Species · genus Livistona · Arecaceae

Chinese Fan Palm

Livistona chinensis (Jacq.) R.Br. ex Mart.

Also known as: Fountain Palm · Chinese Fountain Palm · Fan Palm

Growth habit

tree

Native range

China Southeast, Hainan, Japan, Nansei-shoto, Taiwan

Livistona chinensis — reference photo — no rights reserved · CC0

Cultivars of L. chinensis

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under L. chinensis yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A Fan-Leaved Palm

Livistona chinensis, the Chinese fan palm, is a single-stemmed evergreen palm in the Arecaceae family, known also as the Chinese fountain palm. It is grown both as a landscape tree in mild climates and, when young, as a container or conservatory specimen.

Source: RHS

Native to East Asia

This palm's natural range runs from southern Japan through to China's Guangdong province, and more broadly from southern China to Vietnam and temperate East Asia. It grows chiefly in the subtropical biome, and beyond ornamental planting it has a history of use in Colombia for food, materials, and medicine.

Source: Kew

Light, Water, Feed

Grown under glass or as a container plant summered outdoors, it wants a peat-free, loam-based compost and a spot in full or bright indirect light. Water generously through the growing season, then cut back to sparing waterings over winter, and feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser while it is actively growing.

Source: RHS

Starting From Seed

Propagation is by seed, sown in containers and kept at around 23C, with sowing best done in spring.

Source: RHS

Trunk, Fans, and Fruit

Left to its own growth it becomes a substantial palm, reaching up to twelve metres with a stout trunk and long-stalked, fan-shaped leaves as long as two metres, their segments drooping in a linear fashion. In summer it sends up panicles of small cream flowers, which are followed by glossy fruits in blue-green or pinkish tones.

Source: RHS

Mites and Scale

Glasshouse red spider mite and scale insect are the pests most likely to trouble this palm, so it is worth watching the fronds for their early signs.

Source: RHS

Little Pruning Needed

This is a slow, long-lived palm, taking anywhere from twenty to fifty years to reach maturity, and it is generally disease-free. Pruning is largely unnecessary, which keeps its upkeep simple once it is settled.

Source: RHS

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

10–29 °C

Soil mix

Rich, well-draining loamy mix

Propagation

Seed; slow and patience-testing

Fertilizing

Balanced palm feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Does not flower as an indoor plant

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Chinese Fan Palm yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.