Mexican Fan Palm Washingtonia robusta
- Description
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Mexican Fan Palm is unsurprisingly a palm tree native to Mexico that has naturalized in Florida, California, Hawaii and Texas. Its columnar trunk can reach up to 100 feet tall with a round crown of fan-shaped fronds that can grow 3-5 feet long. Rather than dropping off, dead leaves fold down against the trunk giving it a dense skirt. These should be removed to prevent a fire hazard. As the tree grows taller it may become self-pruning. At least 50% of the fronds should be left on the tree for adequate photosynthesis to occur. Frond damage can occur at 20 degrees F.
Mexican Fan Palm is easy to grow in well-drained soil in full sun to partial sun. It is drought, wind and salt tolerant. It is often used in coastal plantings but because of its height, it looks best in lawns with tall buildings or houses. It is also used in parking lots or as a street tree.
Problems: Potassium deficiency can cause leaflet tip necrosis, leaf discoloration, and premature death of the oldest leaves. Few insect problems but watch for spider mites and scale. Fungus diseases can cause trunk rot.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Coastal Rain Garden
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Washingtonia
- Species:
- robusta
- Family:
- Arecaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Mexico
- Distribution:
- Florida, California, Hawaii and Texas.
- Edibility:
- Fruits are edible but thin fleshed
- Dimensions:
- Height: 50 ft. 0 in. - 100 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
- Appendage:
- Spines
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Many black pea-sized fruits produced
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small cream-colored flowers in large drooping clusters are slightly fragrant in June.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Rich green palmate leaves are up to 3=5 feet long and 4 feet wide and are divided halfway to the base. The tips are slightly drooping
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Furrowed
- Bark Description:
- The reddish-brown trunk is ringed with closely set leaf scars that weathers to a light gray.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Orange
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- 3 ft long green leaf stems are edged with orange saw-tooth spines
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Design Feature:
- Specimen
- Street Tree
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Heat
- Humidity
- Salt
- Wind
- Problems:
- Messy
