Windmill Palm Tree

Get Tropical Vibes Even in Cold Weather With This Cold Tolerant Palm Tree!

Say hello to the Chinese Windmill Palm Tree! Trachycarpus fortunei is the solution to adding a touch of paradise to your landscape no matter how far north you live!

The small Windmill Palm tree is one of the most cold tolerant palm tree cultivars available and we have even seen it grown as far north as Tennessee and Virginia and the pacific northwest. This species of windmill fan palm, sometimes called the Chusan Palm from Chusan Island where Robert Fortune first saw cultivated specimens.

The Windmill Palm features lush, green fronds that fan out from its branches with oblong leaves. It may lose its dark green color in cold weather.

Perfect for planting around your pool and can be grown in a variety of locations. While it has no edible fruit, it does flower and bloom.

This windmill tree produces yellow bushy, cascading flowers on both male and female flowering plants. These yellow flowers appear higher up the trunk of the ornamental tree near the hairy black fibers from old leaf sheaths on growing palm trees.

Best known for its pest and disease resistance, slow growth rate, and cold temperature tolerance. One of the hardiest palm trees out there! It even received the prestigious award of garden merit from the Royal Horticulture Society in the UK.

Buy our Windmill Palm trees for sale!

How Fast Does a Windmill Palm Grow 

Windmill Palm growth rate is less than 8 inches per year or possibly anywhere from 2 to 3 feet if grown in their preferred conditions.

How to Plant a Windmill Palm Tree 

Plant this cold hardy palm tree in a location where it can grow strong shallow root systems. It is very easy to grow and the fan shaped, dark green foliage brings an instant tropical vibe to any landscape, even colder climates. To plant a Windmill Palm, choose a planting location that offers adequate sunlight and shade in a low traffic area. Allow proper clearance for the mature growth size. Well-drained soil is ideal. Water regularly for the first planted year to ensure adequate water is available for establishing a strong root system. Prune as necessary to remove any damaged or dead foliage and to promote a well-balanced structure.

The best time to plant is in early spring or fall! You can use Perfect Plants Palm Fertilizer (which is the best fertilizer for Windmill Palm trees) to enrich the soil for this tropical palm tree plant.  This is a slow release fertilizer that should be applied every 3 months during the spring and summer growing seasons. Be sure to keep adequate moisture in the soil while the roots are established in the first year. A regular watering schedule is best for these slow growing trees.

How Tall Do Windmill Palms Get 

A Windmill Palm can grow to an average of 10 to 40 feet tall in maturity. The Windmill Palm height is most commonly seen around 10-15 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide. 

How to Trim a Windmill Palm Tree 

Cutting back a palm tree will not make it grow faster. So it's recommended that you avoid pruning Windmill Palm except when really needed, like to remove dead or dying fronds, although those can protect the rest of the part from the summer sun. If you're going to trim a Windmill Palm, it's recommended that you wait until spring..

How Care for a Windmill Palm 

The Chinese Windmill Palm prefers full sun to partial shade and can adapt to a variety of soil conditions as long as its well drained soils. It can be susceptible to root rot if the soil for windmill palm is not well draining. This tree is drought tolerant and exceptionally pollution tolerant as well. It is very easy to care for palm trees!

The potted windmill palm tree grows best across the United States in USDA hardiness zones 7-11. In USDA zones below this, it will need winter protection or be planted in a container to bring indoors for winter. The Windmill Palm cold tolerance can handle temperatures down to 5 F. Learn how to plant a palm tree!

Ask a question