Dwarf Fan Palm

The only European palm, familiar from Mediterranean holidays, Chamaerops humilis is a small, fairly hardy, evergreen palm, often multi-stemmed, making a rounded shrub. The leaves are fan-shaped, with narrow leaflets about 18/45cm long. Short, stiff panicles of small, yellow flowers are borne only on mature plants. Protect from strong midday and afternoon sun. Not for the coldest areas, it works very well in containers in ericaceous, soil-based compost, and can even be grown as a house-plant. Dwarf fan palm holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, and is lovely with cannas in a warm, tropical border.

Site: Warm, sheltered site, north or east-facing
Soil: Well-drained, loamy, acid to neutral soil
Position: Best in partial shade
Season of interest: All year
Hardiness: Hardy to -10C
Height: 8 (2.5m) Spread: 5 (1.5m) in 20-50 years, sometimes larger

Photos by H. Zell, Kenraiz, Kim Starr, Ferruccio Zanone, and JVL, cropped, and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and 2.0.