Pritchardia - Fan Palm: Planting and Growing

Botany and description

The genus Pritchardia belongs, like all palms, to the Arecaceae family (or Palmae) and comprises 37 species of fan palms, including Pritchardia pacifica from Tonga and Fiji, as well as Pritchardia hillebrandii and Pritchardia remota from Hawaii. Common names for these palms include Hawaiian fan palm, Pacific fan palm, Loulu palm, and even Spoon palm. The genus name Pritchardia refers to the British consul W.T. Pritchard who resided in Samoa and Fiji.

Pritchardia palms grow on volcanic soils and in the rainy regions of the Pacific. In their native range, the Hawaiian Islands (19 species of Pritchardia) and other Pacific islands (Fiji, Samoa, Tuamotu and Tonga), Pritchardia can reach heights of up to 40 metres with a trunk diameter of up to 50 cm.

Growing on Pacific islands, these palms cannot tolerate winter temperatures below 5°C. They should therefore be kept indoors during winter, in a lightly heated room with temperatures between 10°C and 15°C. Consequently, these are palms that we will keep in pots year-round in our regions, but which can be moved outdoors to the garden during the warmer months.

Pritchardia pacifica, Pritchardia hillebrandii (© Forest and Kim Starr), and Pritchardia remota (© David Eickhoff)

Pritchardia palms feature a long solitary trunk (pseudo-trunk) several metres tall, either smooth and bare or covered in fibres. The trunk displays ringed scars.

Flowers appear between July and August. They are hermaphroditic, meaning they possess both male and female organs. The flowers are yellowish and fragrant. The inflorescence is arched with simple or compound branches of varying lengths depending on the species, but always extending beyond the leaves. Fruits develop at the tips of these inflorescences. They are small black berries when ripe, measuring 12 mm in diameter, each containing a single seed. Note that it takes around ten years of cultivation before flowers and fruits appear.

Flowers of Pritchardia, and fruits of Pritchardia arecina (© Forest and Kim Starr)

The leaves are costapalmate (fan-shaped but with a central axis), arranged in a fan shape, plicate, and held by inermous petioles (without thorns) covered in tomentum (a sort of down). Each leaf can measure up to 1.80 m long and equally wide. The fronds are green in colour, ranging from light to dark, and waxy. The leaf sheath eventually breaks down into fibres.

Pritchardia palms are widely cultivated as houseplants. Growth is slow during the first two or three years but accelerates afterwards, quickly producing a palm with a majestic habit.

Some Pritchardia species are listed on the IUCN Red List and are currently endangered.

Leaves of Pritchardia pacifica

The Most Beautiful Species of Fan Palm

Pritchardia hillebrandii - Hillebrand's Fan Palm

Pritchardia hillebrandii, also known as the Hawaiian palm, is a magnificent tropical plant, sought after by enthusiasts for the nobility of its habit and the beauty of its large fan-shaped leaves, which a silvery wax coating gives a beautiful silky sheen.

• Flowering time August, September
• Height at maturity 2 m

See the product sheet

Pritchardia hillebrandii Blue Moon - Hillebrand's Fan Palm

Pritchardia hillebrandii 'Blue Moon' is a Hawaiian palm coveted by collectors for the nobility of its habit and the magnificence of its large fan-shaped leaves, varnished with a superb light blue-silver patina in mature specimens.

• Flowering time August, September
• Height at maturity 2 m

See the product sheet

Pritchardia pacifica - Fiji Fan Palm

Pritchardia pacifica or Fiji Islands palm is a very beautiful palm characterised by magnificent foliage, composed of large rounded, plicate, upright leaves of a very vibrant green, resembling almost fully unfurled fans.

• Flowering time August, September
• Height at maturity 1,90 m

See the product sheet

Pritchardia remota - Pritchardia Palm

Pritchardia remota is the smallest representative of this group of palms endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago. This species differs from other Pritchardia by its small size, undulate leaves, short glabrous inflorescences and tiny fruits.

• Flowering time August, September
• Height at maturity 4,50 m

See the product sheet

Pritchardia thurstonii - Pritchardia Palm

Pritchardia thurstonii bears exceptionally beautiful foliage, composed of large fan-shaped leaves, wonderfully rigid and pleated like an accordion.

• Flowering time August, September
• Height at maturity 1,90 m

See the product sheet

Planting Pritchardia

Where to plant?

These palms are not hardy and cannot tolerate temperatures below 5°C. Therefore, they should be grown in pots as indoor plants. Winter temperatures should ideally be between 10°C and 15°C – a bright but minimally heated room like a conservatory is perfect.

Avoid direct sunlight, which may scorch the fronds. Filtered sunlight is the most suitable exposure. You can move your Pritchardia outdoors during summer, but always keep it sheltered from direct sun.

When to plant?

The Pritchardia should be repotted between May and July.

How to plant?

Choose a large pot (at least 10 L) that is deeper than it is wide, as these palms develop vertical roots. Ideally, opt for a terracotta pot, which is more porous. Ensure the pot has at least one drainage hole at the bottom.

The substrate should be rich and light. You can make your own mix using 25% compost, 25% potting soil, 25% pumice, and 25% sand. Alternatively, ready-to-use Mediterranean plant compost or indoor plant compost will work well.

• Soak the palm’s pot for a few minutes;
• Place pottery shards or gravel at the bottom of the pot to cover (but not block) the drainage hole(s);
• Fill one-third of the pot with your chosen substrate;
• Position the root ball in the centre, then fill gaps with the remaining substrate;
• Firm the soil gently around the trunk with your fingers;
• Water thoroughly until saturated – this helps eliminate air pockets between the substrate and roots;
• Place your palm in partial shade, indoors or outdoors if temperatures allow.

Pritchardia pacifica grown in a pot

Maintenance

Watering

Water regularly from June to September to keep the compost slightly moist at all times, without excess. Reduce watering outside these months: you can allow the top layer of compost to dry out.

Avoid heat sources and direct sunlight which can dry out or scorch the fronds. Place the pot on a bed of gravel or clay pebbles kept moist. You can also spray with non-calcareous water daily to increase humidity for the plant, especially in dry indoor environments.

Pruning

Only remove yellowing leaves! Over-pruning a palm often slows its growth.

Maintenance

Regularly clean the fronds with a damp sponge to remove dust.

Feeding

A “green plant” liquid fertiliser, with a good nitrogen content (at least 6 in nitrogen), is most suitable. Apply approximately monthly between April and September.

You can also add some crushed horn during spring repotting for plants that are a few years old.

Possible diseases and pests

Scale insects can sometimes infest indoor palm plants. Greasy products help combat hard scale insects. You’ll need to prepare a solution made of one teaspoon of liquid black soap and one teaspoon of olive or rapeseed oil, all diluted in one litre of water. You can spray this mixture weekly until the scale insects disappear.

Scale insects thrive in warm, dry and confined spaces: taking your palm plant outside (if temperatures allow!) and exposing it to wind and rain will effectively combat these pests.

→ Having trouble with scale insects? Discover how to effectively and naturally control these pests!

Propagating Pritchardia

Palm trees are propagated by sowing. Pritchardia seeds can be sown indoors all year round, in a warm and humid atmosphere.

• First, soak your seeds in lukewarm water for at least 24 hours. This aids germination;
• Prepare pots by filling them with a well-draining substrate, for example a mix of 1/3 compost and 2/3 sand. Choose sufficiently deep pots (at least 2 L), as with some species, the first radicles that appear penetrate deep into the substrate;
• Remove the seeds from the water, rinse them, then sow them in your pots;
• Cover them with a thin layer of substrate;
• Lightly firm down with your fingers;
• Water with a fine spray;
• Place a lid or plastic bag over the pot to maintain a humid atmosphere;
• Position your sowings in a bright location, but out of direct sunlight, at a temperature of at least 20°C.

How to pair the Fan Palm?

Even if kept in a pot and spending part of the year in a conservatory or cold greenhouse, the Pritchardia, for example a Pritchardia hillebrandii, can be placed in partial shade during summer and paired with lush, exotic-looking plants in the garden. Notable companions include the Tetrapanax papyrifera, the Banana plant Musa basjoo, or Elephant’s Ear Colocasia ‘Pink China’… If you have a water feature or very damp soil, you could plant Gunnera manicata or even tree ferns.

Pritchardia hillebrandii (© Forest and Kim Starr), Tetrapanax papyrifera, Colocasia and Dicksonia antarctica

The highly architectural nature of these palms also makes them valuable for terraces or balconies in summer. If space allows, pair a Pritchardia thurstonii with a Dasylirion glaucophyllum, a large rosette of blue-green linear leaves on a short trunk. The frangipani or Plumeria rubra, a small tree widespread in the tropics, will add colourful, fragrant notes with its pretty pink or red flowers. Finally, if part of the terrace is well-shaded, you could try another rather surprising palm, Ernest-August’s palm, with its vivid green bifid leaves.