Fan palms

21 years ago

I would like to add a couple of fan palms to my garden mainly for the appeal of the foliage.I live in the Brisbane area,must be wind tolerant and like full sun to part shade.Any suggestions?

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Comments (5)

artiew
21 years ago
Hi melmat,

I have two Licuala Ramsayi, and I think you have hit the nail on the head with the 'wind tolerant' requirement. Mine are in a relatively sheltered position, but I'd like to see several more layers of foliage around them than they currently have. That aside, they have weathered Rocky's hot, windy Spring a lot better than my Ptychosperma Macarthurii, the latter having little respite from the sun.

By its very nature, a 'fan' palm is always going to need protection from wind - I like the Ramsayis because they are so undemanding. I water them as an afterthought, and they are standing up to (filtered) afternoon sun as my Poinciana sheds its leaves and the sun moves around with the change in season.

Good luck,

Artie
TonyfromOz
21 years ago
I suspect Livistona decipiens is very wind tolerant, judging from some of the places I've seen it growing in the Yeppoon area and other parts of the Qld coast. It will tolerate light shade as well.
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Wow, it looked really beautiful back in October. Considering that the damage happened over the winter and the fact that my outdoor palms are showing very similar damage to yours right now, I want to say it's cold damage. Temperatures in the upper 30s shouldn't do damage to your Fiji fan palm, but maybe it's possible that your yard is in a cold microclimate or maybe the individual palm is just a bit more sensitive to the cold than the species as a whole. Livistonias are supposed not show frond damage until temperatures reach the mid 20s but I have 2 livistonas that show damage whenever temperatures go much below freezing. When did the damage start to show and is it getting progressively worse or has it stopped? If the damage over the span of a few days or a week or 2, it's a good sign it might be cold damage. I hope it recovers. If it is cold damage it should have no problem recovering in the spring! Good luck! -Alex
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gardenlen
21 years ago
t would suggest the native types, dunno when i had licuala's they needed good watering to look any good and very slow growers but then might be me. they do come form the wet humid tropics so that may help some in selection, a very nice palm(s) though there are 2 in the set that i know of plus a couple or similar from overseas.

very pretty palms but.

len

mail len

lens garden page
CoralCoast_Tropicals
21 years ago
Livistona decora (ex-decipiens) is our local native, very tough and very hardy. A number of other Livistonas are very hardy also including Livistona rotundifolia which is one of my favourites.

Pritchardias will generally stand up to the sun and wind quite well too. Pritchardia pacifica is outstanding but I am not sure if you will get away with it down there but you would easily be able to grow Pritchardia hillibrandii.

Probably the best of the lot in my opinion is the stunning Bismarkia nobilis which is very fast and very hardy to sun, wind and drought.
User
21 years ago
What about pritchardias? P. hillebrandii is a nice looking palm and the more tropical ones may even be worth a go. The latanias are good for sunny spots.

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Fan palms

Comments (5)

artiew

TonyfromOz

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