The Chinese Fan Palm (Livistonia chinensis) is a most attractive palm and one of the easiest of the fan-leaf palms to grow. Its elegant, weeping habit and symmetrical canopy give it great value as a decorative specimen. It will thrive almost anywhere and under most conditions. Of course, it will develop as a fine specimen only if its more specific needs are met.
It is suitable for indoors provided it is placed in a sunny location and is watered regularly. It is also attractive in parks and home gardens, on buffer- or median strips, or in parking lot islands.
The broad, lime-green foliage looks stunning beside a pool or in a mix of palms and ferns. It is attractive as an under-canopy plant and needs semi-shade when young. Too much shade, however, will see it become leggy and weak. Once it matures, it can be moved into full sun if desired.
It can reach a height of 10 metres with a 3 metre spread. The leaves, which may be 2 metres long, have long, ribbon-like segments which sway beneath the leaves. The petioles or leaf stalks have sharp spines. The white flowers are inconspicuous and barely noticed among the leaves. When the fruit appears, they are small, blue-black and olive-like. The fruit is up to 2cm long, round and with a fleshy covering.
Although tolerant of poor soils, naturally they will do better when regularly fed with an appropriate fertiliser. They are slow-growing but tough and will withstand light frosts without coming to too much harm. It is moderately salt tolerant and has high drought tolerance.
The Chinese fan palm has a single trunk and a canopy of 30 to 50 leaves. The fan of the leaf twists into a fold. It has a neat habit and drops its fronds as they die. It maintains an erect habit and requires little or no pruning. When planted about 3 metres apart along a street or driveway they form an strking closed canopy. They will also cope with a confined area of soil.
The Chinese fan palm will grow in any reasonably fertile soil providing it is well-drained. They will benefit from being fertilised several times a year and should be watered during dry spells. Mulching with organic mulch will help them cope with periods of little water.
Because it is relatively easy to grow, the Chinese fan palm should always be considered as part of any arrangement of poolside plants as it probably poolside that it looks most at home. There is a dwarf variety of this palm – Livistonia chinensis subglobosa – which would look great as part of a mix with its bigger brother.
