20 Interesting Facts about The Mexican Fan Palm Tree
The Mexican Fan Palm Tree, with a scientific name of Washingtonia robusta, is extremely popular when it comes to both indoor and outdoor palm tree because of its stunning appearance. Read on for more amazing facts about the Mexican Fan Palm Tree.
1. Cold Hardy
The Mexican Fan Palm Tree is not only a drought-resistant tree, but it has a great cold hardiness which makes it a great choice for landscaping and lawns in USDA zones 8b-11. It can survive at temperatures all the way down to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, but the leaves of this beautiful palm tree can begin to be damaged when temperatures drop to around 23 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Inexpensive for the Many States
This tree is a very inexpensive palm tree to purchase and does not require a ton of maintenance. It can grow in a variety of areas throughout the United States, such as Mississippi, Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas, but it is native to Mexico, hence its name, and grows and flourishes in Florida.
3. Tallest Part of the Family
The Mexican fan palm tree is also known as Skyduster and it is part of the Arecaceae botanical family. It is a small palm tree that consists of at least two species yet is the tallest tree in its particular genus. It can grow to about 70 to 100 feet in height when it is fully mature. According to the University of Florida Extension, the Mexican Fan Palm Tree is about three to five feet wide with sharply toothed petioles of about four to six feet long.
4. A Fast-Growing Tree
The Mexican Fan Palm Tree is a very moderate to fast-growing species and, since it reaches heights of about 70 to 100 feet, it may be too tall for typical landscapes in residential areas. It is, though, more typical for a Mexican Fan Palm Tree to only reach a height of about 40 feet tall.
5. A Variety of Soils
The Mexican Fan Palm tree can grow in a variety of different types of soils, especially in Florida, but does require proper drainage. Even though it is considered to be a desert palm tree, it is native to regions that have permanent surface or subsurface water, so it is not as drought tolerant as many people expect it to be. It is a tree that is great for growing in USDA Zones 8b, which is 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit to 11 which is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Many Names
Although the scientific name of the Mexican Fan Palm Tree is Washingtonia robusta, it is also known as the Washington Palm Tree or the Mexican Washington Palm Tree, as well as Skyduster.
7. A Pretty Palm Tree
A single gray trunk marks the appearance of a Mexican Fan Palm tree and the trunk is ringed by older leaf bases that are about 13 inches in diameter. This tree will require some amount of maintenance to keep it looking beautiful and attractive in your garden or your yard.
8. Maintaining the Mexican Palm
You will need to trim the older leaves from your Mexican Fan Palm tree where the trunk can become covered in dead leaves that will then form a shaggy, unsightly brown sheath which is also referred to as a hula skirt that will extend all the way to the ground almost. The truck is straight yet swollen at the base of the tree and it has no crownshaft but it is topped with 20 to 25 large fronds that form the crown of this magnificent tree.
9. The Leaves of the Mexican Palm
This tree sports very rich and glossy green, palmate, or fan-shaped leaves that are about five feet long and four feet wide. They also have leaflets that are shaped like a lance that have very pretty, drooping tips that provide a very tropical and stunning appearance to the landscape in which they are located. The petioles that are formed on more mature palm trees are armed with very sharp thorns that are short and can be missed when you are trimming your palm tree, so you should be very careful as to not cut yourself.
10. Beautiful Flowers
The Mexican Fan Palm tree produces small cream-colored flowers every year late in the spring. The flowers grow in clusters and are located on the branched inflorescence that is eight to 10 feet long and extends past the leaves of this beautiful tree. The flowers then develop into black berry-like drupes that are about one-half inch in diameter. The fruits have a very thin flesh, but you can eat them since they are edible. They are very sweet and taste similar to dates and can be dried or even made into jelly or jam.
11. Not That Wide
The Mexican Fan Palm Tree only spreads out about five to ten feet wide at its crown. It may be a tall yet smaller in width type of tree, but that does not take away from its beauty or popularity in the areas of the United States that are conducive to growing this gorgeous tree.
12. Let There Be Light on This Tree
A Mexican Fan Palm Tree grows and flourishes best when it is in full sunlight, but it can tolerate some amount of shade while it is young. This makes it a good tree to use both indoors and outdoors since it can still grow in partial shade until it gets older, then it will need more sunlight.
13. Water is Required
The Mexican Fan Palm tree needs a moderate amount of water to grow and flourish in a faster amount of time. It enjoys well-drained soil that is moist and can also tolerate drought conditions although it thrives much better when it has an adequate supply of water.
14. Prevention of Nutrient Deficiency
Although Mexican fan palm trees do not require much maintenance and only need to be pruned once every year, it is essential that you prevent them from suffering from nutritional deficiencies. The best way to achieve this is by applying a very good high-quality pump fertilizer that contains a continuous release formula. the problem fertilizer should be applied two times every year during the growing season.
15. Propagation of the Mexican Fan Palm Tree
The Mexican Fan Palm tree is propagated by seeds. It is best to sow seeds fresh during the springtime months each year and it will take around four weeks for germination to happen. You will see that the seedlings will grow quickly and will have about four little leaves on them after only about six months of growth.
16. Remove the Skirt
As we talked about before, the Mexican fan palm tree has what is referred to as a hula skirt Franz that begins to cover the trunk of the tree and form a brown covering that reminds people of a hula skirt. These fronds should be removed to prevent a fire hazard. As this tree grows taller, it can become self-pruning but at least 50 percent of the fronds should be left on the tree so that the proper amount of photosynthesis can occur. Keep in mind that the fronds can be damaged, just like the leaves of this beautiful tree, when the temperatures reach 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
17. Wind and Location
As we stated before, the Mexican Fan Palm tree is easy to grow in very well-drained soil and enjoys full sun to partial sunlight. This tree is not only tolerant of drought but is also tolerant to wind and salt, which means it can be planted in areas close to the ocean or sea. It is even very often used in coastal plantings, but due to the height of 100 feet that it reaches, this tree looks best when it is planted in lawns with tall houses or buildings. It is also many times planted as a tree along a street or even in parking lot areas.
18. Issues That are Harmful to the Mexican Fan Palm Tree
A lack of potassium in this beautiful tree can cause what is referred to as leaflet tip necrosis, which will cause the leaves to die. It can also suffer discoloration of its leaves and even premature death of the oldest leaves if this tree does not receive enough potassium. Most insects will not harm the Mexican fan palm tree but you should look out for spider mites and scale as well as fungus diseases that can cause trunk rot, leaf discoloration, and premature death of the oldest leaves. There are very few insect problems but watch for spider mites and scale.
Fungus diseases can cause trunk rot. According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, there are other diseases that can affect the Mexican Fan Palm tree, such as Fusarium wilt, which is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. palmarum. This is a relatively newer tree disease that has been found recently in Florida. There are several other diseases that can affect this beautiful tree that you should look out for so that you can keep your tree looking amazing and in good health if you decide to grow one on your own.
19. Connection to a President
As stated before, the Mexican Fan Palm tree belongs to the genus of Washingtonia and was actually named for President George Washington. The robusta part of its name means that it is a very hardy palm tree and it will thrive with very little care, especially if you live in an area that is very good for its growth.
20. These Trees in Unusual Places
Even though the Mexican Fan Palm Tree is native to Mexico and is more prevalent in Florida, it can also grow in other drier areas, such as California and Nevada, but can also be found in more unusual areas of the United States. This is because of the fact that they can actually grow underground and in small pockets of water. These trees are also only slightly drought resistant, so you must remember to water them frequently to keep the soil moist.
This depends though on the type of weather you have in your area, because most of the time, rainwater will be enough of a supply of water for your Mexican fan palm tree to grow and flourish. It will need to be watered more frequently when it is young to keep it healthy, so you should water it at least once a week, especially if the top inch layer of soil is dry since you do not want to ever let it dry out fully.
And there you have it, the 20 most interesting facts about the Mexican fan palm tree. Now that you are aware of these facts, you can keep your eyes peeled when you were out walking or hiking in the many different areas in which this amazing tree grows so you can spot it and point it out to your friends and family. Also, if you live in Florida, Mexico, or even California or Nevada and would like one of these trees in your own yard or landscaping, you will be much more equipped and better prepared to care for it properly so it grows, thrives, and flourishes for many years to come.
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