European Fan Palm

European Fan Palm, Chamaerops humilis, is a slow-growing clumping palm and one of only two palms native to Europe, from rocky hillsides around the western Mediterranean. Stiff fan-shaped fronds in light green to silver blue rise on spiny stalks from several stocky trunks, making a compact plant for courtyards, containers, and foundation beds. Grow it in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil; it takes a range of soils but rots in soggy ground, and it stays most compact in sun. Hardy in USDA zones 8 to 11, it is tougher than most palms, and established plants handle brief dips near 10 degrees, including north Florida winters. Expect 8 to 15 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide after many years. It tolerates drought and heat once established, and small yellow flowers open among the leaf bases in spring. Keep the toothed leaf stalks clear of walkways.