The Mexican Fan Palm Tree, scientific name Washingtonia robusta, is a very popular indoor and outdoor palm because of its striking appearance and cold hardiness which makes it a great choice for landscapes. This is a cold-hardy, drought-resistant, and inexpensive palm that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. 

Mexican Fan Palm Tree Info

Scientific name: Washingtonia robusta

Common names: The Mexican Fan Palm is also known as Washington Palm and Skyduster.

Family: Arecaceae

Origin: It is native to desert regions of Mexico.

Appearance: It has a single gray trunk ringed by old leaf bases, about 33 cm in diameter. The Mexican Fan Palm requires some maintenance to keep its attractive look.

Old leaves need to be trimmed, otherwise, the trunk will be sheathed in dead leaves, that form a brown, shaggy covering, also called a “hula skirt”, that extends nearly to the ground. The trunk is straight, a little swollen at the base, has no crown shaft, topped with a crown of 20-25 large fronds.

Leaves are rich glossy green, palmate, or fan-shaped, about 1.5 m long and 1.2 m wide. They have lance-shaped leaflets with elegant drooping tips that provide a very tropical appearance to the landscape. The petioles of mature palms are armed with short, sharp thorns. Be careful when trimming.

Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast. Washingtonia robusta is a fast-growing palm that can get up to 15 – 18 m tall and 1.5 – 3 m wide but usually is not taller than 12m.

Outdoor/Indoor Use: Both.

Light Req: Full sun to partial shade. The Mexican Fan Palm needs growth best in full sun but will tolerate some shade while young.

Water Req: Moderate. It can also tolerate drought but grows much faster when receiving plenty of water. It likes moist well-drained soil.

Maintenance: Easy. It doesn’t require much maintenance and can be pruned annually. To prevent nutritional deficiency, apply good quality palm fertilizer that has continuous-release formula twice a year during the growing season.