Difference between fan palms?

[Dimimelbourne]

So historically I’ve never really cared for fan palms; Washingtonias, Livistonas and the likes. I’ve always loved the more tropical ones. 
Though after spending 6 months in Mexico (central high desert) and now in Cyprus where they’re abundant I’m coming to appreciate them.

Thing is… I really can’t tell them apart! 

If these are a particular interest to anyone and they’d like to explain to me the difference between the main common ones it would be appreciated.

For example, what are the ones they plant along esplanades all over Southern Europe? 
To me, main ones would be Californian and Mexican fan palm, Chinese fan palm and the cabbage fan palm. I’m open to hearing about others too.
 

[Fusca]

Hi Dimitri,

All the palms in your first and third photos are Washingtonia palms.  Here's one way to differentiate California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera) and Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta).  W. filifera has grayish green fronds and a very thick trunk while W. robusta has glossy green fronds and a thinner trunk.  I attached a photo I took recently showing the two together with the filifera on the left and robusta being the tallest one in the center.  These are pretty tall but if you are looking at shorter palms and can see the leaf boots (where the fronds attach to the trunk) and you see some red color it's not filifera - it's either robusta or a hybrid between the two.  They hybridize pretty easily.  Both species have cottony fibers on the fronds but filifera tend to have more than robusta.  I believe the palms in your second photo are Livistona chinensis but hard to tell for sure without a closer shot of the trunk and leaf petioles.  

[JohnAndSancho]

Pritchardia Pacifica is my favorite. I bought one. I killed it. I like my Red Latan too, it's making for a surprisingly awesome houseplant. Licualas are all awesome. And of course Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal. 

[SeanK]

2 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Pritchardia Pacifica is my favorite. I bought one. I killed it. I like my Red Latan too, it's making for a surprisingly awesome houseplant. Licualas are all awesome. And of course Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal. 

There were some nice ones(P.pacifica) in San Juan, PR back 20 years ago.

[SeanK]

Second photo is L.chinensis. I expect to find Chamaerhops humilis around the Mediterranean islands.

[Dimimelbourne]

19 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Pritchardia Pacifica is my favorite. I bought one. I killed it. I like my Red Latan too, it's making for a surprisingly awesome houseplant. Licualas are all awesome. And of course Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal Sabal. 

I do love Licualas too, Ramsayi etc much more in my tropical palm territory I enjoy 

[Dimimelbourne]

16 hours ago, SeanK said:

Second photo is L.chinensis. I expect to find Chamaerhops humilis around the Mediterranean islands.

How can you tell the difference? They really look the same to me. Yes definitely see the C humilla around a fair bit 

[Las Palmas Norte]

20 hours ago, Dimimelbourne said:

So historically I’ve never really cared for fan palms; Washingtonias, Livistonas and the likes. I’ve always loved the more tropical ones. 

There are plenty of fan palms that are "tropical ones". Perhaps you are referring to a preference for pinnate over palmate fronds?

[JohnAndSancho]

42 minutes ago, Dimimelbourne said:

I do love Licualas too, Ramsayi etc much more in my tropical palm territory I enjoy 

Yeah I bought a Ramsayi and I learned the hard way not to buy mail order palms in the dead of winter. They're gorgeous though. I have some Spinosa babies that are slower than snail poop, and one looks a little haggard but it's not dead and the other one looks nice. 

[SeanK]

47 minutes ago, Dimimelbourne said:

How can you tell the difference? They really look the same to me. Yes definitely see the C humilla around a fair bit 

I had the same problem 25 years ago driving through Florida, USA.

I bought a copy of "Betrock's Guide to Landscape Palms". If you cannot find a book, Try this:

https://palmpedia.net/wiki/index.html

Click On

PALM ENCYCLOPEDIA 

[Fusca]

2 hours ago, Dimimelbourne said:

How can you tell the difference? They really look the same to me. Yes definitely see the C humilla around a fair bit 

It is a bit difficult to differentiate since most Washingtonia display the droopy leaf tips that are characteristic of Livistona chinensis.  It's a subtle difference in a lot of cases.  If you look at the trunk and the leaf petioles you will see a bigger difference.  Sometimes Livistona chinensis (like the one I have) don't have any thorns on the petioles or if they have them they're relatively small and straight.  Washingtonia robusta and hybrids have nasty hooked thorns and they have a reddish brown color.  Filifera thorns aren't as large and have a yellowish tan color.  Also Washingtonia tend to keep their dead fronds for a long time creating the typical "skirt" and even when the dead fronds are trimmed off the trunk usually holds the old leaf bases until the palm has several feet of trunk.  Livistona trunks are much cleaner since the old leaf bases come off easily after just a short time.

[Dimimelbourne]

2 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

There are plenty of fan palms that are "tropical ones". Perhaps you are referring to a preference for pinnate over palmate fronds?

Yeah I admit I’m not using the best terminology am I. It’s a vibe for me, the palm has it or it doesn’t 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Dimimelbourne]

1 hour ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Yeah I bought a Ramsayi and I learned the hard way not to buy mail order palms in the dead of winter. They're gorgeous though. I have some Spinosa babies that are slower than snail poop, and one looks a little haggard but it's not dead and the other one looks nice. 

Are Ramsayi hard to come by where you are in the states? 
Cheap as chips back home. I had to google the Spinosa, very nice definitely tropical vibe. I’m sure you can get them going in that space of yours. 

[Dimimelbourne]

1 hour ago, SeanK said:

I had the same problem 25 years ago driving through Florida, USA.

I bought a copy of "Betrock's Guide to Landscape Palms". If you cannot find a book, Try this:

https://palmpedia.net/wiki/index.html

Click On

PALM ENCYCLOPEDIA 

Thank you I’ll suss it out 

[Dimimelbourne]

28 minutes ago, Fusca said:

It is a bit difficult to differentiate since most Washingtonia display the droopy leaf tips that are characteristic of Livistona chinensis.  It's a subtle difference in a lot of cases.  If you look at the trunk and the leaf petioles you will see a bigger difference.  Sometimes Livistona chinensis (like the one I have) don't have any thorns on the petioles or if they have them they're relatively small and straight.  Washingtonia robusta and hybrids have nasty hooked thorns and they have a reddish brown color.  Filifera thorns aren't as large and have a yellowish tan color.  Also Washingtonia tend to keep their dead fronds for a long time creating the typical "skirt" and even when the dead fronds are trimmed off the trunk usually holds the old leaf bases until the palm has several feet of trunk.  Livistona trunks are much cleaner since the old leaf bases come off easily after just a short time.

Interesting, I’m going to have to study them a bit to see these differences. Sounds like it’ll be tough due to hybridisation and discrepancies too.

They’re everywhere here so I’ll have plenty of opportunities though.

 

[JohnAndSancho]

24 minutes ago, Dimimelbourne said:

Are Ramsayi hard to come by where you are in the states? 
Cheap as chips back home. I had to google the Spinosa, very nice definitely tropical vibe. I’m sure you can get them going in that space of yours. 

Availability is between you and your bank account for everything here lol. If you've got the money you can get them. 

[Dimimelbourne]

17 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Availability is between you and your bank account for everything here lol. If you've got the money you can get them. 

Haha sounds about right for most things in life doesn’t it.

[JohnAndSancho]

1 minute ago, Dimimelbourne said:

Haha sounds about right for most things in life doesn’t it.

😂 Indeed. Everything from food to Ferraris.