Chinese windmill palm

Established Chusan palms stay outdoors, but the sensitive palm heart needs protection: tie the fronds loosely together upwards and wrap the crown in breathable winter fleece or hessian (no plastic film, otherwise it rots), and cover the root area thickly with leaves or bark mulch. Only protect once frost persists, and open it up again promptly in spring; overwinter young plants or those in containers better in a bright, frost-free place.

The most reliable way to propagate the Chusan palm is by sowing. Fresh seeds germinate markedly better than older ones, so use the seed as soon as possible after harvest. Before sowing, soak the seeds in lukewarm water for two to three days and remove the surrounding flesh completely. Sow in late winter or early spring (February to March) in a free-draining substrate of seed compost with some sand, cover the seeds only lightly and keep the soil evenly moist, never wet. Germination temperatures of 22 to 27 °C are ideal; a mini greenhouse or a film helps keep the warmth in. Expect a germination time of several weeks up to several months, occasionally up to a year. The young plant grows slowly: only after two to three years does it show the typical fan-shaped palm fronds. Trachycarpus fortunei normally grows with a single trunk, but occasionally forms basal side shoots. If you find such a shoot with visible roots of its own, carefully separate it in spring with a clean, sharp cut close to the parent trunk and pot it straight away in a free-draining, slightly moist substrate. Keep it bright at first, but not in blazing sun, until the first new frond unfolds. Cuttings, division, layering and grafting do not work with palms: as monocots, they have only a single growing point and no cambium.