Chamaerops humilis 18cm / 2.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Chamaerops humilis — 14cm / 1.5L
European Fan Palm (Mediterranean Fan Palm)

Chamaerops humilis

£18.49 £21.99 SAVE 15%
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingEvergreenRHS award winner
Pot size

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Description

The Chamaerops humilis, better known as the European fan palm or Mediterranean fan palm, is the only palm truly native to Europe and one of the most cold-hardy palms you can grow. Where the taller Trachycarpus fortunei gives you a single slender trunk, this bushy, multi-stemmed palm forms a rounded fountain of stiff, silvery-green fans close to the ground, giving instant Mediterranean structure and a compact, shrubby silhouette that suits smaller gardens and containers alike.

What makes the dwarf fan palm such a dependable choice for British gardens is its genuine toughness. Rated RHS H4 and holding the RHS Award of Garden Merit, it shrugs off cold to around -10C to -12C once established and holds its evergreen fans through winter, so the architectural shape never disappears. Mature plants throw up short spikes of yellow flowers in spring and summer, followed by date-like fruits, while the robust, wind-resistant leaves make it one of the best hardy palms for exposed and seaside plots.

Water regularly through the first couple of summers to build a strong root system, after which this Mediterranean native becomes impressively drought-tolerant and low-maintenance. Its neat, clumping habit makes it a natural for pots and containers on a sunny patio, and its bold fan-shaped foliage earns it a place among our favourite architectural foliage and wider hardy exotics. As with all outdoor plants, it is worth reading our what to expect guide so you know how a garden-hardy palm looks and behaves through the seasons.

Every Chamaerops humilis we supply is nursery-grown, hand-selected for a healthy crown and strong roots, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition ready to plant out or pot up.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for European Fan Palm (Mediterranean Fan Palm)

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About European Fan Palm (Mediterranean Fan Palm)

Chamaerops humilis needs full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −10°C, standing an average UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Architectural Coastal & Exposed Dry & Gravel Gardens Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H4 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −10°C

reliably hardy across most of the UK, with young crowns worth fleecing in severe, prolonged frost.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeNorth-facingEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingExposedSheltered

full sun brings out the best colour and form, though it will tolerate partial shade. Ideal for open, exposed and coastal gardens.

Soil

LoamSandChalkWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

any free-draining soil, including poor, stony and sandy ground. Sharp drainage matters far more than fertility.

Watering

Water regularly through the first two growing seasons to settle the roots. Once established it becomes notably drought-tolerant and needs little attention. Mulch in spring and feed with a balanced fertiliser through the growing season to keep the fans lush. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first two growing seasons to settle the roots. Once established it becomes notably drought-tolerant and needs little attention. Mulch in spring and feed with a balanced fertiliser through the growing season to keep the fans lush.

Mature size

Height1.5-2.5 m
Spread1-1.5 m

Reaches full size in 20-50 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

Apr-Jun

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

In spring simply cut off dead, browned or damaged fronds close to the base. Never cut into the central growing crown, as the palm grows only from there.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets; generally considered non-toxic, though the stiff fronds and sharply toothed leaf stalks can cause minor physical scratches.

Native range

W & C Mediterranean

Family

Arecaceae

Also known as

Chamaerops humilis

Genus

Chamaerops
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Chamaerops humilis hardy in the UK?

Yes. Chamaerops humilis is one of the most cold-hardy palms you can grow and is reliably hardy across most of the UK. It carries an RHS H4 rating and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, tolerating cold to around -10C to -12C once established. In colder inland gardens, fleece the crown during hard, prolonged frost. It sits among our toughest hardy palms.

How do you care for Chamaerops humilis?

Give it a warm, sunny, free-draining spot and it is very easy going. Water regularly through the first two summers to establish the roots, then it becomes notably drought-tolerant. Mulch in spring, feed with a balanced fertiliser through the growing season, and remove any tatty lower fronds. It also makes a great choice for drought-tolerant planting.

How big do Chamaerops humilis grow?

In UK gardens it is slow-growing and compact, reaching roughly 1.5 to 2.5 m tall and 1 to 1.5 m wide over many years, forming a bushy, multi-stemmed clump rather than a tall trunk. That neat size makes it easier to place than the taller Trachycarpus fortunei.

Can you grow Chamaerops humilis in pots?

Yes, its compact clumping habit makes it one of the best palms for containers. Use a large pot with a free-draining, loam-based compost and stand it in a sunny, sheltered spot on the patio. See more of our plants for pots and containers.

How fast does Chamaerops humilis grow?

It is a slow grower, adding only a small amount of height each year and taking 20 years or more to reach its full size in the UK. That measured pace is part of the appeal: it stays in proportion for a long time and is easy to keep as a focal point among other hardy exotics.

What do I do with my fan palm in winter?

Established plants in the ground usually need little more than sharp drainage and, in a hard freeze, a wrap of horticultural fleece around the crown. Potted specimens can be moved to a sheltered spot or into a cold greenhouse over the coldest weeks. For a fuller picture of how garden-hardy palms behave through the year, read our what to expect guide.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Chamaerops humilis
£18.49 £21.99