Thursday 10 October 2013

The weekly favourite: Chamaerops humilis!

Some plants in life simply must be enjoyed! Chamaerops humilis or mediterranean fan palms are one of my all time favourite plants. I say that often when thinking about the weekly favourite. I can't help it, I love what I love. But with chamaerops I feel an extra sense of gusto behind my statements. I think that no matter where life takes me, a chamaerops will have to follow. It's certainly not a bullet proof palm for the PNW, but I would suggest essential. I would offer the advice of planting them in the hottest spot in the yard. Give them a raised bed, superior drainage, full sun, and you will have yourself a garden rock star! 

Here's a mediterranean fan palm planted over 5 years ago in my yard.

There can be a great amount of variability from one chamaerops to the next. This particular palm has put on more vertical growth than others. Some chamaerops tend to sucker much more freely resulting in a bushier shrub like palm for a number of years.

I just love the bright green colouring to the fronds. Again there can be a lot of variability ranging from blue to deep emerald green.

And it's certainly a fierce palm! These spikes are not to be messed with. (trust me)

And on a sunny day, you can't help but feel warmed by the presence of such a bold palm. It has a way of transporting me to somewhere like Southern California... the warm glow of sunshine on the cheeks, palm fronds fluttering in the breeze. Are you getting my picture?

In the winter I do provide this palm with some protection. In the late autumn I usually take a sunny afternoon to string some old fashioned christmas lights around the trunk and near the central growing spears. I do this in case of an extreme cold event, I can simply turn the lights on and provide some burlap if things turn really cold. Chamaerops can handle colder temperatures than we typically receive in the PNW but the combination of our wet winter weather and cold tends to affect the cold tolerance.

Here are some of the details:

Cold Hardiness: USDA zones 8-11
Light needs: Part to full sun
Size: 10-15ft tall and wide
Growth rate: slow
(http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/1918/mediterranean-fan-palm.php)

9 comments:

  1. I have the silver one, which does quite well in dappled shade here under the Death Star in Austin. It's very beautiful, as is yours. But boy is it slow to get going!

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    1. The silver one is beautiful! We have one at the frond door so that you can see it every day! They silver ones are incredibly slow!! Sometimes I even wonder if it's doing anything. The green chamaerops on the other hand grow quite quickly in my opinion.

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  2. It's a beauty Louis! I had a silverfish bushy one for years, until it was knocked down by back to back PKW's. It was one of the very first things I bought at Cistus and I didn't site it very well.

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    1. yeah the PKWs were really hard on chamaerops. Quite often the suckers will survive and eventually fill out but it takes years. I always dream of growing one to the size I'm used to seeing in SoCal with many huge palms going wild in every which way direction!

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  3. A favorite, probably runs in my blood. Especially if I tangle with the spines...

    Your Med Fan Palm looks better than most here in El Paso...there used to be a pair of very tall ones at a book store in neighboring Las Cruces 40 miles NW, but they froze way down in 2011. Never would have guessed... Sounds like you take good precautions, and they will pay off!

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    1. Anyone who has planted chamaerops has drawn some blood I think.

      Thanks so much. The precautions only take a few minutes in the fall and sporadically throughout winter. But considering I dont water the plant, I dont clean up any debris from it, ie: it takes no care and looks good year round, a few precautions are more than worth it!!

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  4. Good info - and your palm looks gorgeous. As always! I like the christmas light idea...I plan to do it (if needed) with a meyer lemon tree I planted this fall. I am so embarrassed to say I still dont have a palm! But planted one at a job I did based on one of your recommendations. I am looking for a sabal minor to plant though...I swear! ;)

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    1. Thanks, Heather! I look forward to seeing your one day sabal minor. they are perfect palms!

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  5. A great favorite Louis! Planted one last year in a sheltered location and it's doing very well even though it has to compete with lots of other plants growing way too close for the sun.

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