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fountain palm (Livistona chinensis)

Livistona chinensis is a perennial evergreen palm that grows as a single, unbranched trunk.

LightSources differ on light conditions: cultivation is reported in full sun, partial sun, or bright indirect light, while some sources indicate a preference for light shade.
WaterIt prefers moist but well-drained conditions; ample water can be supplied during the growing season and watering reduced in winter, while some sources describe moderate watering.
TemperatureA single source reports a lower temperature of about -6 °C, so sources are few. Sources differ on the reported USDA hardiness zone.
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Overview

Livistona chinensis is a perennial evergreen palm that grows as a single, unbranched trunk.

Origin and habitat

Sources differ on its native range: accounts broadly place it from parts of East Asia into Southeast Asia, consistently including southern China, Taiwan, and southern Japan or the Ryukyu Islands, while some extend the range to Vietnam. Its habitat includes subtropical coastal environments in East Asia, including coastal forests and various soils such as sandy ground. It is mainly subtropical and is also widely cultivated from warm-temperate to tropical regions, with hot, humid tropical and subtropical climates described as suitable.

Characteristics

Sources differ on mature height, placing it at about 800–1500 cm, while mature spread is 250–400 cm. Growth is slow, with deeply divided, fan-shaped palmate leaves whose linear segment tips droop; the long, triangular petioles bear spines or saw-toothed barbs. The small yellow-green to creamy-yellow flowers are borne on branched panicles, and the plant is monoecious with bisexual flowers; sources differ on flowering season, describing flowering from spring into early summer or in summer. The fruit is an elliptical, ovoid to nearly spherical drupe that changes from green to blue-green, blue-black, or pinkish as it matures and usually contains a single seed.

Light

Sources differ on light conditions: cultivation is reported in full sun, partial sun, or bright indirect light, while some sources indicate a preference for light shade.

Watering

It prefers moist but well-drained conditions; ample water can be supplied during the growing season and watering reduced in winter, while some sources describe moderate watering.

Temperature and dormancy

A single source reports a lower temperature of about -6 °C, so sources are few. Sources differ on the reported USDA hardiness zone.

Growing medium and mounting

Loamy or sandy soil that is moist and well drained is suitable, and acidic, neutral, or alkaline soils are accepted.

Feeding

A single source generally recommends applying a balanced liquid fertilizer regularly during the growing period.

Propagation

Livistona chinensis is propagated by seed, with container sowing under warm conditions recommended in spring.

Common problems

It is reported to be susceptible to greenhouse red spider mites and scale insects, while generally having few diseases. Seeds germinate readily and can be dispersed by fruit-eating birds, allowing plants to escape cultivation; it is regarded as a weed or invasive plant on some Pacific and Caribbean islands and in Bermuda, Hawaii, and Florida wetlands. A source reports that mature plants have some cold tolerance while young plants are less cold tolerant, and also describes tolerance of heat, drought, wind, and salt.

Identification

Livistona chinensis has large, fan-shaped, deeply divided palmate leaves with conspicuously drooping tips on the narrow segments and spiny petioles; these features distinguish it from areca palms with pinnate leaves.

Photos

Livistona chinensis
📷 No machine-readable author provided. Cookie assumed (based o · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Livistona chinensis
📷 Forest and Kim Starr, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · source
Livistona chinensis
📷 no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子 · CC0 · source

Sources