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thewisegardener.com's
September, 2001
Palm of the Month
Chamaerops humilis
European Fan Palm
 The
Chamaerops humilis is no ordinary palm! Not at all! Your Wise Gardener! grew
European Fan Palm quite successfully in Zone 7 (Southern New Jersey!) when he lived in
that region! Yes, it IS possible! Chamaerops, being a slow growing and an
inherently small palm (in Greek, literally meaning a "ground-bush!)
If you, palm lover, wants a palm in your landscape, but
do not live in the tropics or even sub-tropics, European Fan Palm is YOUR palm! It
is a very handsome palm that's growth is widespread throughout Europe (even in Southern
Germany & Switzerland!) and is indeed, Europe's most widely grown species!
 It
is variable in growth habit, and plants are either single-trunked, or have a plethora of
multiple trunks. The petioles are spined, and sharp! Chamaerops humilis is
best suited to temperate regions, i.e. Southern Australia, the Mediterranean Region, South
Africa, mid to southern South America, and along both coasts of North America: to Long
Island on the Eastern Seaboard, and to mid British Columbia, on the North American West
Coast! Versatility is its hallmark! It adds a believable "tropical
note" where ONLY a palm will do, and no other palm can serve!
The European Fan Palm makes an excellent tub or
container palm for the patio all the way north to USDA Zone 6, where it can be removed
where extremely cold weather is forecast. It is NOT unusual to see a European Fan
Palm covered, and quite comfortable, in the snow...It is indeed, a unique and somewhat
incongruous sight for tourists, say to the Alps, or even extreme Southern Sweden!
This long-lived & slow-growing palm is our Palm of
the Month winner, this September, because it is a palm that doesn't know the meaning
of "too cold for palms, in the traditional sense!" and it is beautiful in
the bargain! Your Wise
Gardener! is jealous of gardeners that can successfully
raise this particular species of palm, as his European Fan Palm just
doesn't look too healthy here in South Florida's balmy Zone 10, but he enjoys seeing them,
when he travels to substantially cooler climes! It is a reassurance that a palm can
be very successfully cultivated in a colder climate, and it makes that particular climate
seem just a bit less "foreboding" in winter's icy chill! Bravo! European Fan
Palm!
Paul,
"The Wise Gardener!"
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