Other Names:  Carnarvon Gorge Cabbage Palm, Dawson River Palm

Description:

This variety produces beautiful, bright green palmate leaves that are deeply divided, with graceful, weeping tips; a nice tropical screen when young, but will ascend on a tall, narrow trunk; very adaptable, and a striking vertical landscape accent

Ornamental Features

Carnarvon Fan Palm is primarily valued in the landscape for its canopy of attractive foliage which towers high above the ground. It has attractive forest green evergreen foliage. The large glossy lobed palmate leaves are highly ornamental and remain forest green throughout the winter. The rough gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Carnarvon Fan Palm is an evergreen tree with a strong central leader and a towering form, with a high canopy of foliage concentrated at the top of the plant. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This tree will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Carnarvon Fan Palm is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Vertical Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Carnarvon Fan Palm will grow to be about 80 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a high canopy of foliage that sits well above the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America..

Carnarvon Fan Palm is a fine choice for the yard, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.