Species

Trachycarpus fortunei

Common Name(s)

Chinese windmill palm

Authority

Trachycarpus fortunei (Hook.) H.Wendl.

Family

Arecaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

TRAFOR

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.

Structural Class

Monocotyledonous Trees and Shrubs

Habitat

Terrestrial. Disturbed bush and shrubland margins, river and stream edges, wetlands.

Features

Medium sized palm with straight trunk, unbranched, from 4-12 m high. The 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. Numerous yellow flowers produced. The fruit is 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

Year Naturalised

1959

Origin

China

Control Techniques

<b>Preferred Control</b><br>Best not to plant it. Try another palm species that does not set viable seed.<br><br>

Reason For Introduction
Ornamental

Life Cycle Comments
Perennial

Reproduction
Seed

Seed
Prolific seed production.

Dispersal
Birds, People, Gravity

Tolerances
Moderately cold and drought tolerant once established.

This page last updated on 8 May 2011