Ruffled Fan Palm

For striking beauty, no palm can outshine the Ruffled Fan Palm. The magnificent circular leaves are often 3 feet across or even more, and unlike other palms they are not divided into thin threads. Instead they form a continuous almost circular fan with pronounced ribs, of a rich bright green and with a glossy surface. The leaves radiate out from the top of the short trunk. This is a plant that grows in shade on the jungle floor, often in mud, so it should be grown in moist to wet soil, with high humidity, in a bright place, but protected from direct sunlight. It is not cold-hardy, and should be grown in a warm place, and only placed outside in the heat of summer. Older plants produce white flowers and magnificent sprays of bright-red berries, but this is rare in a plant grown outdoors. Use this palm in a larger indoor space, among other tropical houseplants, which will create a more humid environment for it. Stand it outdoors in summer for a fantastic display on your patio or beside the pool. This is a truly wonderful palm, and certainly one of the most beautiful of them all.

• Large round, corrugated and undivided leaves up to 3 feet across or more
• Short trunk supporting a dense crown of leaves
• Frost-tender, and requires warm, humid conditions
• Mature plants may produce sprays of large, bright-red berries
• Grow in moist to wet conditions, protected from direct sunlight

Keep your Ruffled Fan Palm warm, and avoid cold draughts. The temperature year-round should be over 70oF, and preferably between 75 and 85o. Only place outside when night temperatures reach 70o, and bring inside as soon as they fall close to that. Maintain high-humidity around the plant at all times. 80% is good, so a bright bathroom is ideal. The soil should be moist but well-drained, so add some coarse grit, gravel or Leca (clay) pellets to regular houseplant soil, but keep it moist at all times. Don’t stand it in a saucer of water as moist but not soggy is the secret. Fertilize from spring to fall with an evergreen houseplant fertilizer. The high humidity should control most houseplant pests, as will the time spent outdoors in summer. If grown outdoors in hot zones, plant in moist earth in light shade.