| The Cold Hardy Windmill Fan Palm tree originated on | | | | the leaves and stems to make the Windmill Palm tree |
| the island of Chusan off the east coast of China, and | | | | even more cold hardy. |
| the Windmill palm tree is often called the Chinese or | | | | The Windmill Palm tree is most often grown as a |
| Chusan Fan Palm. Robert Fortune smuggled Windmill | | | | solitary, single trunk plant, however, some Windmill |
| palm plants from China into the Kew Horticultural | | | | Palm nursery growers offer double or triple trees |
| Gardens and into the Royal garden of Prince Albert | | | | growing in the same container as large as 100 gallons. |
| of England in 1849 after the Opium Wars of China | | | | These huge 10 foot tall Windmill Palm trees are |
| ended. The Windmill Palm tree was named in Latin, | | | | choice, tropical looking specimens for malls and at |
| Trachycarpus fortunei, after Robert Fortune, and | | | | entrances to governmental buildings. The Windmill |
| after 158 years, in the year 2007, these Windmill Fan | | | | Palm tree can be easily shipped by UPS on short |
| Palm trees are still growing gracefully as a | | | | orders, and large Windmill Palm trees can be shipped |
| distinguished, exotic, rare tree at Kew Gardens, a | | | | by semi-truck, motor freight lines. Shipping Windmill |
| palm of noble bearing. | | | | Palm trees can be easily done any season, and the |
| From Kew Gardens in England, the Windmill Palm tree | | | | survival rate is excellent for large specimens. Very |
| was spread throughout Europe, from the | | | | large specimens of Windmill Palm trees have been |
| Mediterranean hot climates of Italy and Greece to a | | | | recently installed at the entrance of the new Cloister |
| cold hardy testing ground in the landscape gardens of | | | | Resort Hotel-a 5-star hotel-located at Sea Island, |
| Switzerland and Bulgaria, where the Windmill Palm | | | | Georgia, where the Windmill Palm tree is not only |
| trees have remarkably survived, leaves even | | | | tropical in appearance and cold hardy, but completely |
| remaining green when covered with ice or snow. | | | | resistant to the Atlantic Ocean salt water air |
| During the past seven years, truckloads of Windmill | | | | problems. The Cloister hotel has grown smaller |
| Fan Palm trees have been transported and planted in | | | | Windmill Palm trees at various out buildings for past |
| Canada and have survived the extreme cold winters | | | | years successfully. The expense of installing large |
| in New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, and | | | | Windmill Palm trees can be offset by planting small |
| Michigan. | | | | specimens that can be expected to grow about one |
| Although most Windmill Palm nursery growers are | | | | foot each year. Because of the recent success of |
| conservative in recommending the Windmill Palm tree | | | | planting large specimen trees of the tropical looking |
| planting to be restricted to growing in zones 8-10; | | | | Windmill Palm tree in Canada and Northern U.S. |
| other Windmill Palm Nursery growers recommend and | | | | States, many gardeners are now experimenting with |
| guarantee this rare palm tree to grow in zones 3-10. | | | | planting small Windmill Palm trees in the North, before |
| There has been a rush by Northern nursery retailers | | | | the plant has developed a sufficient dense fiber |
| to plant Windmill Palm trees for the home gardener, | | | | covering to make the tree cold hardy enough to |
| who wants that tropical look and accent around his | | | | survive the deep freezes in the Northern States. |
| pool or patio. The Windmill Palm tree is planted at | | | | Typically the Windmill Palm tree has a history of |
| plant nurseries from seed, where they grow about | | | | surviving over 150 years of age in the Western |
| one foot each year. The slow growth of the Windmill | | | | World at a height of 40 feet, but accurate reports |
| Palm is partially responsible for its cold hardiness. | | | | of Windmill Palm trees, native to the Island of Chusan |
| Another characteristic that is inherently cold hardy is | | | | in Eastern China, do not exist in translated texts, but |
| that the fibers that cover the trunk insulate the | | | | conceivably could reach 100 feet in height. The rapid |
| growing center of the tree. The brown-gray color of | | | | growth of Western influence on the development of |
| the burlap-like fibers cover the trunk like a wool | | | | China will undoubtedly reveal many more interesting |
| covering in winter, and the dark color attracts the | | | | botanical, developmental facts concerning the Windmill |
| warmth of the sunlight. A coarse green wax covers | | | | Palm tree in the near future. |