Trachycarpus fortunei
Common name
Chinese windmill palm
Family
Arecaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Monocotyledons
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
TRAFOR
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Terrestrial. Disturbed bush and shrubland margins, river and stream edges, wetlands.
Detailed description
Medium sized palm with straight trunk, unbranched, from 4–12 m tall. Trunk covered with dark brown fibrous remains of petiole bases. Leaves fan-shaped, 75–100 cm, divided into numerous narrow leaflets. Petioles about 1 m long with stout sharp marginal teeth. Flowers numerous, yellow. Fruit a small berry about 10 mm, yellow at first, later deep blue-black.
Similar taxa
Three other Trachycarpus species are also cultivated in New Zealand. T. martianus has fibrous leaf scars restricted to just below leaves; T. takil has fibres closely appressed to the trunk; T. wagnerianus has smaller leaves (to 45 cm), fibres closely attached to trunk and white flowers.
Flowering
November, December, January
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
March
Life cycle
Perennial. Prolific seed is produced which is dispersed by birds, people and gravity.
Year naturalised
1959
Origin
China
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Control techniques
Invasive and hard to control, best not to plant it. Try another palm species that does not set viable seed.
Tolerances
Moderately cold and drought tolerant once established.