Can a Palm Tree Grow in Full Shade? Comparing windmill palms grown in full sun and full shade.

I am comparing two windmill palm trees (trachycarpus fortunei) from my yard. One grows in full sun and the other grows in full shade.
The short answer is yes, a palm tree can grow in full shade. Not only can it grow in full shade, some varieties, including the windmill palm, do very well.
There are some visual differences that you see between a windmill palm grown in the sun vs grown in the shade.
The shade grown palm has longer fronds than the one grown in full sun. The shade grown palm is also a much darker green than the one grown in full sun.
Their heights are a little bit different, the one grown in shade being about 4 inches shorter than the palm grown in full sun.
It comes down to personal preference and your available locations in your yard, but putting a windmill palm in a shady spot will produce great results and may even be more desirable based on your personal preference.

[@stevelowe6169]

Thanks for the video. I grow several Fortunei and the shaded ones are usually greener.

[@vibonitatropics]

I like the shade grown look alot!

[@robsx4280]

I agree mine in the shade are many times darker and greener than the others i have in the sun.

[@vibonitatropics]

I prefer the look

[@justhereforthefoliage]

Pretty cool to see. Good idea to cover this topic. This would hold true for just about any living organism, and even most man made materials as well.

[@vibonitatropics]

I didn't really plan it that way... just put the pots where I thought they'd look good. As they've really started growing this year, it became apparent that they looked very different.

[@justhereforthefoliage]

@@vibonitatropics Totally!

[@northeasthardytropicals541]

Really cool experiment. I like the full sun version with its stuff fronds.

[@vibonitatropics]

More of an accidental experiment. I put the pots where I thought they would look good with no consideration for the sun 🤣

[@northeasthardytropicals541]

@@vibonitatropics lol

[@sandorspalms]

Great comparison Brian!

[@vibonitatropics]

Thanks, Sandor.

[@markh1154]

Great comparison video. I live in downtown Tacoma, Washington in a Northeast facing penthouse condo and have two potted windmill palms on my balcony. They both are doing fantastic. They only get a few hours of direct sun in the morning and f few in the evening in the summer (when it is sunny here in the PNW). They love our temperate/mild climate here. There are some very old 50ft+ tall windmill palms in Tacoma’s Old Town and Stadium District neighborhoods.

[@vibonitatropics]

They do really well around here for sure. I have one in my back yard that has about 18 feet of trunk but unfortunately it grew into my neighbor's cedar tree which is planted right on the property line. (Planted way before I bought the house).

[@user-xf1rr1wh3s]

Could you tell me the exact streets the big Windmill palms are on in Tacoma's Old Town and Stadium districts? I'd like to see them on Google Street View.

[@duncanbirnie4158]

Shade plant looks healthier 🤔👍

[@vibonitatropics]

I like the look of the shade one for sure.

[@cmackscott761]

That's good to know. I have three Windmill palms in my backyard that range from 9' to 16' tall. In N Georgia we had three solid winter days of around 9F. Fortunately, it did not kill any of my taller trees. I have planted some younger trees from seed and the younger trees (2.5') did not survive the winter. Also for whatever reason some critters at night ate the fronds off of some of my smaller trees. The plan now is to keep the younger trees in the greenhouse until they get to be about 5'.

[@vibonitatropics]

Solid plan. I had only 2 in the ground last winter. One is about 20 feet and the other is 10. No issues at all with either of them. My lowest temps last winter were 15F and had two separate weeks with daytime highs below freezing. I've put many more in the ground this spring. 7 windmills, a needle, and a pindo.

[@Slo-ryde]

TF has evolved to grow in cooler and cloudier regions.

[@vibonitatropics]

It does great!

[@johnnymetallica1039]

I think we’re on some cosmic wavelength. I have a windmill in an area that gets about 10-12 hours of sun in summer. It’s currently buried by a Thai giant elephant ear and musa banjoos, but it’s happier than a clam with new growth and an erect growing habit. I was worried about it but the arborist I use says they’re built to withstand being outmuscled for the sun in their youth… but I had my doubts until now! Great info 👏👏

[@vibonitatropics]

It's the Cobra Kai wavelength.

[@upperlefttropicalgrowing4439]

I love the difference between shade and sun grown T. Fortuni. When we only have few palms hardy enough to grow those differences matter. I have shade grown palm within 15 feet of one in full sun. They look totally different.

[@vibonitatropics]

It really looks totally different. Also seems to be a common misconception that people have (that all palm trees require full sun).

[@upperlefttropicalgrowing4439]

@@vibonitatropics some prefer shade like the kentia palm.

[@MiscellaneousMichelle]

💚

[@vibonitatropics]

😊

[@tntropics]

Cool comparison. The sun one looks to have quite a bigger trunk. In sun it might be using more fertilizer and consequently need more fertilizer like osmocote to restore the full green.

[@vibonitatropics]

I'll try giving it more fertilizer over the coming months and see if that darkens it up a bit!

[@johnnymetallica1039]

@@vibonitatropics the shade is more green because it’s producing more chlorophyll to compensate. Plant a variegated ivy in shade and see what happens (or don’t but trust me lol)

[@EastCoastTropicalGarden]

Good video

[@vibonitatropics]

Thanks!

[@okantichrist]

Much prefer the green example 👍🏻

[@vibonitatropics]

Me too

[@dc5v529]

I have 3 that get full sun and are very dark green. But I do fertilize mine regularly

[@vibonitatropics]

Good to know, thanks!

[@darklighter2838]

Agreed but plant them in the ground they will grow lot faster....

[@vibonitatropics]

I have 11 fortuneis in the ground at my house and alot of concrete so some stay in pots 😀

[@sharieworlds9386]

Do you have to take those inside during the cold weather?

[@vibonitatropics]

These pots I will take inside when it gets below 20F/-8C. I have other trees of this type planted in the ground that have seen 15F with no protection and had no damage. As the palms get bigger, they are able to take more cold. I am going to put these two in the ground this spring and they will forever be outside then.

[@sharieworlds9386]

@@vibonitatropics okay, thanks for the reply.

[@Gtumrths]

The trunk is thicker of the one in the sun!

[@vibonitatropics]

💚

[@yousuckmorethanido]

your shade is still pretty bright indirect light

[@vibonitatropics]

In the afternoon, yes.

[@leemaharg3788]

The one in the shade looks like a bag of shite compared to the one in the sun ! The shade grown one just looks so unhealthy, the fronds are all drooping and not stiff like the other one !

[@vibonitatropics]

It's personal preference, really. They are both quite healthy. I like the variety of them looking different since there aren't many palms I can grow.