Trachycarpus fortunei

Trachycarpus fortunei is an evergreen palm with large, fan-shaped leaves held on long stalks around the top of a slender trunk. The deep green leaves form a rounded crown, while older specimens develop a distinctive trunk densely covered with coarse brown fibers from persistent leaf bases. Small yellow flowers appear in large, branching clusters in late spring to early summer. Female plants may produce rounded blue-black fruits when a male plant is growing nearby for pollination.

Native to parts of China and the Himalayan region, Trachycarpus fortunei is valued as one of the most cold-tolerant palms commonly grown in temperate gardens. Its upright form provides a strong tropical effect without occupying the broad ground space required by many exotic-looking plants. It works especially well as a specimen, beside patios and pools, or among bold-leaved shrubs and perennials where its elevated fan-shaped foliage creates a distinctive upper canopy.