Chamaerops humilis - Hardy & Exotic Mediterranean Fan Palms

[@fraserdavidson2366]

Thanks, George. I wish I had a larger garden to plant more of the palms you recommend. I'm looking forward to seeing the fire pit area come together.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

I wish I had a larger garden to grow more of these too haha! I'm pleased to hear you're enjoying the vids and I've made some changes so hopefully progress will be a bit quicker this year.

[@heftysgarden]

My chamaerops is around 18yrs old, lives in full shade more or less and its now over 12ft tall from base to tip! Definitely the main focal feature of my tiny garden in SE London

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Fantastic, was it yours I saw on one of the Facebook groups recently?

[@heftysgarden]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden yeah that was mine :) planted it waaaaaaaay before i had any interest in plants or gardening and now yeah its massive and super healthy - so pleased i planted it so long ago :)

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@heftysgarden Awesome, it looked great! I hope I look back on mine in 20 years time and feel the same way!

[@user-wq3zg7uk2z]

Chamaerhops looks nice!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

They're lovely palms, more bushy than Trachycarpus and definitely a good choice for sunny, exposed spots.

[@stevebacon1026]

Hello george. Well done , a very interrsting video. I have a couple of those palms. One in the ground , one in a lsrge pot. Both are doing well. Im just going into garden to try and do a bit of tydying. Me mussaba is still growing! Its been covered since early december and has grown at least nearly a foot!. Me gunnies are starting to push up the fleece as well. Right , got me thernals on , lets see whats going on out there! All the best . Regards steve.👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Steve, thanks and great to hear your garden is doing well! Amazing to hear your plants are actually growing! It'll soon be that time again when the Gunnera really get growing and the whole cycle begins again. Despite the losses and cold, you're completely right that it's time to get out there are start looking forwards - hopefully to a sunny spring!

[@estherterrier6400]

These individual plant videos are very helpful, thanks 😀 they also encourage me to buy more plants 😂

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Haha thanks, I'm pleased you're enjoying them even if they do turn out to be quite expensive viewing!

[@giardinodialberi8751]

Excellent in-depth coverage, thanks. I'm also pleased you included 'Vulcano'.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much for watching! Yes, 'Vulcano' is perhaps my favourite and takes the wind tolerance to the next level. Lovely plants for a Mediterranean or arid style garden!

[@ruthkarl9113]

Thank you for your enthusiasm! Very informative video. Will be planting one soon.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks, I’m pleased you got something from it and all the best with yours - hopefully we get some sun to enjoy soon! 😊

[@shineamenmbs3107]

Your Chamaerops humilis "Cerifera" is so beautiful. I like the regular one as well. The growth is not that slow in
open ground. My "Vulcano" is doing really good, I'll send you a picture at the end of Summer.
Can't wait to be back to your Mediterranean area! Merci George!🌴

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Bernard, they're all lovely palms and will be a main feature in my Mediterranean area. You're completely right, they're not glacially slow but I like to be realistic with people who aren't experienced at growing a range of exotics - they're certainly not rockets like Trachycarpus nova etc. I'm pleased to hear your 'Vulcano' is going well and I look forward to seeing how well it grows this summer!

[@shineamenmbs3107]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thank you George for your always friendly and detailed answers!💚

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@shineamenmbs3107 Thanks Bernard, I try! All the best and see you soon!

[@philippehoyez9398]

It is true that the hooks of the chaemerops humilis located on the stems are formidable. I always approach them with thick gloves and long sleeves when I have to clean the palm tree. I scrape the hooks with a closed pruner before pruning them to put them in the compost. The Vulcano variety is less aggressive.The cerifera variety is very accommodating because I transplanted it 3 times successfully ! I use them to garnish the feet of large Trachycarpus fortunei.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

They are indeed and it sounds like you're well prepared for the job! I didn't realise they transplanted that well, I knew they were tough but that's impressive. I'll be using mine in a similar way here, I like the idea of using the similar foliage and colours to visually tie that area of the garden together. I hope everything grows well for you this year!

[@absolutepsyvids4444]

Chamaerops humilis is my favourite palm tree! It's cold hardy to -12c !

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

They're beauties indeed, great choice! This winter has definitely been a challenge for Chamaerops growing in most areas as the temperature remained below freezing for so long but hopefully most of them made it through!

[@VictoriaFalletti]

Hey George, great vid as always. So nice to hear Big plant getting a mention, they are just up the road from me and I practically live there. My chamaerops humilis has sailed through the winter despite being in shade but my big trachy only 6 ft away is looking very iffy...

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much and I've had a fair few plants from there! I'd definitely live there too if my garden was just down the road haha, lucky you! What temperatures did you see? It's surprising to hear your Trachy has suffered...

[@palmdaddy]

Excellent video. Thx 👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks, I'm pleased you found it interesting!

[@PaulConnor100]

Great tips as usual George 👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much Paul, pleased to hear it!

[@stephanietaylor1572]

Great video, very informative as I have just bought a chamaerops palm and I wanted to know the best place to plant it. You have answered that question for me thank you so much.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much Stephanie, pleased to have helped! I hope it grows well for you!

[@PeterEntwistle]

Another great video George, full of great tips! Chamaerops humilis is a lovely palm, I got a small plant last year and at least for the time being I'm going to keep it growing in a pot along with my olive trees, they really help create a Mediterranean feel to the patio area 😀

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much Peter and I can't fault you! Great combo with the olive trees too, hopefully I can capture a bit of that Mediterranean vibe myself this spring!

[@seansmith445]

They can look absolutely amazing as single trunk palm trees. I've seen some fine examples. This is the way I intend to grow mine. I shall just snip off the suckers at the bottom whenever they appear.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

They can indeed and if I had one with a particularly strong central trunk, I guess that's the way I'd grow it. As younger plants though, I generally enjoy the bushier look seeing as they're slower growing palms anyway.

[@louiset445]

Really helpful video as ever, George. Thank you! I'm almost pleased that your firepit area is taking a while to sort; it makes me feel better about the fact my WHOLE GARDEN is taking a while to sort! 😆🙈
However, I don't have the excuse of a brand new baby slowing my progress! Congratulations by the way, she's beautiful. 🌴

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Haha thank you so much Louise and I’m pleased to make you feel better about your garden progress! Harriet is definitely my number one excuse right now but if I wasn’t filming videos I’d have almost certainly got it mostly done last year haha. Never mind! There’s loads of other jobs to do here, bits of the garden that are a complete mess but in all honesty I’m sure I’d be bored if everything was just instantly finished without room for creativity! Hopefully some warmer weather soon gives us both chance to enjoy making (slow!) progress 😃

[@saltlifess6226]

Your absolutely right, slow growing! Mine have been in the ground here in Florida for 7 years and are only 6 foot tall. Wouldn't be without them tho

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Yep! Not necessarily a bad thing as they're beautiful, adaptable and tough. That's why I tried to make the comparison with them being more of a bush / shrub, if you plant them knowing that's how they develop then you won't be disappointed they're not touching the clouds in 5 years!

[@saltlifess6226]

Right you are

[@markborder906]

@@saltlifess6226
6 foot in 7 years! I wish I had that sort of growth. I’m in SE U.K. and. Mine have been in. 10 years, the biggest is, perhaps nearly 3 foot tall.

[@darren9279]

Really love you videos, best on UA-cam. I've grown many palms 🌴 over the years including Chamaerops Humilis. Since moving house 2 years ago I had to leave my Chamaerops Humilis in old garden. I have ordered a mature Chamaerops which is due to be delivered this week!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Darren and thank you so much! It's great to hear you're enjoying my videos and that you're also a big palm fan. I hope the mature Chamaerops is a cracker, good choice!

[@darren9279]

@George’s Jungle Garden It has arrived and is certainly a cracker!! Going to wait until the end of March to plant it in the ground, especially with the cold snap forecast for next week

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@darren9279 Awesome Darren! Enjoy and that sounds very wise. Hopefully on the way out of wintery weather now!

[@johnsandham1415]

Great video as usual 👌

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much John!

[@sandorspalms]

One of my favourite palms 👍😁

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

You have great taste! Lovely plants 😃

[@omarjaved9748]

With chamaerops you also have the option to prune away the suckers and grow a small, single trunked palm. You might get a 5/6 foot palm in 20 years so a good idea for the smaller garden but getting a more typical palm look.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Very true, Dave Brown over at Hardy Tropicals has a stunning example. Not quick like you say but certainly attractive and well suited to a smaller space.

[@cboaustralia]

Great plant George a true stunner of the palm world. I came across in my local garden centre chamerops fortunei large specimens looks exactly like a fortunei plam but silvery leaves don’t know if you have ever heard of this? I haven’t seen anything like these in the uk suppliers online I’m just wondering if it’s a typo on the label.

[@Buuge124]

I’ve seen Trachycarpus fortunei mislabelled as Chaemarops excelsa quite a few times.
If it’s got spines on the stem then it is Chamaerops humilis if it doesn’t chances are it’s a Trachycarpus fortunei - especially if it’s an average garden centre.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks for jumping in @Buuge124 and I've seen them labelled as Chamaerops excelsa in bigger garden centres too, an old trade name for Trachycarpus fortunei I believe. You're completely right on the spines tip, a great way to tell them apart if you're not used to the other intricacies.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

They're certainly stunners @cboaustralia and the reply below is bang on. They'll either be Chamaerops or Trachycarpus (so a typo / mislabelling) and the silvery leaves would push me towards thinking Chamaerops but both plants can be very similar and quite variable in smaller sizes.

[@Knobblytyressoggysocks]

I’ve got mine in huge pots, went through the drought well and sit happily over winter in a sheltered corner near the house. They look fabulous even in a traditional English garden.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Fantastic, they're a great plant choice for big pots! Good to hear they're doing well near your house too. You're completely right, they definitely bring a touch of the exotic to any garden, no matter what other plants you enjoy growing.

[@missdimples1982]

At first I thought you said Pop Culture Plant's, like they would bust out a gig 🎉

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Haha yes, unfortunately not! I imagine the automated subtitles will probably use the same translation haha!

[@eleanoraddy4683]

I've got my first ever snowdrop blooming! Only one so far

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

That's fantastic, well done! You'll have huge swathes of them in years to come I'm sure!

[@markborder906]

Good video. I have 3, in the ground, the type, cerifera and ‘Volcano’.
BTW, I want your T shirt!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks and nice one Mark! Yes, it’s an Amazon special like most of my clothes are 😂

[@ThePalmDude]

Hey George! Great video as always.... But then you knew i'd say that 😃. Cerifera is my favourite Variant but vulcano is a real beauty too, both for me are very rapidly growing here, not in height but how many fronds they throw out, strangely I'd say my vulcanos actually put out more per season than any others.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi and thanks haha, your predictability and praise are both equally welcome! I'm completely with you, 'Cerifera' is the most striking looking but I'm probably looking forward to seeing my 'Vulcano' plants develop the most. It's encouraging to hear how well they grow, I suppose they put out a lot of fronds per foot of trunk growth though don't they!

[@markborder906]

Same with my ‘Volcano’, always puts out most fronds than the others.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@markborder906 Interesting to hear, we’ll see how kind do but I have high hopes now 😃

[@Rocketman0407]

Beatiful palm, do you have Parajubaea or Brahea too?
What is your dream palms you have not bought yet?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks, it certainly is! I don't have Parajubaea but have a small Brahea armata and a Butiagrus eriospatha. As for dream palms, probably some of the Jubaea hybrids but I tend not to think too much about the tropical palms we've got no chance of growing here!

[@newyorktropicalgarden9364]

Great video as always. I wish I lived in the UK and had access to where you buy your palms!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much! I'm surprised you can't get them easier than us but I guess buying between states can be trickier than English companies importing from mainland Europe. I hope you manage to track down what your'e looking for this year!

[@dontpanc885916]

Hi George, another great vid I love med palms last year bought a 1.5m beauty but despite frost protection in a sheltered location most of the fronds seem to have died including new spears. Guess -13 was to much for it here in Cambridge, still we live in hope. (All the Trachys are fine) Looking forward to the fire pit project. Keep the vid’s coming.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much and sorry to hear about you palm - I hope it bounces back. Unfortunately this has been the coldest winter in a decade or so and -13 is definitely very challenging indeed. Hopefully we get some warmth soon so we can both get on in our gardens and any damaged plants have the best chance at recovery.

[@dontpanc885916]

ThanX for the reply George, all other palms safe in poly tunnel. Now taring my hair out trying to find a 1.5m Tracky palm, there does not seem to be any supply about from the usual suppliers. Once again thanX for the vids & keep them coming.

[@joezimmerman1089]

Loving the palm videos. Brahea or Butia video next?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much Joe! We’ll see, thanks for the suggestions. I’ve only got Brahea armata but will probably do a Butia overview this year looking at winter damage and growth rates etc.

[@christinal5705]

Hi George, we're in the process of trying to make our garden more tropical. I've just discovered your channel, great advice and ideas! I love Coleous plants, but not sure how to over winter them. Any tips greatly appreciated 🙂

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Christina and thank you very much. Apologies for the delayed reply. Coleus are definitely on the tender end of plants so if you're overwintering them they ideally need to be kept somewhere bright and above 10 degrees, basically like a houseplant in a conservatory. You could also take cuttings but many people choose to treat them as bedding and grow or buy new plants in spring.

[@cake-diver8991]

Can't wait to see the pit George-o

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Neither can I! I want to make some good progress in spring, as soon as it's warm enough for Harriet to come outside and sleep in her pushchair haha

[@cake-diver8991]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden That will definately make it easier 🤙. She can have a shovel and pick soon enough, wait until she's 3 though 😜

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@cake-diver8991 Haha yes, no hard labour until she's at nursery!

[@xXJackieXxJDM]

These type of palms grow with no to little maintenance in zone 9b; Southern California.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

I bet they love it there for sure. As long as they get settled in OK, they're definitely tough plants!

[@JH-fv1gq]

Drag mine into greenhouse in winter reducing black spots on leaves.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

That definitely helps as long as the ventilation is good when it's milder. It's well worth the effort to protect potted exotics, even the tougher ones.

[@regalportraits3921]

Great video. Can you separate the new growth to propagate from around the trunk?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much and apologies for the delayed reply. In all honesty it's not something I've tried but I suspect the offsets might struggle as they don't usually have much in the way of roots. Personally I wouldn't risk the health of the main plant, particularly with young plants being so inexpensive.

[@tac5399]

Can you tell me which bamboo you grow it looks great & like to buy some , I live in South Wales they’ll go in my garden in pots

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, I grow quite a few different kinds but for pots I'd generally go with the smaller Fargesia varieties. Scottish Bamboo is a great site to go to for plants and info!

[@roguedungeondelver5738]

Great video George. I managed to get a large Washingtonia Robusta palm but it was near Canary palms and Im worried about Fusarium wilt. It had a phytosanitary cert and I have a perfect and sheltered area for it. Should I plant it as i have other trachys and Chammies nearby. Thank you

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Killian and thanks. It's not a problem over here currently as far as I know and personally, as long as it's a healthy looking plant and you've got it from a reputable supplier which it sounds like you have, I wouldn't have any problems planting it near the others. Large palms being brought into the UK have to be quarantined for two years I believe to help minimise the spread of various threats like this over here.

[@roguedungeondelver5738]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks George what I've opted for is keeping it in a large pot in case of there's any severe winters, it also fits with the Mediterranean patio style I have. Thank you

[@roguedungeondelver5738]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Also to add to that I did purchase a Washingtonia of some sort last year in a large super market chain and have it potted up as well it was sold in the indoor section but I hardened it off but I still worry about Fusarium wilt with palms in general. Thank you for your assistance George and enjoy the lovely weather.

[@roguedungeondelver5738]

Also along with the question with the Washingtonia I bought as an indoor plant from a supermarket, would you recommend using Liquid Seaweed feed to use on palm trees as I've heard this improves health. Thank you George and I hope you all are enjoying the lovely weather.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@roguedungeondelver5738 Sounds like a plan and it'll look great with that vibe I'm sure. No worries!

[@yvonnepattenden9232]

Thanks for the video! I planted up 2 chamaerops humilis insept last year. Both have suffered in the cold despite fleece, good aspect and soil. I noticed both plants have those black spots you mentioned,so maybe they were sickly to start with?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Yvonne, some individual plants do seem more prone to it and it can be made worse by the plants being wrapped in fleece during wet, cold periods unfortunately. Hopefully it's just on the lower leaves though and some spring sun will get the new growth looking healthy again!

[@cerysquinn2032]

Hi we moved into a house with a chamaerops palm on our front garden with alot of bamboo around it. Would you remove the bamboo? Thanks

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, apologies for the delayed reply. It depends on the plants but personally I'd favour keeping the area around the palm bamboo free, yes.

[@cboaustralia]

I have a two trunk champerops and I don’t want any more trunks on it it there are suckers appearing do I just cut them off with a knife will that damage the palm? Thanks for the reply George and buggle124

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Chris, personally I'd do exactly that. I'd keep them pruned with a sharp implement and the main plant will keep growing away just fine.

[@neilgoodwin662]

Hi George, loved the video and timely as was inspecting my two 10 yr old chamerops yesterday. Both in the ground and have never protected them. We had consecutive nights at -9 in December and now very sorry for themselves. Lots of brown leaves and main growing point on one gone mushy. Are they likely to rebound come spring??

[@Colinking2127]

Had the same issue sustained -9 degrees Celsius. My 3 x4 year old chamerops are completely dead

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Neil, thanks and that's sad to hear, I'm sorry yours have suffered a lot of damage. I'd like to think they will rebound in spring, I'd personally be optimistic but consecutive -9s and ice days are definitely challenging for any kind of palm and may be right on the limit for them unfortunately. It's certainly been a tough winter after so many relatively easy ones. All the best with them, I hope they come back.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

That's such a shame to hear Colin and I hope there's a chance for them to bounce back. Freezing periods like the one just before Christmas are the reason why I don't like saying plants are hardy to specific temperatures, the duration of the freeze, hitting those lows for multiple nights and not getting above freezing for days does more damage than a brief spell at -10 would I suspect. Fingers crossed they come back for you.

[@stevebacon1026]

Ps george , sorry about the spelling i didnt have me glasses on👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

No worries Steve, I didn't even notice! I'm sure I'll be needing glasses to reply to everyone soon enough!

[@thegreenthumb6184]

I wonder if I can get away with them in a zone 6A here in Muncie Indiana. We rarely see -0 digress Fahrenheit. But it can happen.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, apologies for the delayed reply. Unfortunately I suspect that's just too cold for them but it's well worth checking with other growers in your area. I think low teens will cause them some trouble unfortunately.

[@thegreenthumb6184]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden oh no it's okay thank you for just taking the time out to reply. I fully understand it's spring your doing a lot of work right now. Take your time. Seeing your garden is honestly better then you getting back to me immediately. Thank you for the advice! Sadly I'm only one that's really zone pushing in my area. So yeah. 😅 Lol.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@thegreenthumb6184 No worries! Life itself is very busy now haha, not much garden time unfortunately but I try to work on my videos whenever I can. Keep on pushing those zones and flying the exotic garden flag, more will follow!

[@thegreenthumb6184]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden thank you!

[@JB-lr1tf]

My chamerops looks like death I don't know what I'm doing wrong black spots and lesions on the leaves even new ones coming out effected. 3rd time growing one not having much Luck.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Oh dear, has it started pushing out any clear ones yet? It was an incredibly wet winter / year but unfortunately some plants do seem more susceptible than others. Is it planted in a well drained area with good airflow?

[@JB-lr1tf]

New leaves came out and were small and then started getting black spot on new leaves iv had to get rid of it I have a new one and seems OK at the min put it in a diff part of the garden last time I'm trying one. The roots were really embedded in the ground so not sure what happened

[@Knapper94]

To my shock, my two small ones spear pulled over the weekend :(

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

That's frustrating, sorry to hear it. Mine look OK here but I suspect the difference between the -7 we had and the -10s etc. other people saw when combined with the duration of the freeze really shocked them. I hope they recover with a good warm spring!

[@loicville6446]

You have to pronounce Like Kamaerops, please, the name comes from greek language, every CH is in fact a K

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, I completely understand and agree - you'll notice that in previous videos I call them 'Kamerops' or 'Keemerops' as both are quite literal pronunciatons. However, most in the trade I've spoke to use the soft 'C' so I've stuck to that in this video for a bit of consistency when discussing them in real life. In all honesty it's old Latin that's open to interpretation in my eyes anyway, it's better that people use any pronunciation than just sticking to potentially confusing common names.

[@justinsummers33]

Not hardy. Been nuked in my garden in Gloucestershire. Trackycarpus untouched

[@yvonneward7848]

In Derbyshire both mine spear pulled this year feeling the same pain 😪

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@justinsummers33 @yvonneward7848 They're not as hardy as Trachycarpus unfortunately but this winter has definitely been the most challenging one for these plants in over a decade for most areas of the UK and 2009/2010 was a 'once in a century' event so as frustrating and painful as it is, it doesn't mean they're not a viable option. Obviously hardiness is a grey area and factors like the duration of the cold have definitely made it a very tricky winter for a lot of exotics. We had a long duration of freezing weather here but lows around -7 and even the small potted Chamaerops have come through OK whereas my cordylines are trashed so I suspect Chamaerops look pristine until maybe -10 and they reach their limit pretty quickly. If yours have spear-pulled Yvonne there's a good chance they should bounce back.

[@yvonneward7848]

Thank-you fingers crossed 🤞

[@TropicalJungleIreland]

Twice as expensive and twice as slow to grow compared to the Trachy's.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

They're not too different price wise here for smaller plants but they're definitely slower growing. I wouldn't say that's a bad thing necessarily though, they help bring variety and different structure to the garden. Trachycarpus would be my choice if I had to choose though!