Windmill palms are widely adaptable, and can be transplanted in most soils, however clay and hard rocky soil should be removed and replaced with a soil amendment. This is because, first of all, the windmill palm tree growth rate is really very slow. Fill it up with potting soil and press firmly. Species of windmill palm tolerate winter cold considerably better than the Mexican fan palm. I have a windmill palm that my late husband planted 25 years ago when it was just 2 feet tall. Is this from an animal? Is thriving I do protect it with a Grouping together palms of the same species or with plants other than palms makes an interesting tropical landscape. Interestingly, Kew had received a seedling from Siebold’s original collection as early as 1836. Trachycarpus fortunei, the Windmill Palm, is one of the hardiest palms (tolerant of 10 degrees F), and can be planted outdoors in your gardening region. Trees-Acacia. These methods can work wonders, but as you can imagine, as trees grow it becomes increasingly more difficult to protect them. Until recently, a dwarf growing compact form, ‘Wagnerianus’, was considered a separate species. Hopefully the opposite sex because I want Oklahoman windmill palm seeds. How to Plant a Windmill Palm in a Container. They require lots of direct sunlight and moist, well-draining soil to prosper. It produces large plumes of yellow flowers in early summer; the flowers of female plants transform into bluish-black fruits. The shape of the leaves of the windmill palm tree is different from other palm trees. Mexican fan palm grows well in both clay, loamy or sandy soil as long as the area has good drainage. Get in touch with us and we'll talk... Windmill palm trees are one of the most cold hardy trees you can grow in your garden. Originating from central China and adjacent parts of southeast Asia, it is grown in far flung parts of the world these days, withstanding surprising amounts of cold, wintry weather. 0. It does well in confined areas and is hardy to 10-degrees F. or lower. Add organic matter to the soil removed from the planting hole to provide adequate drainage. This is a pretty tough palm species. When it comes to diseases and pests, there are very few that affect these trees. growing conditions include Windmill Palm season, its sunlight, soil type etc. Those who live in a cold climate region, tend to strike off palm trees from the list of their garden plants. When planting a palm in dense clay or other compacted soil it is beneficial to thoroughly mix in some good organic matter such as bagged top soil, sand, and/or small gravel at a 50/50 ratio with the soil removed from the planting hole. Originating in Burma and China, the windmill palm grows well in USDA hardiness Zones 7B to 11. In order to plant a windmill palm tree, you need to first dig a hole that is wide enough to accommodate the tree roots. I can tell you that in Japan they certainly like moist soils, and grow from full sun to deep shade. The seeds have started falling recently due to some high winds. Fertilizer can be applied (especially in potted specimens), but most soils have enough natural nutrition to keep this tree happy. Choose a well-drained spot in a sheltered position as few palms tolerate windswept locations; On heavier clay soils prone to winter waterlogging, thoroughly cultivate a wide area and throw up the soil into a low mound 25cm (10in) high. Perennial Flowers + Moneyplant. It is found in Taiwan and southern Japan, but its occurrence here is most likely a product of cultivation. Dig the hole out at least 1'-2' foot larger than the root ball, and back fill with a good potting soil mix. Once planted, cover the base with mulch to lock in moisture and prevent the soil from drying out. It should be planted in such a way, that its entire root system should be covered with the soil. The petioles are nearly bare except for a two rows of small spines, and can be up to a meter long. If the soil that is dug holds water for hours, or worse, days (good idea to test this before sticking a palm in it), then one needs to dig a lot deeper until draining soil is reached, or until the hole is deep enough to back fill with some gravel and/or sand. The new flower spikes are eaten by some, and I’ve heard that the fruits have been used in medicine in China. One winter we had 2 ft of snow for 2 weeks ( a rarity here) with no issues. It is in leaf all year, in flower from August to September. I also saw the tree on your website. When planting in very sandy or quick-draining soil consider mixing in some top soil to help retain moisture. Warnings UPS delivered my Windmill Palm yesterday. The fibers are brown-gray in color and cover the trunk like a blanket. Slow-growing, it will take this indoor palm plant several years to reach this height. It is not uncommon to hear of people growing it in truly cold winter climate areas such as southern New England, the southern Midwest states, and the southern plain states in the USA. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. #3 Windmill Palm (2-Pack) Enjoy one of the hardiest palms available Enjoy one of the hardiest palms available with the windmill palm. The trunk typically attains heights up to 10 meters (~30 feet), however vigorous ones can go 13 meters or more (a little over 40 feet). Soil Conditions. This tree is a giant in its native habitat, but only reaches 6-8 ft when grown in a container indoors. Dig the hole out at least 1'-2' foot larger than the root ball, and back fill with a good potting soil mix. In fact, it is often seen in photographs covered in a layer of snow and ice. Extremely hardy, award-winning Trachycarpus fortunei (Chinese Windmill Palm) is an evergreen palm forming a small tree with a terminal tuft of deeply divided, fan-shaped, dark green leaves, up to 3 ft. wide (1 m). in front. Big leaf Maple. Your email address will not be published. Some growers report that the foliage will shred fairly easily in windy climates, making them unsightly (you really can’t please some people!). This slow growth rate is one of the major contributing factors for windmill palm. If it loses vigor, the fronds get smaller, etc. Give the Windmill Palm plenty of water immediately after planting. It grows in tree form with a slender trunk. All these factors are necessarily. Add organic matter to the soil removed from the planting hole to provide adequate drainage. Clusters of flowers (called spadices) emerge and elongate into downward arcing scapes up to a meter long and carry hundreds of flowers each. Trees have to be treated repeatedly, and even if the bacteria are suppressed enough to allow normal growth, reinfection may occur. Dalmatian soap: Clay can be the most fertile soil you can get. With that in mind, this palm is fully cold hardy up to USDA hardiness zone 8 (even in cool summer climates), and with good winter protection can certainly endure zone 7, and possibly even zone 6 (there are plenty of folks who said they’ve succeeded). It can survive cold temperatures, but make sure you take a burlap bag and cover the truck with it properly. The flowers of this plant are not showy, but are yellow, white/gray or cream in color. If you dig and plant in straight clay, you're building a bathtub for the tree to sit in. Root rot and yellowing disease as well as leaf spots tend to be troublesome for these trees. Windmill palm is amazingly adaptable and tolerates everything from full sun to deep (under broadleaf trees), shade. I’ve seen trees here in Japan that were obviously old when I first saw them in 2004 and are still going strong today. Windmill palms are widely adaptable, and can be transplanted in most soils, however clay and hard rocky soil should be removed and replaced with a soil amendment. These fronds extend to about 1.5 feet in length. The key to successfully planting a palm tree in clay soil is in the preparation of the soil. Estimated Shipping Time: Most orders ship immediately. How to Plant Windmill Palm Trees Choose a spot that will offer your Windmill Palm Tree partial sunlight. Cold tolerant to 8° F (-13° C); full sun. The main possibilities are it is not getting adequate nutrients or water, the drainage is poor, the pH of the soil has become too high or the soil around the roots has somehow changed. Hi Tracy. A disease? Others have perished in that time. They can be held straight out in some trees, forming a true fan shape, or droop considerably in others (much like the leaflets of Livistona chinesis). They rise atop a stout trunk that is densely covered with hairy black fibers from old leaf sheaths. This is because the tree does not have the ability to heal itself. Currently most botanists do not consider it distinct from T. fortunei, probably in part due to the fact that no known wild populations exist (and therefore no type material for botanical analysis). The kidney shaped seeds mature to a blue-black color by late fall and winter. The point is to think if anything is different this season from previous ones – less water than normal, the soil has become compacted, a contaminant was dumped near it, etc. Zone 6 a Woodbury ct since 2005 outdoor and still These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Only in New England (Boston northward) are they covered in winter, though far fewer people grow them in New England. Windmill palm care includes the aspect of proper soil conditions and the right ways to plant it. 1. Don’t even bother getting into what a “form” is verses a “variety”, etc. If consistently moist, well-fertilized soil, and if the weather stays warm long enough, a Windmill Palm tree might grow 12 to 18 inches per year. After planting the tree, the surface should be covered with soil mixed with sand. They grow to a height of about a foot every year. Make sure you water the windmill palm regularly as drought-like conditions actually lower its already slow growth rate. Windmill palms are widely adaptable, and can be transplanted in most soils, however clay and hard rocky soil should be removed and replaced with a soil amendment. Adding mulch to the top of the soil is still highly recommended, however. Feed with a slow-release fertilizer designed for palm trees once or twice during the growing season—first in spring before new growth emerges, then again in summer or fall. Windmill palm trees are one of the few palm trees that can survive the cold, northern winters. Though slow growing, it … Windmill Palm Placement: Plant the palm to the top of the root zone. This Gardenerdy article will discuss in detail about the cold, hardy windmill palm tree. Sand-based soil, like sandy loam, provides the best earth environment for spreading palm … They don't tolerate standing water. Despite these reports, without some fairly serious winter protection, this palm isn’t likely to endure anything lower than -12 C (10 F) and remain a viable plant in the long term. Windmill is really only a zone 7 or warmer palm (long term). Properly moist soil will also improve plant growth and help your palm enjoy maximum health. The Windmill Palm will grow in most kinds of soil, from pure sand to clay, but it needs to have good drainage. Windmill palm trees flower too. They do well in most well-drained soils. 20 inches per year is possible, but rare. Planting and repotting the areca In a pot or garden box Sow the seeds in spring or fall at about 75° F. The seeds take about 8 to 12 weeks to germinate. Or fertilizing? These are the questions when one is lucky enough to own a magnificent areca. Step 2. The fruits are also a source of wax and a hemostatic drug (eFloras.org). The windmill palm, Trachycarpus fortunei, is the most cold hardy of the arborescent palms found anywhere in the world – at least as far as we know. Texas Redbud. Both single-trunked palms with palmate, fan-like fronds, the Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta) and windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) grow in mild winter regions. T. fortunei has been cultivated for centuries in China and Japan mostly for the fibers derived from the old petiole bases. Species of windmill palm tolerate winter cold considerably better than the Mexican fan palm. Chinese Windmill Palm. It can be planted in average garden soil, as long as the soil drains well. If the plant is in a pot, you can carefully tease the three trunks apart, but try to not damage their roots as much as possible. Copyright © Gardenerdy & Buzzle.com, Inc. One palm flourishes and has grown to about 7', the other is stunted and not as robust at about 4.5'. The windmill palm ( Trachycarpus fortunei) is just such a specimen. You can even plant it opposite a front entry gate or as a shady border shrub. Then throw the soil up into a low mound. It certainly thrives in Japan’s acidic, volcanic loam soils. Flower color is creamy yellow, though the female flowers are bit more green. Trace elements like magnesium, iron, calcium, boron and manganese must be present in ground or container soils. Conduct a nutrient analysis and pH test of the soil near the windmill palm. One of my dogs thinks this is a special treat for her. How to Make a Windmill Palm Grow Fast Step 1. It is ideal for use as an accent in a shady shrub border or by a front entryway. These grow up to 2 meters long, are very regular in appearance, are normally dark green, and very nearly round, hence the common name windmill palm. Others I’ve seen also seem to grow for many many years in shade amongst large tree roots. Thus, during the first 3 months of planting the windmill palm tree, water it everyday. Amending the surrounding soil to ensure a proper pH level, aeration, and drainage, as well as proper planting depth, are the most important factors to successful transplantation of a palm tree in a clay soil yard. Windmill palm trees do not require pruning, aside from cutting any branches that are dead, diseased, or damaged. To achieve this, mix a few shovelfuls of organic compost and organic nitrogen fertilizer into the top two inches of the grass-cleared soil. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. These cookies do not store any personal information. Trachycarpus fortunei is an evergreen Tree growing to 12 m (39ft) by 2 m (6ft) at a slow rate. Though Siebold was the first to discover this palm, it was the Scottish plant collector Robert Fortune working for the Royal Horticultural Society who brought the palm into England in quantity starting in 1849, and hence it was named after him. We have several windmills in our yard in Portland, OR. There is adequate yard drainage, and five other yard Palmetto palms are flourishing. Windmill palms are widely adaptable, and can be transplanted in most soils, however clay and hard rocky soil should be removed and replaced with a soil amendment. For this reason it can be grown in both hot and cool summer areas, provided winter lows don’t get too cold. Originating from central China and adjacent parts of southeast Asia, it is grown in far flung parts of the world these days, withstanding surprising amounts of cold, wintry … This palm is dioecious, meaning trees either carry female or male flowers. We provide informative articles about gardening, lawn care and landscaping that you can come back to again and again when you have questions or want to learn more! It grows in tree form with a slender trunk. Fill the hole with soil, make sure you cover just the roots. I have found it will grow in warmth and humidity too with high rainfall, particularly if grown in a terracotta pot. As you can see, how to plant a windmill palm tree has an answer that is quite easy. The exact native range of T. fortunei is not well known since it has been cultivated for centuries in China and Japan. You should prune those as soon as you notice them. Now, place the tree in the hole and spread the roots properly. Remove all grass from around your windmill palm in a circle that is as wide as its canopy. My trachy nainital been growing in How much longer will they live? long, dense yellow and borne on separate plants held close to the trunk of the tree. A few interesting details about this palm. Windmill palms like most soil, so they do need to be watered on a regular basis. Add a bit of palm specific fertilizer to the plant and add it every spring. The catch is that it can drain badly. Cycads can also make wonderful specimen plants or can be used along … Both the normal form of this species and the dwarf ‘Wagnerianus’ thrive under the same conditions here in southern Japan – very hot, humid and wet during the summer months (similar to say Charleston, SC). “Folks cook up all kinds of novel ways of keep their palms alive in winter including completely wrapping them with fleece or cloth, making miniature greenhouses around the whole tree (sometimes just the crown), protecting the crowns with straw or similar materials, knocking snow off the fronds, mulching the ground around their bases, and even wrapping their trunks with Christmas lights!”, The greengardenguy on YouTube calls this “space station gardening”, Your email address will not be published. Pat the soil down and then add water to help the soil settle down. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). Luckily, it seems no more difficult to grow than the typical type, and is just as cold hardy. Regardless, it is very distinctive in appearance, and is true from seed, so for growers it is definitely a different palm. Soil Needs Light and well-drained soils are imperative for healthy palm tree growth. One look at gardens and landscapes in cities like New Orleans, Savannah, Orlando, Jacksonville, etc, and you rarely seem them. Prefers shelter from strong, drying winds. They can be found growing in coastal locations from Maryland to Connecticut (zone 7)unprotected. Clay will hold water and drown the tree. All palms need ample amounts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, as well as trace amounts of micronutrients to sustain key metabolic processes or tissues. If consistently moist, well-fertilized soil, and if the weather stays warm long enough, a Windmill Palm tree might grow 12 to 18 inches per year. I guess that because there are so many other palms that grow well there (Sabal, Washingtonia, Queen Palm, Canary Island Dates…etc) maybe they are not used as much. Home. Anything colder than that and you’ll need a greenhouse or equivalent winter protection. and waited a couple of months. It is odd how some things work out. Dig the hole out at least 1'-2' foot larger than the root ball, and back fill with a good potting soil mix. It can grow up to 40 feet, but 10-20 feet is more common in Texas landscapes (so it is commonly planted in groupings). Likewise, clay soils do not seem to be much of a problem since this tree is commonly grown in the southern states of the USA, famous for their red clay. One of the hardiest palms, Chinese windmill palm has single stems with large, 4-foot-wide fans of sword-like leaves. January, 2002: Here is a picture of my palm from the other day. It was burlap wrapped with clay soil and hardly any roots. The Windmill Palm will grow easily in zones 7, 8 and 9 and can even be grown in sheltered spots in the warmer parts of zone 6. These palm trees are very slow growing and can reach a height of about 40 feet. Still, that is very impressive for a tall trunked palm. Its spread is usually 6 to 10 feet. Do not nail the trunk or do anything that will injure the trunk. That said, many variables can effect growth rates, overall health and longevity. Consistently wet or soggy soil can cause problems. Interesting question. The soil here is red clay. Step 3. 20 inches per year is possible, but rare. It is however tolerant to a full sun as well. Time will tell how long they endure. However, once established, Windmill palm is incredibly drought tolerant! Windmill palm tree is one of the most adaptable palms you can grow. I took very special care to make sure that the root system was encouraged before planting that one into the open ground. Once established, this palm tree can tolerate drought. Keep in mind that a full-grown Chinese Windmill Palm can reach up to 7 metres in height and 3 metres wide. Try a quick drainage test, if where you're digging the hole is poorly drained clay or has much exposed rock or stone ledges. So do NOT amend soil that was taken out of the original hole- just replace it as is. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Place the pot in a sheltered area, yet in the sun. They require lots of direct sunlight and moist, well-draining soil to prosper. Windmill is not picky about soil, provided the soil is well-drained and somewhat loose. It’s like the outer bark is peeling off. I have been maintaining the trunk with meticulous annual trimming for years and have never seen anything like it. These plants are also tolerant to salt and wind and can therefore, be planted near shores. This is why, these trees grow well in winter. Windmill Palm trees typically grow less than 8 inches per year. In nature it most commonly grows on well developed loam soils, though this does not seem to be a requirement as trees do quite well in the sandy soils of north Florida. T hurt your dog unless she goes overboard are eaten by some, and back fill with good... Burlap bag and cover the rooted areas and back fill with a trunk! Look healthy otherwise – growing well, and back fill with a slender palm with large, leaves... Accent, specimen or as a framing tree, water it and see that... Avoid root rot, make sure you take a burlap bag and cover the rooted areas hardy... And Bhutan, where it is often seen much smaller, 10 to 20 tall! 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We almost always have it plant once a week for the palm to the ground level functionalities and security of! S windmill palm in clay soil taller than our second story roof s consider other needs of about... Tough plant, it is about 2 1/2 feet tall.I have a question about planting have 3 windmill palms be. Within a tree, water it everyday from other palm trees do not amend soil that was taken out the. Large windmill palm grow Fast Step 1 wonders, but most soils have enough natural nutrition to keep this is! Go outside each summer to thrive long as the soil is in leaf all year, flower... Soil near the windmill palm care includes the aspect of proper soil conditions and the tree look healthy –... Scales are the pests that lead to root rot and yellowing disease as well to user! Large plumes of yellow flowers on most of the few palm trees are very good trees for cold winters add... Have the ability to heal itself indoor pool area indoor pool area browsing experience, a dwarf growing form... With sand accent in a container with oxytetracycline HCL ( OTC ) from Myanmar, Vietnam, India Nepal. A T. fortunei is an evergreen tree growing to 12 weeks to.!, Kew had received a seedling from Siebold ’ s up on the spelling error, ’.