Windmill Palm with age

[Palmettos]

Those of you who have windmill palms "Trachycarpus Fortunei", could you please upload a photo of them along with their age?

[Fusca]

Sorry, I thought I had a pic of my Trachycarpus in San Antonio I had grown from seed but it was the wrong photo.  I imagine most folks here buy juvenile palms at a nursery or big box store and have no idea of its age from seed.  Hopefully you'll get better help than what I provided!

 

[Las Palmas Norte]

I planted these from small 2 gallon plants in October 2002, so 22½ years ago.

 

[Harry’s Palms]

This was a 10” pot size about ten years ago. Harry

‘This was a year or so ago. Full sun since planted.

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

On 4/27/2025 at 4:39 PM, Palmettos said:

Those of you who have windmill palms "Trachycarpus Fortunei", could you please upload a photo of them along with their age?

Here's mine in video form, along with how they looked in a picture within the video of when I first planted them. 

 

[MIKE82397]

Here's my largest windmill on the right. It was in a pot in  nov. of 21'. 

2nd pic is aug of 22'

3rd pic apr. of 24

and 4th pic 5 minutes ago.

So the last 2 pics are one year apart

The 2nd year I bet that largest windmill put on 30 " of trunk. It flowered this year 1st time. I think its a female but the flower stalks kinda fizzled out before I could tell. I see one more that hasn't unfolded yet. I think its a taylor form. Bought near Raleigh nc. The trunk is massive. The butia on the left was planted 3 yrs ago as a strap leaf. It's getting pretty big as well

[Harry’s Palms]

12 hours ago, MIKE82397 said:

Here's my largest windmill on the right. It was in a pot in  nov. of 21'. 

2nd pic is aug of 22'

3rd pic apr. of 24

and 4th pic 5 minutes ago.

So the last 2 pics are one year apart

The 2nd year I bet that largest windmill put on 30 " of trunk. It flowered this year 1st time. I think its a female but the flower stalks kinda fizzled out before I could tell. I see one more that hasn't unfolded yet. I think its a taylor form. Bought near Raleigh nc. The trunk is massive. The butia on the left was planted 3 yrs ago as a strap leaf. It's getting pretty big as well

That’s some pretty substantial growth for one year. Harry

[MIKE82397]

I guess we cold hardy palm enthusiasts like to talk about winters in the ground. 3 winters for the big boy.  2 winters for the other 3. It basically outgrew its winter structure each year and last year was kinda to big to protect other than wrapping and lights and kept spear dry with a golf umbrella. Only fronds it’s ever lost was last year I had to chop off some of the lower ones just to get them out of the way for wrapping. Basically grows all year. 

[jwitt]

2011(-10f unprotected)

2012

Today(4f - 1/2025) 9' tall

[Fusca]

47 minutes ago, jwitt said:

2011(-10f unprotected)

2012

Today(4f - 1/2025) 9' tall

That's one helluva recovery!

[jwitt]

42 minutes ago, Fusca said:

That's one helluva recovery!

The -10f happened in 2/2011, so two seasons of growth after the big freeze. 

[Fusca]

35 minutes ago, jwitt said:

The -10f happened in 2/2011, so two seasons of growth after the big freeze. 

Yes, it's impressive indeed for survival at that small size!  I've seen them spear-pull at a slightly larger size around +20°F here but with almost no damage to existing fronds.

[jwitt]

1 hour ago, Fusca said:

Yes, it's impressive indeed for survival at that small size!  I've seen them spear-pull at a slightly larger size around +20°F here but with almost no damage to existing fronds.

It is a hardy one from a hardy species.  I do not protect and this weather station(Rio Rancho #2)is 23 houses away,  3 blocks or so. 

It saw this snow and two months later, 4f with virtually no damage! Got a lot of blooms this year tho!