| The Windmill palm, Trachycarpus fortunei, tree has | | | | interconnected that the merristematic growing point in |
| been extrensively planted and grown during the last | | | | the center of the windmill palm tree is insulated from |
| five years in most Northern States and in Canada, | | | | the cold. After several years of aging, the brown-black |
| much to the incredulous surprise of environmentalists | | | | hair covering the windmill palm trunk turns grey in color. |
| and climatologists. Tropical palm trees are not generally | | | | In Europe, a tourist can find very old, tall windmill palm |
| believed to have cold hardy characteristics sufficient to | | | | trees where the hair covering the trunk has eroded, |
| survive in non-tropical locations where temperatures | | | | exposing a grey, slick bark trunk with a regal |
| often plunge to depths below zero. The windmill palm, | | | | appearance. The fan-shaped leaves are covered with |
| Trachycarpus fortunei, can survive cold weather | | | | a thick green waxy coat on the surface and the leaf |
| because of two characteristics: slow growth and a | | | | margins are lined with sharp teeth. |
| brown-black burlap-like hair that insulates the trunk | | | | Windmill palm trees are in high demand as a tropical |
| from winter ravages. | | | | looking pool tree or for landscape planting near patios |
| The windmill palm tree, Trachycarpus fortunei, has | | | | and door entrances. Some landscape gardeners |
| been reported to grow 20 feet tall in the United States, | | | | prefer to plant a windmill palm tree as a shade tree or |
| but the windmill palm is not a native tree here and has | | | | as a specimen tree accent. Although most windmill |
| only a short history of growing in the United States, | | | | palm trees are grown as single trunk specimens, |
| after it was imported into Florida from Europe. Many | | | | double trunk windmill palm trees or triple trunk |
| windmill palm trees in Europe are growing as tall as 40 | | | | specimens can be ordered from mailorder nurseries. |
| feet. In optimum conditions, the windmill palm tree can | | | | Windmill palm trees can be grown in containers, but it |
| grow one foot per year, and the trunk is tall and | | | | seems ridiculous to grow a cold hardy tree in a |
| slender-one foot maximum in diameter-and the base is | | | | container, if it will tolerate cold weather when planted |
| smaller in diameter than the top, as is the case with | | | | outside anywhere in the United States. The windmill |
| many other palm tree species. The width of the | | | | palm tree can be grown in containers when they are |
| windmill palm tree canopy is about 15 feet and the | | | | small, but often in an office situation, the windmill palm |
| leaves are fan shaped and can grow 3 feet long. | | | | tree is not suitable, since touching teeth on the leaves |
| The brown-black burlap-like hair that covers the trunk | | | | can be an unpleasant experience. |
| of the windmill palm is dense and so thick and | | | | |