Trachycarpus Fortunei & Wagnerianus Hardy Palms - a Quick Comparison

In today's video I have a quick look two great hardy palms for most UK gardens, Trachycarpus fortunei, the Chinese windmill or Chusan palm and Trachycarpus wagnerianus or Waggie seen at Chatsworth House Gardens. Both are tough, easy to grow and low maintenace exotic plants for a UK tropical style garden and whilst they can look superficially similar when smaller, seeing them side by side provided a great opportunity for a comparison of the visual and sizes differences plus why one or the other may be better suited to your garden. Waggies are very architectural and a great palm choice for small gardens, planting in groups or for more exposed locations where the wind may affect other plants. Fortunei aren't as wind resistant but are a very tough and quick growing palm, providing lush green leaves and a lot of tropical impact for the cost of a small specimen. Trachycarpus growth rate varies with the conditions but after given two or three years to settle in, growth rates of a foot / 30cm of trunk a year are possible and planting small is certainly a possibility for nice looking, healthy plants with a bit of patience. Both are adaptable plants to a range of different sunny and shady spots plus different soil types in our UK climate but it's important to remember that these aren't desert palm trees, they much prefer a cooler, wetter climate which is why they're such a great choice for UK gardens. This video is just a quick look at these two plants but if you want any Trachycarpus care tips or planting advice then check out my other palm videos or feel free to leave a comment.
0:00 Intro
0:18 Trachycarpus fortunei, an easy and low maintenance tropical style plant
1:42 Trachycarpus wagnerianus 'Waggie' palm, a tough and architectural plant even for small gardens
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Thanks,
George

[@parttimeninja5521]

Wishing You, Max and the rest of the Family a happy, healthy and very green 2022! ♥

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much and all the best for 2022 for you and your family! Thanks for all your support this year 😃

[@philippehoyez9398]

Finally you bought Chatsworth House ! There's no shortage of work !😉

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

😂 Not yet Philippe, not yet! If I lived close I’d love to even work there, such a beautiful place!

[@philippehoyez9398]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden I often see that in these large estates which are the pride of English gardeners, volunteers offer their services.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@philippehoyez9398 That’s very true, Chatsworth has definitely got a good team of gardeners, it’s one of the better kept larger gardens I’ve been to and the changes over the last couple of years have been impressive.

[@alanhunter2009]

Yet again, George, a most informative video for those unfamiliar with Trachycarpus palms. I'm afraid that neither my fortunei or waggie have retained their lower leaves like those specimens. Both get so tattered by the wind I have to remove them.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Alan, just a quick look but it’s always handy to see plants together in the flesh I think plus so many places sell younger ones so it’s good to see what they develop into. I can’t blame you for wanting to make yours look tidy, these two are just two particularly well grown examples in a good spot!

[@EastCoastTropicalGarden]

Great information, thanks

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks and apologies for the delayed reply!

[@sandorspalms]

Trachycarpus are the perfect palm for your climate! Great video 👍😁🇨🇦

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much and they seem to do very well over here! Feather palms are a bit of a gamble but more and more seem to be getting larger. It all depends on what the winters do!

[@shineamenmbs3107]

May be I like the tidy/neat look of the Waggie a bit better, even if these two specimens are gorgeous. Thank you for this nice comparison.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Completely, I’m tempted to agree with you to be honest! As smaller plants especially, they look so neat and perfect, like bonsai palms! Thanks as always for watching!

[@raphlvlogs271]

different Trachycarpus species can actually hybridise.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

That's true! I did a video a month or two back looking at some young Trachycarpus hybrids I've picked up, I'm excited to see them develop!

[@paigeturner165]

Thanks George! George what can you tell us about Phoenix canariensis please? I have two that are in pots and they turned quite yellow last year. I cut them back and I’m pretty sure now that was the wrong thing to do! They are very slow growing 😬 Any tips? Thanks from snowy Scotland.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Paige, how long have they been in those pots? As a general rule, don’t chop any green growth on palms back but I wouldn’t worry. They’re quite fast in the ground but being in small pots especially really slows them down for sure.

[@roguedungeondelver5738]

Hi George, I love the minor variations between Waggie and Fortunei. My question is I'm looking to buy an Arbutus Unedo tree for my back but I want it for the peeling cinnamon bark. There are different types like Marina and Andrachnoides does the regular variety, just Unedo have that peeling cinnamon bark because that's what I like to have for the garden also I'm guessing to add Acidic very well drained sharp soil as well thank you and merry Christma.!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Killian, I’ve got a few, a small unedo ‘Compacta’, an Andrachnoides hybrid and the Unedo I featured in my evergreens video that’ll be getting planted out soon. I don’t know if ph and drainage are as critical as some people make out, as long as your garden is waterlogged or at an extreme. A bit more drainage can’t hurt for them though. Andrachnoides is the one to go for if you want beautiful bark in my opinion but unedo are attractive too.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks for watching and Merry Christmas to you and your family too, all the best for the New Year!

[@roguedungeondelver5738]

Thank you George I've been trying to get Androchnoides bit cam only don't the original cultivar and Rubra and Compacta do these ones she'd there bark and make that smooth cinammon texture thank you.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@roguedungeondelver5738 From what I know they can be quite variable but x Andrachnoides looks stunning, will Pan Global Plants be able to deliver it to you maybe?

[@roguedungeondelver5738]

I will give them a look and try local garden centres or specialist nurseries thanks again for the help George and also being patient with me.

[@missdimples1982]

My Dad used to have something very similar in a large pot when I was growing up, burst through the pot in the end

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Oh right, wow, it escaped then! These are never really happy in pots long term, Chamaerops are a lot better choice (and slower growing so will stay put!).

[@DTS1wastaken]

u ever tried getting your hand on a sabal birmingham?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, I haven’t. As intriguing as they might be to grow given the cold tolerance, I’ve heard from several knowledgeable people that Sabals just don’t grow well here as we don’t have the summer heat. Maybe in London they might be a viable option though?

[@user-wq3zg7uk2z]

Looks great! What is more cold resistend Fortunei or Wagnerian?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks! I suspect that fortunei might have an edge but here in the UK, in most gardens they're both tough. It could be worth doing some local research and see what other people have had success with where you are though!

[@user-wq3zg7uk2z]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden In our area, Fortune is damaged by wind, so I choose Wagner or a Wagner/Fortune hybrid.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@user-wq3zg7uk2z That makes perfect sense, wind resistance is a big factor.

[@Fire-gv2wz]

Hi George How difficult is it to grow the Washington one from seeds then?. Thanks

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, they germinate very easily, I’m going to grow some in spring!

[@Fire-gv2wz]

Yes like to see that. I’ve seen them soaking them in water first. And then place the in a zip bag on top of the ski box or similar. Be interesting to see how you go about it 👍😉

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@Fire-gv2wz I’ll probably do exactly that, on some slightly damp perlite but don’t wait for me, crack on, they are mega easy 😃

[@Fire-gv2wz]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden yes I’ve got some perlite tbh I was not sure what to put them into. Sounds good to me I will give it a go. 👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@Fire-gv2wz I’d go perlite in a Tupperware container, press the pre-soaked seeds into it, sprinkle in a little bit of water then keep it somewhere warm. They should germinate easily but fingers crossed for you!

[@craigwagstaff4625]

Hi George,totally off topic but lve ordered some schefflera actinophylla seeds,bit of a experiment really ,not expecting much to be honest just wondering if you've tried them ?they've only cost a few quid so it's worth a whirl l think,any thoughts 🤔

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Craig, it’s not something I’ve tried growing from seed but I’d definitely have a Google to see if there’s any tips out there other than humid and warm! They won’t be frost hardy but I’m sure you could bring them outside in pots for summer, no problem. Sorry I can’t offer any more help!

[@craigwagstaff4625]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden don't get frosts in stoke on trent George it's like the tropics here,didn't you know🤣thanks for the response dude be interesting to see what happens......or not😶

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@craigwagstaff4625 We can all kid ourselves 😂 Good luck with them, let me know how you get on!

[@craigwagstaff4625]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden will do👍

[@seansmith445]

Wagnerianus can be quite dangerous when at eye level with those stiff fronds. Definitely not for a garden with children.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

They can be Sean and I see your point, I certainly wouldn't plant them next to a path or where they're likely to be brushed past. I wouldn't say that they're definitely not for a garden with children, they're not as sharp as a lot of more common garden shrubs etc., I guess for me it's more about choosing a sensible spot to minimise risk.