Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Mexican Fan Palm
Mexican Fan Palm is the tall, slim palm that lines streets and drives across the Valley. It grows fast on a thin trunk topped with a round crown of bright green fan leaves, and it can reach 60 to 100 feet over time. It takes full sun, heat and drought, and it is hardy to about 20°F. Plant it as a vertical accent, in a row along a drive, or in a group for that classic oasis look.
Best for: a tall vertical accent, rows along a drive or street, and palm groups for an oasis look in full sun.
A slim trunk topped with a round fan crown adds height that little else can. Use it to frame an entry or break up a long, one-story roofline. Keep it well away from power lines and roof edges, since it can pass 60 feet.
Rows of Mexican fan palms give the Valley much of its oasis look. Plant them about 10 to 15 feet apart along a long drive, a street edge or a lot line. It grows fast, so a row fills in its height within a few years.
A small group of palms planted 6 to 12 feet apart gives a resort feel to a large yard. Plant different sizes together to get staggered heights. Give each palm its own deep watering ring.
It gets too tall for small yards and spots under power lines, and its wide mass of roots needs room. Dead fronds hang in a skirt that is a fire risk unless trimmed. Trimming a tall palm is dangerous, so plan on hiring a pro once it gets tall.
- Row along a drive or street10-15 ft apart, center to center
- Small group of palms6-12 ft apart, center to center
Water a new palm daily for the first two weeks, keeping the root ball moist but not soggy. Then water about once a week, 2 feet deep, and widen the watered area as the roots grow.
Once rooted, give it a slow, deep soak to 2 feet about every two weeks in summer, wetting 4 to 6 feet out from the trunk. Water much less often in winter. It handles drought but grows faster with regular water. Keep sprinklers off the trunk.
Feed with a palm fertilizer twice a year while the soil is warm, in spring and again in mid-summer. Skip feeding late in the year.
Remove only dead or brown fronds, and leave the green fronds in place. Never climb a palm with spikes, since the wounds never heal.
It takes cold to about 20°F. Young palms are more tender, so cover them on hard freeze nights. Remove freeze-damaged fronds only after frost danger passes.
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 tall does a Mexican fan palm get?
It can reach 60 to 100 feet over time, on a slim trunk about a foot thick. Plant it where that height is welcome, away from power lines and roof edges.
How fast does it grow?
It is one of the fastest-growing palms, and regular deep water in summer speeds it up. Buy a larger size if you want height right away.
How far apart should I plant Mexican fan palms?
Plant them about 10 to 15 feet apart in a row, or 6 to 12 feet apart in a small group. The Spacing tab on this page counts palms for your row.
Is it cold hardy in Phoenix?
Yes, it is hardy to about 20°F. Young palms are more tender, so cover a young palm on hard freeze nights and trim off damaged fronds only after the cold season.
When should I trim it?
Trim it once a year in early summer, after it flowers. That way the dead fronds and the flower stalks come off in one trim.
How much should I trim off?
Remove only dead fronds and flower stalks, and leave the green fronds in place. Never cut green fronds above the horizontal, since over-trimmed palms weaken and can snap in wind.
Why does it need trimming at all?
Dead fronds fold down into a thick skirt that is a fire risk, and an old skirt can drop off in one heavy piece. Trim the skirt off each year before it builds up.
Is trimming a tall palm safe to do myself?
No, hire a pro for a tall palm. An old skirt can slide off onto a climber, and climbing spikes leave wounds in the trunk that never heal.
How much water does it need?
It handles drought, but it looks fuller and grows faster with a deep soak about every two weeks in summer once rooted. Water much less often in winter. Water slowly to about 2 feet deep, and never let water stand at the trunk.
Should I fertilize my palm?
Yes, feed it with a palm fertilizer twice a year while the soil is warm, in spring and again in mid-summer. Skip feeding late in the year.
Will it seed around my yard?
Yes, it sprouts easily from seed in Valley yards. Pull the seedlings while they are small.
Are the leaf stems sharp?
Yes, the leaf stems have sharp teeth along the edges. Wear gloves and long sleeves when you trim it.
When is the best time to plant a palm here?
Plant palms in late spring and early summer, when the soil is warm. Palms planted in cold soil are slow to root.
Mexican Fan Palm for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Mexican Fan Palm is the tall, slim palm behind much of the Valley skyline. It grows fast, handles heat and drought, and is hardy to about 20°F. Below are the questions people ask most about growing it here, from height and spacing to watering, trimming and cold.
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How tall does a Mexican fan palm get in Phoenix?
It can reach 60 to 100 feet over time on a slim trunk that stays about a foot thick. The crown stays about 8 to 10 feet across. Plant it away from power lines and roof edges.
How fast does a Mexican fan palm grow?
It is one of the fastest-growing palms, and it grows faster with regular deep water. That speed is why it is so common along Valley streets and drives.
How far apart to plant Mexican fan palms
Plant them about 10 to 15 feet apart for a row along a drive or street. For a small group of palms, space them 6 to 12 feet apart. The Spacing tab on this page counts palms for your row.
When to trim palm trees in Phoenix
Trim a Mexican fan palm once a year in early summer, after it flowers, so the dead fronds and flower stalks come off together. Remove freeze-damaged fronds only after the cold season has passed.
Don't over-trim your palm
Leave at least a third of the green crown, and never cut green fronds above the horizontal. Over-trimmed palms weaken and can break in wind.
Watering a Mexican fan palm
Once rooted, give it a slow, deep soak to about 2 feet every two weeks, wetting 4 to 6 feet out from the trunk. It handles drought, but it grows faster and looks fuller with regular deep water in summer.
Is Mexican fan palm cold hardy in the Valley?
It is hardy to about 20°F. Young palms are more tender than tall ones, so cover a young palm on hard freeze nights.
Mexican fan palm vs California fan palm
Mexican fan palm grows much taller than California fan palm, on a far thinner trunk. Pick it when you want a tall, slim palm for a row or a vertical accent.
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