| Livistona chinensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Tribe: | Trachycarpeae |
| Genus: | Livistona |
| Species: | L. chinensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Livistona chinensis | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Livistona chinensis, theChinese fan palm[2] or fountain palm,[3] is a species of subtropicalpalm tree of east Asia. It is native to southern Japan,Taiwan, theRyukyu Islands, southeastern China andHainan. In Japan, two notable populations occupy islands near the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture,Aoshima and Tsuki Shima.[4] It is also reportedly naturalized in South Africa,Mauritius,Réunion, theAndaman Islands,Java,New Caledonia,Micronesia,Hawaii,Florida,Bermuda,Puerto Rico and theDominican Republic.[1][2]
Livistona chinensis can attain heights of about 9 to 15 m (30 to 50 ft) and a spread of 4 m (12 ft). The leaves are fan shaped.[2]
The palm is cultivated as anornamental tree in gardens and conservatories.[5] It is hardy inUSDA zones 9-11, tolerating temperatures down to about 22 °F (−6 °C). They are often grown as a landscape palm in hot and wet tropical and subtropical climates like eastern Australia, Southeast Asia, and the southeast United States.[6][7]
This plant can become aweed, or in someecosystems aninvasive species, in places such as Bermuda,[5] Hawaii,[8] Floridawetlands and on someCaribbean Islands.
