– Fertilize each spring with a specially blended fertilizer for Palms, follow
manufacturers directions and apply 1/2 lb o 1lb of fertilizer per inch of diameter of trunk on your palm, measured from a hands width above the ground level. That means for a 12 inch wide trunk from left to right you
would need 6-12 lbs of fertilizer for just that one palm!
– Fertilize every fall with magnesium sulfate ( Epsom Salt) to keep your palm green and healthy through the winter months!
MAXIMUM PALM FERTILIZER REGIMEN – what you can do to get your palm up and growing
Fast!
– Fertilize every three months with your choice of Palm fertilizer and
Magnesium Sulfate. Water 3-4 times per week and make sure to water thoroughly after each fertilizer application.
– Wait till fronds have turned completely brown before removing from the palm as the palm will take back in the nutrients from those older leaves ad use it when forming new ones.
*CAUTION – DO NOT FERTILIZE NEWLY PLANTED /
TRANSPLANTED
FIELD GROWN PALM TREES WITH PALM
FOOD!
Note : When planting smaller
palms being grown in a container, this rule does not apply, rather, use half the recommended application rate
for your trunks diameter, as container palms roots have not been damaged or cut during planting but are still
only a portion as large as they would be if the palm had been growing in the ground and excess fertilizer on a
confined root system is still not preferable for maximum health.
Palm fertilizers are water soluble and will burn the new roots your palm tree is trying to put out as it establishes itself into the landscape. It is best to use only poly coated plant food that is heat release like Osmocote general purpose fertilizer or non burning Milorganite in the first year in the landscape, and then the following year, start your palm food regimen that will provide all of the minor nutrients that your palms will
need to keep them healthy and problem free in Florida soils.