Martius' fan palm, Himalayan palm
Trachycarpus martianus
Family: Arecaceae
What it is like
A fan palm. It grows 10-12 m high and is 15 cm across the trunk. The trunk is bare except for tight fibres for about 60 cm below the crown. The leaf splits to about half way. The new leaf spear and edges of the leaf stalks are covered with a white covering. The leaves are large. They can be 1 m across. They are dark green and shiny but with a grey-green bloom underneath. The flowering stalk is drooping with yellow flowers. The fruit are yellow but turn blue-black when ripe. They are oblong. The seeds are coffee bean shape. The seed has a groove along it. The fruit have a thin layer of edible flesh. The fruit are 12 mm long by 7-8 mm across.
There are 6 Trachycarpus species.
Where it is found
It grows at 1500 m altitude in the hills of NE India. They also occur at 2400 m in Nepal. They grow on acid soil. They can tolerate occasional light frost. It suits subtropical to temperate zones. They need an open sunny location and acidic and well drained soil. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Myanmar, Nepal, SE Asia
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Leaves, fruit
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed. Seeds germinate quite easily.
It is slow growing.