European Fan Palm

The Essence

"The European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis) is a hardy, shrub-like fan palm and the only species in its genus. It is one of just two palms native to mainland Europe (alongside Phoenix theophrasti) and the northernmost naturally occurring palm in the world, with the northernmost native specimen standing at 44 degrees N near Genoa, Italy. Native to the rocky hills and mountains of the western and central Mediterranean, it typically forms a clump of several stems and grows extremely slowly, usually reaching 2-5 m (10-20 ft). Its fan-shaped leaves carry 10-20 narrow, finger-like leaflets on spiny stalks, and bright yellow flowers appear in spring. Among the most cold-hardy of all palms, the standard green form tolerates roughly -12 C (10 F), and it holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, making it a popular choice for temperate-climate landscaping. It is also very drought-tolerant once established and re-sprouts readily from underground rhizomes after fire."

The species has a long record of traditional and economic use: its leaves have been used to make brooms and to weave mats and baskets, and POWO lists additional uses as animal food, medicine, fuel and food.