Palm · Arecaceae Draft — unreviewed
Mexican fan palm
Washingtonia robusta
Very tall, slender fan palm that quickly outgrows the scale of most homes. Common along streets in the low desert and Florida.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 15–25 m (49–82 ft) tall and 3–4 m (10–13 ft) wide; fast growth, about 10 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.45) from the BB-3in install size.
Design notes
- Frond pruning at height is costly; consider shorter palms for residential lots.
- Seeds readily near irrigation and water features.
Regions
Native range: Northwestern Mexico.
Not recorded as native to any of the three pilot regions.
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
California fan palm
Washingtonia filifera · Palm · 9–15 m (30–49 ft)
Mediterranean fan palm
Chamaerops humilis · Palm · 1.5–3 m (5–10 ft)
Date palm
Phoenix dactylifera · Palm · 12–20 m (39–66 ft)
Cabbage palmetto
Sabal palmetto · Palm · 9–15 m (30–49 ft)
Windmill palm
Trachycarpus fortunei · Palm · 4–9 m (13–30 ft)
Glossy abelia
Abelia × grandiflora · Shrub · 1.2–1.8 m (4–6 ft)
Plan with Mexican fan palm
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.