From San Francisco to Mexico, the Mediterranean fan palm is highly sought after due to its hardiness and its striking, exotic look. Along with the Chinese Windmill Palm () and perhaps the Brazilian needle palm () the Mediterranean ranks among the hardiest of palms. The look of this palm varies in appearance greatly; not only do its triangular fan-shaped leaves vary from blue- to grey-green in color, but its thin reddish trunks can sprout new growth fairly quickly (known as a clustered habit) and depending on their manicuring can look like a very tropical grouping of mini-palms or a stouter, more shrub-like beauty. A perfect specimen in any sized yard or in clusters surrounding commercial properties, rows of this popular palm are also often seen decorating medians along Southern California roadways.
The only palm native to Europe, the Mediterranean fan palm grows wild in Italy and Spain and along the Mediterranean coast from the French Rivera to Northern Africa. Stemming from the greek and latin roots meaning low to the ground and dwarf, is perfectly adapted for Southern California.
