Chinese Fan Palms, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida
Chinese fan palm is a slow, tidy fan palm with glossy, drooping leaf tips that handles heat, drought and part shade in Southwest Florida. It is best as a specimen or a small grouping. One caution: it is on Florida's invasive plant list (Category II) because birds spread its seed, so we suggest native sabal palm near preserves and wetlands.
- Light:
- Full sun to part shade
- Water:
- Moderate; drought tolerant once established
- Salt:
- Moderate; tolerates some salt spray
Chinese Fan Palm sizes we deliver and plant
Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.
| Variety or form | Sizes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese Fan Palm | 15 Gallon, Field Grown 8'-10' | A single-trunk palm in 15 gallon and field-grown 8 to 10 ft sizes, for a classic specimen. |
| Chinese Fan Palm (multi-trunk) | Field Grown 6', Field Grown 9'-13' | Several trunks in one clump, field-grown at 6 ft and 9 to 13 ft, for a fuller focal planting. |
Chinese Fan Palm in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- Up to about 30 ft tall in time, though 15 to 20 ft is typical for many years; crown 10 to 12 ft wide
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate; drought tolerant once established
- Salt tolerance
- Moderate; tolerates some salt spray
- Cold tolerance
- Very hardy for a palm; fronds burn near 20°F, so SW Florida freezes rarely bother it
- Growth rate
- Slow to moderate
- Spacing
- 10 to 12 ft on center in a row
- Florida native
- No
- Botanical name
- Livistona chinensis
Where Chinese Fan Palm works in a SW Florida yard
Chinese fan palm gives a soft, weeping tropical look in yards that get some shade. Use a single as a specimen near an entry, or the multi-trunk form as a fuller focal clump at the corner of a bed.
Underplant with bromeliads, cast iron plant or ornamental ginger. Leave 10 to 12 ft between palms and 8 to 10 ft from the house so the broad fronds can open without rubbing walls or roofs.
- Lush specimen palm
- Part-shade tropical beds
- Courtyard and entry accent
- Multi-trunk focal clump
How our crew plants it
Never plant a palm deeper than it grew: set the root ball level with the soil in a hole twice as wide, with no amended backfill. Taller field-grown palms are braced until the roots anchor.
The crew waters it in and cleans up. Lee and Collier allow extra watering for new plantings. The warm, wet months are the best time to plant for faster rooting.
Care after planting
- Use a controlled-release 8-2-12 palm fertilizer with magnesium and micronutrients in spring and early fall, and none between June 1 and September 30.
- Potassium deficiency is fairly common in Florida's sandy soil and shows as yellow-orange speckling on older fronds, so keep up the feeding.
- Cut off the fruit stalks before the fruit ripens so birds do not spread the seed.
- Trim only dead, brown fronds, and wear gloves, because young palms have spiny leaf stems.
- Water regularly while it establishes and through the dry season.
What to watch for
- Chinese fan palm is on Florida's invasive plant list (Category II) and UF/IFAS urges caution because birds and small mammals spread the seed, so we steer lots on preserves, wetlands or natural edges to native sabal palm and advise cutting off seed stalks before the fruit ripens.
- Lethal bronzing, a palm disease spread by planthoppers, is known to affect Chinese fan palm, with yellowing or browning fronds and a dying spear leaf and no cure once symptoms show.
- Ganoderma butt rot, a soil fungus, can rot the lower trunk of an older palm, and a shelf-like conk at the base is the warning sign.
Chinese Fan Palm questions we hear
Is Chinese fan palm invasive in Florida?+
It is on Florida's invasive plant list at Category II, and UF/IFAS says to use it with caution because birds and small mammals spread its seeds. In a managed yard, cut off seed stalks before the fruit ripens. Next to a preserve or wetland, a native sabal palm is the better pick.
How big does a Chinese fan palm get?+
It is slow, and for many years it stays in the 15 to 20 ft range. Given time it can reach about 30 ft with a 10 to 12 ft crown. The leaves are 3 to 4 ft across with drooping tips, so leave 10 to 12 ft between palms.
Can a Chinese fan palm take shade and a freeze?+
Yes to both. It grows in light shade or full sun, and it is hardy to about 20°F, so a normal Southwest Florida freeze will not hurt it. Inland spots like Lehigh Acres can see frost, but the damage is usually only leaf burn. Growth is slower in shade.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on Chinese Fan Palm
Tell us what and how many. Quinten prices it from the nursery's live list and texts you back, usually within the hour during the day.
Only need the plant delivered, no planting? It is on our nursery's list at Palm & Plant Co.
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