Chinese Fan Palms make slow-growing, but striking landscape specimens.  The Chinese Fan Palm is tolerant of poor soils, but does the best when regularly fertilized.  For those in the northern areas of Florida, this palm is very hardy and can withstand several degrees below freezing without appreciable damage.  This palm should be planted in full sun as the fronds tend to get "leggy" and weak in anything more than light shade.   The Chinese Fan Palms below where photographed growing in the Mounts Botanical Center in West Palm Beach.  Of the tribe Corypheae, and subfamily Coryphoideae it is also known by the botanic name Livistonia chinensis.

Common Name:  Chinese Fan Palm

Botanical Name:  Livistonia chinensis

Subfamily:  Coryphoideae

Plant Type:  Solitary Fan Palm Tree

Origin:  China, southern Japan

Zones: 9 - 11

Height:  25'

Rate of Growth: Slow

Salt Tolerance: Moderate

Soil Requirements:  Widely adaptable

Water Requirements: High drought tolerance

Nutritional Requirements: Moderate

Light Requirements: Moderate, High

Form:  Solitary fan palm, canopy of 30-50 leaves

Leaves:  Costapalmate, divided to 2/3 into 60-100 deeply split segments that are pendant in their lower half, olive-green in color.

Inflorescence: 6' long, produced from among the leaves

Fruits: Grayish-blue. 1/2 - 1" long

Pests or diseases:  None of consequence

Uses:  Specimen plant

Bad Habits: Slightly susceptible to lethal yellowing

Cost:  $$ - $$$ -- reasonable to expensive

Propagation:   Seed, germinates in 1-2 months