Trachycarpus Species, Stone Gate Palm

This palm does really well in the high desert. It takes full sun much better than its fortunei cousin. I have two of these. They are thri...Read Moreving in pretty sandy soil, and prefer to be on the drier side. Lowest temperature they have seen is 17F, and they laughed. The friends have a blue green hue, with white undersides that are quite striking.

I have already lost one specimen of this invaluable species by asking a neighbour to water it along with seven other palms during a perio...Read Mored of my absence. Well, the guy decided to go on a three-week holiday to London without warning me, and this palm was pretty much dead after I came to check my garden. I guess I deserve receiving a hundred lashes from palm enthusiasts for letting such a grave loss happen.
Concerning how this palm looks, it has a very unusual habit of growing fully palmate leaves from a very early stage of its life. Also, the leaves are joined to the stem at a right angle or they even point slightly downwards. I hadn't seen such a trachycarpus palm before.
It should grow to be an impressive specimen, I think. For now, I am growing a newly acquired specimen from this species in a pot filled with soil from the site, where it will eventually grow. I really do hope I don't make this palm die.

This is a relatively new palm to cultivation (2006) but seed and seedlings have been available a few years now. It is characterized by a...Read More uniquely blue-white underside to the leaves, making it one of the more ornamental Trachycarpus species. I have a seedling that was in a liner until recently and it has yet to show the glaucous leaves (hope it's the real thing). But it is tolerating full hot, inland, southern California sun so far... better than T martianus and latisectus, both which prefer shade until older. Seems relatively fast compared to those shade lovers, too.

There are two 'forms' of this species, both from the same area of China near the border of Tibet. One form is the quintessential stiff-leaved, white undersided form every one is clamouring for, and the other is a frail-leaved, greenish form that looks more like a Trachycarpus fortunei (sadly, that is the form I ended up with). May turn out to be two different species (they have to be in my opinion).