Trachycarpus is a genus of approximately ten species of fan palms in the family Arecaceae (order Arecales), subfamily Coryphoideae, native to Asia from the Himalayan foothills east to eastern China. The genus is immediately recognisable by its bare-petioled leaves that terminate in a rounded, pleated fan of numerous leaflets, and by the dense mat of persistent fibrous sheaths that wrap the trunk and give it a characteristic shaggy, hairy appearance.
All species are dioecious — male and female flowers are borne on separate plants — though female plants occasionally produce male flowers, enabling sporadic self-pollination. The genus comprises about ten accepted species, ranging from compact shrub-like palms to tall, single-stemmed trees.
Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan palm or windmill palm) is by far the most widely cultivated species and holds the distinction of being the northernmost naturally growing palm in the world. It thrives in cities as far north as London, Dublin, Paris, Seattle, and Vancouver. A dwarf form long known as T. wagnerianus is now considered synonymous with T. fortunei or treated as a cultivar. Trachycarpus takil (Kumaon palm) is similarly cold-hardy and sometimes considered hardier still.
The fibrous leaf sheaths of T. fortunei have long been harvested in China to produce coarse but exceptionally strong rope, brooms, and brushes — a tradition that gave rise to the old vernacular name "hemp-palm". Trachycarpus species also serve as larval food plants for certain Lepidoptera, including Paysandisia archon.
Etymology
The name Trachycarpus derives from the Ancient Greek τραχύς (trakhús), meaning "rough", and καρπός (karpós), meaning "fruit", a reference to the rough-textured fruits of these palms.
Distribution
Trachycarpus is native to Asia, with its natural range spanning from the Himalayan foothills eastward to eastern China. The genus is notable for its cold hardiness, and T. fortunei in particular has naturalised and persists as a cultivated plant in temperate cities across western Europe and the Pacific Northwest of North America.
Cultivation
Trachycarpus palms are highly regarded among horticulturalists for their exceptional frost tolerance, making them the hardiest trunking palms in general cultivation. They perform best in cool, damp summers with mild winters, and commonly endure snow in their native habitats. T. fortunei is the standard garden species; T. takil is a close alternative and may be hardier. T. wagnerianus (now treated as synonymous with or a cultivar of T. fortunei) offers smaller, stiffer leaves. Other species including T. geminisectus, T. princeps, T. latisectus, T. martianus, T. nanus, and T. oreophilus are in cultivation but less common; T. martianus and T. latisectus are less cold-tolerant than the two main garden species.
Cultural Uses
The fibrous leaf sheaths of Trachycarpus fortunei are harvested in China and elsewhere to make coarse, very strong rope, brooms, and brushes. This practical use is the origin of the old common name "hemp-palm". The fibrous sheaths are also used as a decorative wrapping material on artificial palm stems.
