Scientific/Botanical Name:
Genus: Livistona
Specie: L. chinensis
Variety/Cultivar:
English Name:
Common Name:
Chinese fan palm or fountain palm
Botanical Family:
Name in Latin: Arecaceae
Name in English: Palm Tree Family
The Plant
Origin: native to Southern Japan, Taiwan and several islands in the South China Sea
Growth Habit: Big fan leaves divided about halfway to the middle, and with these divided sections drooping.
Flower: inflorescences hidden within the crown and are followed by oval or round seeds that turn dark blue to blue-gray when ripe.
Blooming Period: Summer
Leaf: fan shaped, deeply divided into about 75 segments that droop downward to give a gracefully fountain-like aspect inspiring its common name Chinese fountain palm
Usage:
ornamental plant, It is becoming common to see young Chinese fan palms used in masses as ground cover in both outdoor landscapes and interiorscapes - especially in shopping malls.
Care and Handling
Soil: not particular about soil
Amount of water: This palm forms a long tap root and can survive extended periods of drought.
Nutrition: Fertilize twice a year in spring and summer with a good quality slow release fertilizer that contains micro-nutrients.
Special handling: Likes direct sun
Special feature/remarks:
This plant can become a weed, or in some ecosystems an invasive species - such as in Florida wetlands and on some Caribbean Islands.