Plant in a Box Washingtonia Robusta - Mexican fan palm

The Washingtonia Robusta originates from the southern United States and Mexico. It takes its name from the first President of the United States, George Washington. Its nickname is also the "Mexican fan palm", but in California this palm is often referred to as the petticoat palm because the dead leaves hang around the trunk of the palm like a skirt. The leaves of the Washingtonia, which are characterised by their beautiful light green colour, are exceptionally large and can reach a diameter of one metre. The Washingtonia grows quickly and can reach up to 5 metres in height. The plant is hardy and can be grown indoors and outdoors. In the wild, this palm grows mainly along streams and lakes and in the USA it is often used as an avenue tree along main roads. The best example of this is the long rows of huge palms in Palm Springs, California. This palm is ideal as a patio palm, garden palm or even as a houseplant.

Care
The Washingtonia Robusta prefers a sunny location and well-drained soil. Water the palm regularly in summer, preferably daily in a dry/warm summer. Like many tropical palms, the Washingtonia produces a large root system to supply itself with food and water. The plant can be kept both in the ground and in a pot, but if the pot is too small, the palm will turn yellow and slowly die. So make sure you have a spacious pot and well-drained soil. The palm can be kept both indoors and outdoors, but is unfortunately not hardy. The Washingtonia can tolerate a maximum of a few degrees (+/- 5 degrees) of frost. However, if the Washingtonia is kept in a pot, it can easily be kept indoors during the winter.