Windmill Palm
Trachycarpus fortunei — The Cold-Hardy Fan Palm
Light
Bright to full sun — best suited for outdoor or atrium installations. Can handle some shade but fronds become stretched and less compact. Interior use limited to very bright atriums or skylights.
Water
Established specimens are quite drought tolerant. Good drainage essential — does not tolerate waterlogged soil.
Humidity
Prefers moderate humidity. Mist or group plants through the heating season.
Temperature
18–27°C (65–80°F). Protect from cold drafts near entrances.
Difficulty
Moderate
Sizes
Tabletop (under 5 ft) · Mid-floor (around 15 ft) · Floor specimen (25 ft+)
Windmill palm, Trachycarpus fortunei, is a single-trunk fan palm, its trunk wrapped in distinctive brown fibrous matting, with fronds that fan out from the top. Outdoors it can reach 4.5–7.5m; kept indoors or potted, it typically stays a more manageable 1.5–2.5m.
In the Office
This palm needs bright to full sun, which limits it to very bright atriums or skylit spaces indoors — it isn't suited to a typical interior office. It's fairly drought tolerant once established, but good drainage is essential, since it doesn't tolerate waterlogged soil. Outdoor GTA installations need to account for wind and snow load, which can damage fronds over winter.
Why Choose This Plant
Benefits for Your Office
- Distinctive fibrous trunk matting gives it a textured look unlike smoother indoor palms
- Drought tolerant once established, needing less frequent watering than most palms
- Scales from a tabletop size up to a large outdoor or atrium specimen
- The trunk fibre naturally insulates against cold, relevant for outdoor GTA installations
Where to Place It
Office Placement Ideas
- 1
Bright atriums or skylit lobbies, where the strong light this palm needs is available indoors
- 2
Outdoor entrances or courtyards, where its cold tolerance suits GTA winters better than most palms
- 3
Areas with good drainage in the planter or bed, since waterlogged soil is its main risk
How to Care for It
Care Tips for Office Environments
- Remove dead fronds by cutting close to the trunk, leaving the fibrous trunk matting intact
- Never strip the trunk fibre — it insulates the trunk against cold
- Remove older, naturally yellowing lower fronds for a tidier appearance
- Check the fibrous trunk occasionally for scale insects, which are hard to spot in the matting
Want Windmill Palm in your office?
Our team will recommend the right variety and size for your space, deliver and install it, and keep it thriving with ongoing care.