Livistona chinensis, the Chinese fan palm or ** fountain palm**, is a species of subtropical palm tree of east Asia. It is native to southern Japan, Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands, southeastern China and Hainan. In Japan, two notable populations occupy islands near the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture, Aoshima and Tsuki Shima. It is also reportedly naturalized in South Africa, Mauritius, Réunion, the Andaman Islands, Java, New Caledonia, Micronesia, Hawaii, Florida, Bermuda, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Livistona chinensis can attain heights of about 30 to 50 ft and a spread of 12 ft. The leaves are fan shaped.

Cultivation

The palm is cultivated as an ornamental tree in gardens and conservatories. It is hardy in USDA zones 9-11, tolerating temperatures down to about 22 F. This plant can become a weed, or in some ecosystems an invasive species, in places such as Bermuda, Hawaii, Florida wetlands and on some Caribbean Islands.