Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Mexican Blue Fan Palm
Mexican Blue Fan Palm is a single trunk fan palm with large, silvery blue leaves that stand out against green and desert plants alike. It grows slowly and steadily to about 25 to 30 feet, so it stays in scale near the house for many years. It takes full sun, reflected heat and low water once rooted. In late spring it sends long, arching stalks of creamy white flowers out past the leaves.
Best for: a blue accent palm in a front yard or desert bed, hot spots with full sun and reflected heat, and large pots while the palm is young.
Planted on its own, it makes an accent palm for a front yard, entry or desert bed. The silvery blue fans make a strong contrast with green shrubs and desert plants around it.
It grows in full sun and takes reflected heat off walls and paving. Once rooted it needs only a deep soak about once a month in the hottest months.
Because it grows so slowly, a young palm can live in a large pot on a patio or courtyard for years. Use a pot that drains well, since it needs good drainage.
It adds only about 3 to 6 inches of height a year, so a small palm stays small for a long time. The leaf stems carry sharp, hooked spines, so keep it back from walks and play areas. It does poorly in soggy soil.
- Row along a drive or wall20 ft apart
- Group with other palms20 ft or more apart, center to center
Build a basin and keep the root ball moist but not soggy while the palm roots in. Check the root ball itself, since it dries out faster than the soil around it.
Once rooted, give it a deep soak about once a month in the hottest months, wetting the soil about 2 feet down. Water less often in the cooler months. Keep sprinkler spray off the trunk.
Feed with a palm fertilizer in spring and again in early to mid summer. Pale or yellow older fronds can mean the palm is short on nutrients such as potassium or magnesium. Discolored fronds do not turn green again, so leave them on while they still have green.
Cut off only dead fronds and old flower stalks. Never cut green fronds or prune above the horizontal line, and take no more than a quarter of the living crown in a season. The leaf stems carry sharp spines.
Young palms are the most likely to take frost damage, so avoid low frost pockets. Leave frost damaged fronds in place until the cold season has passed, then remove them in the spring trim.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does a Mexican Blue Fan Palm get?
In Arizona yards it usually reaches about 25 to 30 feet tall, with a crown about 6 to 10 feet wide. Very old palms can grow taller over many decades.
How fast does it grow?
Slowly, about 3 to 6 inches of height a year. Buy the size you want to look at now, since it takes years to gain much height.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated hardy to about 15°F, and some growers list it to 10°F. Young palms are the most at risk, so avoid low frost pockets when you plant.
How often should I water it?
Keep a new palm's root ball moist but not soggy, and check the root ball itself, since it dries faster than the soil around it. Once rooted, soak it deeply about once a month in the hottest months, and less often in winter.
When should I plant it, and what soil does it need?
Plant palms in the warm months, best in late spring to early summer, when warm soil helps roots grow. It needs soil that drains well. Set it at its original soil level and never bury the trunk.
How do I trim it?
Remove only dead fronds that have folded down against the trunk, and never cut green fronds. Left alone, the dead fronds hang down and form a shaggy skirt. The leaf stems carry sharp spines, so handle the fronds with care.
What do the flowers look like?
Long, arching stalks of creamy white flowers reach out well past the leaves, often in late spring. Small, round fruit forms after the flowers. Cut the old stalks off once they finish if you want a cleaner look.
Does it need fertilizer?
Feed with a palm fertilizer twice a year, in spring and again in early to mid summer, once the palm is rooted. Yellowing older fronds can mean the palm is short on magnesium, which is common in alkaline soil.
How far apart should I plant Mexican Blue Fan Palms?
Plant them about 20 feet or more apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page has the numbers.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes, while it is young. Its slow growth suits a large pot on a patio for years. Use a pot with good drainage.
Mexican Blue Fan Palm or Mexican Fan Palm?
Mexican Fan Palm is fast and can pass 40 feet with green leaves. Mexican Blue Fan Palm is slow, stays around 25 to 30 feet, and has silvery blue leaves.
Mexican Blue Fan Palm or Mediterranean Fan Palm?
Mediterranean Fan Palm grows as a bushy clump of trunks about 10 to 20 feet tall. Mexican Blue Fan Palm grows on one sturdy trunk and gets taller, with bluer leaves.
Mexican Blue Fan Palm for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Mexican Blue Fan Palm is a slow growing fan palm with silvery blue leaves on one sturdy trunk. It handles Valley sun, reflected heat and freezing nights with little water once rooted. This page covers how big it gets, how fast it grows, how to water, feed and trim it, and how it compares to other fan palms.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How fast does a Mexican Blue Fan Palm grow in Arizona?
Slowly, about 3 to 6 inches of height a year. That slow pace is why a larger palm is worth it if you want presence now.
How tall does a Mexican Blue Fan Palm get?
Most reach about 25 to 30 feet in Arizona yards, with a crown about 6 to 10 feet wide. It grows on one sturdy trunk.
Mexican Blue Fan Palm vs Mexican Fan Palm
Mexican Fan Palm is fast, green and can pass 40 feet. Mexican Blue Fan Palm is slow, silvery blue and stays around 25 to 30 feet, so it fits closer to the house.
Is Mexican Blue Fan Palm cold hardy in the Valley?
It is rated hardy to about 15°F, and some growers list it to 10°F. Young palms are the most at risk, so skip low frost pockets.
How often to water a Mexican Blue Fan Palm in Phoenix
Once rooted, a deep soak about once a month in the hottest months is enough, with less water in winter. Keep a new palm's root ball moist but not soggy while it roots in.
Does Mexican Blue Fan Palm take reflected heat?
Yes. It grows in full sun and handles reflected heat off walls and paving. It also grows in part shade.
How to trim a Mexican Blue Fan Palm
Cut off only dead fronds and old flower stalks, and never cut green fronds. Left untrimmed, the dead fronds form a shaggy skirt down the trunk.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.