Livistona chinensis 24cm / 6L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Chinese Fan Palm, Fountain Palm

Livistona chinensis

£82.99
Protect from hard frostSun-lovingEvergreen
Pot size
24cm / 6L £82.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Livistona chinensis, the Chinese fan palm (also sold as the fountain palm), is an elegant fan palm with large, glossy, circular fronds whose tips droop gracefully like a fountain, giving a lush, tropical look to any warm corner.

Rated RHS H3 (half-hardy), the Chinese fan palm is happiest grown in a pot outdoors from late spring through to autumn, then moved somewhere bright and frost-free, such as a conservatory, porch or cool greenhouse, for the winter. Protecting it from frost is the single most important thing you can do to keep it looking its best year after year. For more on seasonal expectations, see our what to expect guide.

As a patio palm, Livistona chinensis makes a superb statement, bringing bold architectural foliage to decks, doorways and courtyard gardens through the warmer months. Its fan-shaped fronds also suit coastal and exposed planting schemes when given a sheltered, sunny spot for the summer.

Explore the rest of our hardy exotics range to build a lush, jungle feel, and always bring this tender fountain palm back indoors to a frost-free room each winter.

Grown and hand-selected to nursery quality by the Grow Tropicals team.

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 Chinese Fan Palm, Fountain Palm

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

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 Chinese Fan Palm, Fountain Palm

Livistona chinensis needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Architectural Coastal & Exposed Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H3 · Semi-hardy · down to around −5°C

Half-hardy (H3). Move it under cover before the first frosts.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered

Full sun to partial shade on a warm, sheltered patio.

Soil

ChalkLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

A free-draining, loam-based compost in a generous container. Browse more of our plants for pots and containers.

Watering

Water freely in summer growth and feed monthly; keep much drier and frost-free over winter. Read moreShow less

Water freely in summer growth and feed monthly; keep much drier and frost-free over winter.

Mature size

Height2-4 m
Spread2-3 m

Reaches full size in 20-50 years

Growth habit

Columnar/upright

Flowering

Insignificant

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

No pruning of the crown — only cut away fully brown, dead fronds close to the trunk; never remove healthy green leaves.

Toxicity

Low toxicity; the leaf segment tips and leaf stalk teeth can be sharp.

Native range

S. Japan, Taiwan, S. China

Family

Arecaceae

Also known as

Livistona chinensis

Genus

Livistona
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Livistona chinensis hardy outdoors in the UK?

No, it is half-hardy. Grow it in a pot for the summer and move it somewhere frost-free for winter. It makes a lovely addition to our plants for pots and containers.

How do I overwinter a Chinese fan palm?

Keep it in a bright, frost-free place such as a conservatory or porch, and water it sparingly through the coldest months.

How big does Livistona chinensis get?

It grows slowly to a few metres in a large pot, forming a spreading crown of fan-shaped leaves. It is one of our boldest choices for architectural foliage.

Can it go outside in summer?

Yes. It loves a warm, sheltered patio from late spring until the first frosts, then needs bringing back under cover.

Why are the leaf tips browning?

Browning tips are usually caused by cold, draughts or dry air. Keep the palm warm, bright and evenly watered and new growth will look its best.

What compost does it need?

A free-draining, loam-based mix is ideal. Never leave the roots sitting wet and cold, especially over winter.

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.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

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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Livistona chinensis
£82.99