How to Grow and Care for Mexican Fan Palms

All fan palms love heat climate and W. robusta isn’t any completely different. This species is keen to develop and is able to placing on 4 ft of development in a single 12 months.

You may study extra about find out how to develop fan palms in our information.

In the event you reside someplace with ample solar and minimal chilly climate, learn on to search out out extra about rising your personal Mexican fan palm.

And for these of you with a brightly lit nook indoors, by no means concern! You may take a crack at rising this lovely specimen inside as effectively.

Right here’s what we’ll cowl:

Cultivation and Historical past

Native to the Sonoran desert and Baja, Mexico, this drought-resistant palm can develop to 100 ft tall.

The crown bears a dense cluster of shiny, inexperienced leaves, every about 5 ft huge and formed, because the identify suggests, like a pleated fan.

The foliage is organized in a tuft on the prime of a tall, unbranched trunk, making it appear to be an enormous the wrong way up mop. It’s this considerably comical look that gave it its frequent identify, “skyduster.”

The genus identify, Washingtonia, is a dedication to Common George Washington. Dr. H Wendland, a distinguished botanist within the late 1800s, bestowed this identify on the genus and needed to struggle to carry onto it.

The well-known moniker was in excessive demand and the group of timber referred to as sequoias nearly laid declare to it.

Mexican fan palm is cultivated within the heat soils of Australia, Hawaii, the Center East and past. It’s straightforward to develop, drought tolerant as soon as established, and reliably bears clusters of engaging, darkish coloured fruit.

Hardy in USDA Zones 9 to 11, this species can tolerate temperatures down to twenty° F, however not for prolonged intervals. Persistent chilly climate, particularly chilly moist climate, will injury foliage and invite illness.

In its native habitat, Mexican fan palm supplies nesting and shelter websites for birds, mammals, and bugs.

Outdoors of its endemic vary, W. robusta is listed as an invasive species in some locations, similar to California.

The California Invasive Plant Council has additionally labeled this tree a hearth hazard, because of its tendency to build up useless, dry fronds alongside its trunk.

A preferred houseplant gracing the well-lit confines of many an workplace, ready room and residential, Mexican fan palm does effectively indoors too.

Though it hails from the enviably sun-drenched coast of Mexico, it’s a tricky cookie, and may handle circumstances inside, too.

So that you see, you’ve bought choices. Learn on to learn to begin rising now.

Mexican Fan Palm Propagation

Like all true palms, W. robusta is grouped right into a class of crops known as “monocots.”

Monocots have parallel leaf veins, just one seed leaf as an alternative of two, and produce flowers with petals in multiples of three.

This class of crops by and huge don’t develop lateral stems – they solely develop upwards. For that reason, they received’t develop from cuttings.

To propagate W. robusta, you’ll have to begin from seed or buy a transplant.

From Seed

Fortuitously, W. robusta is fairly straightforward to begin from seed. In the event you’re a novice germinator, this species is a enjoyable and rewarding one to strive.

Seeds might be bought on-line or harvested straight from the tree as soon as fruits flip darkish purple to black, indicating ripeness.

Attempt to take away all pulp from across the seed earlier than you sow. Scrape off the fruit together with your fingernails or the tough aspect with a sponge. This cleansing course of helps hold undesirable fungal spores out of the planting substrate.

As soon as they’re clear, soak the seeds in heat water for 2 to a few days. This may assist soften the seed coat and pace up germination. Change the water every single day.

The cup containing the seeds must be positioned on a warmth mat or in brilliant solar to take care of a lukewarm water temperature. You don’t need to be too exact, simply be sure that it’s comfortably heat to the contact.

Sow seeds just under the floor of the soil in freely draining potting soil in four-inch pots. This species wants slightly gentle to germinate, so be sure that to not cowl the seeds too deeply.

As soon as your crops have produced true leaves, pot them into bigger containers and decelerate the watering slightly bit. Attending to this stage will take a number of weeks.

Usually talking, you need younger crops to be in containers which are simply giant sufficient to provide them slightly further room to develop. Potting your younger palms into particular person four-inch pots at this stage will suffice.

At this level, you possibly can let the floor of the soil dry out slightly earlier than watering once more.

You may study extra about find out how to begin palms from seed in our rising information.

Transplanting

In the event you’re transplanting the infants you grew from seed, be sure that they’ve no less than two true leaves earlier than shifting them.

True leaves will resemble the mature plant’s leaves, however be a bit smaller. In the event you’re planning to develop your crops exterior, expose your infants to the solar and wind progressively, rising their publicity every day by hour lengthy increments.

The identical goes for any plant you bought at a nursery. Be sure that it’s correctly hardened off earlier than planting exterior.

Within the backyard, select a spot in full solar with freely draining soil. This species likes comparatively impartial soil, so hold the pH degree someplace round 6.0 to 7.0. In case your website has slightly afternoon shade, don’t fear, that may work too.

Strive to not disturb your plant’s root ball an excessive amount of whenever you dislodge it from the pot. This may give your new tree a greater probability at survival.

Dig a gap slightly wider than the basis ball and set the plant so the highest of the basis ball is degree with the bottom.

Water totally, no less than as soon as per week, till your palm reveals indicators of firm, such because the emergence of latest development. This may take a number of weeks to some months.

As soon as these crops are established they’re sometimes drought resistant however will want supplemental irrigation throughout dry spells.

In the event you’re transplanting right into a pot, use a ceramic one with drainage holes within the backside. You may decide to make use of plastic however you need your pot to be heavy sufficient to assist the palm because it grows and never topple over simply.

Fill your container with palm tree potting soil as much as the bottom of your transplant’s stem and water effectively. Pots dry out in a short time, and ensuring new transplants have loads to drink is vital to their success.

Maintain the soil moist till your crops start to develop new leaves. Enable the floor of the soil to dry out a bit, whereas the inside soil maintains some moisture.

Discovering this candy spot will give your new plant the hydration it wants whereas it grows, however stop it from affected by root rot.

W. robusta grows fairly quickly so be sure that to pot up into bigger containers as wanted, at all times taking care to disturb the roots as little as potential.

Select a brand new container that has about two inches of additional area across the present root ball so it has loads of room to develop.

How one can Develop Mexican Fan Palms

The Mexican fan palm comes from heat, sunny climes and it expects no much less when rising in your backyard or gracing your house.

Maintain this species in freely draining soils, give it ample daylight, and loads of area to develop, and it’ll not disappoint. Even should you’re beginning with seedlings, this tree will want as much as 25 ft of area between it and its neighbor when planted exterior.

Be sure that to decide on a location the place your full grown tree won’t be uncovered to excessive winds. As you possibly can think about, these tall timber, as soon as full grown, might be toppled fairly simply in robust winds.

Hardy in USDA Zones 9 to 11 W. robusta can really tolerate dry chilly fairly effectively.

At 20°F, this species will survive, however might endure injury to the foliage. Persistently chilly, moist climate is rather more damaging to this tree and can inevitably trigger fungal infections.

Though these timber will tolerate all kinds of soil varieties from loam to sand to clay, the substrate have to be free draining. This species can also be reasonably salt tolerant, so should you occur to be inside strolling distance to the ocean, that salty sea air received’t pose an issue.

Contemplate the truth that should you hold your palm tree completely happy, it might develop a number of ft in a 12 months. Be sure that it lives someplace that received’t cramp its high-flying type.

If you’re rising it as a houseplant, the circumstances must be brilliant, heat, and never humid. 

It may be difficult to make your home as comfy for this species because the sandy hills of Baja, California.

For that reason, W. robusta usually does higher on a heat, sunny patio from late spring by means of early fall, after which in a greenhouse or brilliant bay window all through winter.

Even when grown in a pot this species can develop fairly giant, so be sure that to get some assist when shifting the container back and forth.

Wherever you situate your plant, be sure that it will get no less than six hours of brilliant daylight per day. Use a ceramic pot to encourage good drainage and aeration of the soil. Water totally, however permit the soil to dry out to an inch down earlier than watering once more.

Throughout winter, like many crops, this species enters a interval of dormancy and slower development.

Lower watering presently to keep away from root rot and different fungal issues. Chances are you’ll solely must water as soon as each three weeks although the winter, however this may rely on the location of your tree and its particular person wants.

Rising Ideas

• Plant in freely draining soil.
• Web site in a location with ample daylight.
• Present loads of area to develop.
• Keep away from cramped or humid circumstances which is able to invite fungal issues.
• Water as soon as per week throughout the first six months after planting within the absence of rain after which solely in dry spells.

Upkeep

Upkeep for an indoor W. robusta is a bit more concerned than for specimens residing exterior.

Within the backyard, you possibly can largely be blissfully hands-off as soon as your Mexican fan palm is established.

It’s not strictly crucial until you see indicators of nutrient deficiency similar to sparse foliage or discolored blotches on the leaf suggestions.

As soon as this species prepares to enter dormancy in late fall, cease fertilization to keep away from encouraging leggy development.

Pruning Mexican fan palm fronds will rob this species of the enduring shaggy skirt that makes them so eye-catching.

Nonetheless, should you’ve planted your tree outside in a excessive visitors space, prune useless fronds to cease them flying off in excessive winds and injuring passersby.

To chop off a useless frond, use a pointy pruning noticed and take away it as near the bottom as potential, with out damaging the tree’s trunk.

If you’re rising your specimen as a houseplant, it’s greatest to take away useless fronds as they wither.

Pests

Right here’s a normal overview of some pests you would possibly encounter outside:

Palm Leaf Skeletonizer

The larvae of the palm leaf skeletonizer moth (Homaledra sabalella) create giant translucent blotches on W. robusta leaves and may trigger leaves to die and drop off.

Maintain your eyes peeled for the droppings of the caterpillars, which appear to be teeny black or inexperienced balls.

In the event you discover them, wash the leaves vigorously with a powerful stream of water from the hose and take away any that stay by hand.

Palm Weevils

Palm weevils within the Rhynchophorus genus could cause main injury to palms.

The grownup weevils lay eggs within the crown of the palm and the larvae feed on tender, juicy bud tissue. As a result of these timber can solely produce shoots that develop up, and never laterally, injury to the plant’s sole level of development is commonly deadly. 

In the event you handle to catch the infestation early, take away and destroy the bugs and/or apply neem oil.

Many different varieties of palm weevils feed on the crown of those timber, nonetheless, none are as harmful because the invasive R. palmarum and R. ferrugineus.

Illness

A lot of the frequent points affecting Mexican fan palms are associated to an overabundance of moisture.

Butt Rot

Butt rot is brought on by the fungus Ganoderma zonatum, and because it progresses the trunk decays and progressively turns hole.

Among the many first indicators of an infection are drooping or yellowing leaves. Sadly, there isn’t a remedy for butt rot.

G. zonatum is usually present in soils, and sadly, the one method to management this situation is to destroy all diseased crops and keep away from planting palms in the identical location.

This fungus can have an effect on each indoor and outside specimens.

Fusarium wilt

The best to establish symptom of this illness, brought on by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, is the speedy loss of life of older leaves.

At first, leaves look like affected solely on one aspect of the midrib, however the fungus ultimately spreads throughout the complete leaf, killing it.

In the end, this illness will kill the tree. At the moment, there isn’t a remedy for fusarium wilt and it will probably have an effect on each indoor and outside timber.

Phytophthora Bud Rot

Phytophthora palmivora is a water mould (oomycete) that kills tender, creating tissues in new leaves and buds. The primary indicators of infestation are discolored, wilting leaves.

This pathogen sometimes beneficial properties a foothold when timber are broken by chilly or bodily trauma.

Sadly, there isn’t a remedy for this illness. Any affected crops and their soil must be destroyed, and never composted, to forestall additional unfold.

Younger specimens are typically extra prone than these which are effectively established.

Greatest Makes use of for Mexican Fan Palms

In the event you’re fortunate sufficient to reside someplace the place sunshine and heat climate is fixed, use considered one of these quick-growing timber to essentially make a press release in your backyard.

W. robusta is a hardy, unfussy, and throughout glorious alternative for a panorama tree of epic proportions.

Simply keep in mind it’s going to develop tall – very, very tall – and might be toppled extra simply than smaller timber in excessive winds.

In the event you reside within the colder climes however are eager for the heat of Baja, do this adaptable tree in a pot, both indoors as a houseplant or a patio specimen with winter safety.