European Fan Palm

Botanical Name: Chamaerops humilis

European Fan Palm (aka Mediterranean Fan Palm) is the only palm native to Europe, and is hardier than most palms. Give it the warm, sunny days and cool nights of its native dry mountain habitat and you'll find that it's easy to grow.

This member of the Arecaceae family is a shrub-like clumping palm, with several stems growing from a central base. The stems grow slowly and often closely together, eventually reaching about 4 ft/1.2 m tall indoors. As the plant matures, the trunk develops numerous sharp spines.

Fine-textured fronds grow in a rounded fan of 10-20 leaflets that reach up to 24 in/60 cm wide. The leaflets range in color from silvery green to blue-green.

Although slow-growing, it is well worth the wait because even small plants will stand out, making it a stunning sculptural accent for the home.

Origin: Mediterranean region of Southwestern Europe (Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Malta) and Northern Africa (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia)

Height: 4 ft (1.2 m) tall

Light: Needs at least 4 hours of direct sun a day.

Water: Keep constantly moist in spring and summer. In fall and winter, allow top 2 in/5 cm of soil to dry out between waterings.

Humidity: Average room humidity.

Temperature: 70-80°F, 21-27°C days; 50-60°F, 10-16°C nights

Soil: Mix 2 parts peat moss-based potting mix and 1 part sharp sand. Repot only when necessary, about every 3 years.

Fertilizer: Feed monthly spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half. Do not feed in fall and winter.

Propagation: Seeds or division of suckers.