Fans Palm

Livistona chinensis
Chinese fan Palm, Fountain Palm

A much-loved fan palm that has been popular since Victorian times and makes a superb potted palm for the home or terrace. In warmer climates and over a period of years, it grows into a handsome, medium-sized tree with a slender trunk. The common name is something of a misnomer since it is actually native to Japan's Ryukyu Islands and Volcano Islands. The broad, lime green leaves have elegantly drooping and curled tips, which gives rise to its other name, "Fountain palm." The fruits, which are produced in large numbers, are blue. Livistona chinensis shows a good tolerance to cold and frost and may be used in the sheltered temperate garden, but will also happily accept hot and humid tropical conditions.

Livistona eastonii

Mitchell Plateau Fan Palm

A medium-sized, slender fan palm native only to the Mitchell Plateau in the Kimberley Ranges in northern Western Australia, where it grows in open, seasonally dry Eucalypt forest, occasionally in very dense stands. It forms a very slender, solitary trunk which with age can reach 20 m tall and supports a small, open crown of stiff leaves on long stalks. It is particularly well adapted to fire, which is a rather frequent occurrence in its habitat and helps the palm to compete with Eucalyptus and other trees. It is rarely seen in cultivation, perhaps on account of its slow growth, but would make a nice, robust and drought tolerant ornamental for the small, tropical garden.

Livistona decora

Ribbon fan Palm

A graceful, very fast-growing, tall palm from eastern Australia with finely divided, weeping fan leaves. It is easy to germinate, fast and easy to grow, and very adaptable and hardy in every respect--really a nearly foolproof palm. It has already been successfully tried as a landscape and even as an indoor plant on a commercial ba

 

Livistona lanuginosa
Cape River fan Palm

A robust Livistona from inland areas in N-Queensland, Australia, closely related to L. mariae. The Cape River fan Palm has fairly stiff, waxy, blueish leaves and large purplish fruits. It is best suited to drier climates and quite cold and even frost tolerant. Seeds are rarely available.

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Livistona inermis
Wispy fan Palm

The Wispy fan palm is well named. It has a very narrow trunk and a small crown of deeply split, fan shaped leaves with very narrow segments.