Chamaerops humilis Compacta - Dwarf Fan Palm

Chamaerops humilis 'Compacta' (var. compacta) is a dwarf form of this Mediterranean palm with modest size, commonly known as Dwarf Palm. With a very dense habit, slow growth, and relative hardiness, it is particularly well suited for cultivation in containers as well as small gardens. Its beautiful palmate foliage, with a shiny green colour, is wider than that observed in the typical variety, and is arranged in dense fans carried at the top of multiple stems emerging from a trunk covered with fibres. It is a hardy perennial shrub resistant to drought and sea spray, easy to grow in rocky and well-drained soil, in many regions spared by severe frost.

As a slow-growing shrub of the Arecaceae family, appreciated as an ornamental plant, Chamaerops humilis is mainly native to Mediterranean regions. It grows spontaneously in dry habitats, on sandy or rocky soils, near the sea but also at high altitudes, sometimes enduring snow and rather cold temperatures in winter. In nature, this palm tree is usually without a trunk. 

The Compacta variety is not widely cultivated. It stands out for its even more modest development and wider leaves. Described as clumping, it produces several stems on the same plant, forming an upright, stocky and spreading bush. Its adult dimensions will not exceed 2.5 m (8.2 ft) in height and 1.50 m (4.9 ft) in width, even less if grown in pots. The "trunks," brown and 25 cm (9.8 in) wide on mature specimens, are covered with layers of fibres and leaf scars. The elegant, deeply divided leaves consist of small, stiff segments, thicker than those of the typical variety, measuring 25 cm (9.8 in) in length, radiating from the petiole adorned with spines. Their colour is bright green on the upper side and whiter underneath. This plant is generally dioecious (not always), meaning that male and female individuals are often distinct. The fragrant flowers appear in late spring, in the form of a spadix surrounded by a spathe measuring 30 cm (11.8 in) long, containing numerous small beige to yellow flowers, male or female. The fruits, called drupes, are oval-shaped and reddish-brown when ripe, with fibrous flesh that is not edible.

This dwarf palm, along with Trachycarpus fortunei, is one of the easiest to acclimatise in many regions. In the ground, it can be placed alongside blue or silver palms (Brahea armata, Chamaerops 'Vulcano', Nannorrhops), banana trees, or yuccas, in an exotic-inspired setting. However, this variety, which is very resistant to drought, reveals its full potential in a dry garden or a large rockery. It can be planted in groups of 3 specimens and surrounded by a carpet of thyme, a sowing of California poppies, or a bed of Felicia. A contemporary garden can plant it above a tide of white pebbles. It will make a magnificent specimen on a terrace or balcony, planted in a carefully chosen large container.