Chamaerops humilis Seeds | European Fan Palm
LATIN NAME: Chamaerops humilis
COMMON NAME: European Fan Palm
Plant Profile
European fan palm is the only palm native to Europe, growing wild on dry hillsides and cliffs around the western Mediterranean, from Portugal and Spain through Italy to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It forms a dense clump of several stems, two to five metres tall, topped with fan-shaped, blue-green leaves on spiny stalks.
Old plants can spread into thickets several metres across, and the dead leaves hang below the crown for years, giving the trunk a shaggy look. The flowers are small and yellow, carried in dense sprays in spring, and the fruit is a small, dull brown date. The leaf stalks carry sharp spines, which is worth knowing before planting it beside a path.
Science & Biotechnology
The species is studied for its unusual reproductive biology: it is usually dioecious, with separate male and female plants, but some populations produce perfect flowers, and the balance varies across the Mediterranean. Research has also looked at its response to fire, since it resprouts from the base after burning.
Genetic work has examined the structure of populations on either side of the sea, and horticultural research has selected dwarf and nearly spineless forms for garden use. Its leaf fibres have been studied as a source of stiff, salt-tolerant material. Its pollen is wind-borne, and the fruit takes a year to ripen.
Uses & Benefits
In its native range the young inflorescences are eaten, the leaf fibre is made into rope and baskets, and the fruit is used as fodder. In the garden it is grown for its architectural form, its tolerance of drought and salt, and its hardiness, which reaches about -10C.
The dwarf Sicilian form, Vulcano, is compact and nearly spineless, and it is now widely sold. It works in a gravel garden, a large container or a coastal planting, where its blue-green fans contrast with silver and grey foliage. The fibre is also used for brooms and for coarse matting.
In southern Spain and Italy the leaves are still cut for thatch and for brooms, and the fruit is fed to goats in dry years. The palm is also one of the few plants that will grow on bare limestone with almost no soil, which is why it is used on road cuttings and steep banks.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed in spring at 25-30C, soaking it for a day first; germination can take three months. Seedlings are slow and need a gritty, free-draining mix.
Plant out in full sun on sharply drained ground, and water only in the first summer. The palm tolerates wind, salt and poor soil, but it rots in wet ground, so raise the planting site if drainage is doubtful. In cold gardens the palm is best grown in a large pot and moved under cover for winter, since the roots suffer below -8C. Remove the old leaves only when they are fully brown, since the fibre protects the crown.
Our Take
A palm that takes frost, drought and salt without complaint, and looks better for being a little neglected. It is the most reliable fan palm for a Mediterranean garden.
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