WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Chamaerops humilis, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Mediterranean fan palm in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Mediterranean fan palm in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 8.8 gallons each time under a 4 foot canopy, about 3.0 gallons a week. Mediterranean fan palm is a slow, clumping palm from the coasts of southern Europe and North Africa, with stiff fans held on spiny stalks. Once established it takes heat and dry spells in stride across most of California. Good drainage matters more than frequent water, because overwatering can rot its roots and stems.

ShrubPalm or cycadRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water Mediterranean fan palm, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
4 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for Mediterranean fan palm and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 4 inches down at the edge of the clump means an established palm is ready for a deep soak
  • Fresh fronds opening with brown tips during a hot, dry spell can point to thirsty roots
  • Lower fronds browning one at a time is normal aging, so check the soil before blaming water
  • A soft, discolored trunk base or fronds collapsing over wet soil point to root or stem rot from overwatering
  • Fine webbing and speckled fronds on a palm grown indoors suggest spider mites rather than a watering fault

How to water it

  • Water at the base of the clump with drip or a slow hose, covering the soil under the full spread of the fronds
  • Soak to about 18 inches deep, then let the soil dry well down before the next watering
  • Plant in any soil that drains freely, and build a low mound where clay holds winter water
  • Mulch the root area with gravel or coarse bark, keeping it a few inches from the trunks
  • Extend the watered area outward as new suckers widen the clump

Through the seasons

Water a newly planted fan palm regularly through its first summer while the roots spread. After that it needs only occasional deep soakings in most of the state. Yellow flowers appear in spring but stay hidden among the leaf bases, and new fronds unfold through the warm months. Along the coast and in the valley, winter storms usually supply the cool season water. For South Inland, the south coast, the Central Valley and the north-central coast, WUCOLS gives it a low water rating. It rates moderate water in both the low desert and the high desert, where dry winters call for occasional soil checks.

In pots

Mediterranean fan palm suits a patio container because it grows slowly and stays compact in sun. Feel the mix 2 to 3 inches down before watering, which in summer heat may mean a check every few days. Water deeply until it runs out the bottom, then empty the saucer. Never leave the pot standing in water, since soggy mix rots the roots. In winter, water only when the mix is dry well below the surface, because this cold-hardy palm needs little then.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.761.52.33.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Mediterranean Fan Palm: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.310.740.78
Feb0.210.260.320.350.930.93
Mar0.350.430.460.521.461.52
Apr0.470.610.560.641.891.95
May0.580.830.640.782.392.45
Jun0.640.990.690.922.852.79
Jul0.641.070.7913.042.85
Aug0.60.950.740.932.792.6
Sep0.50.720.60.742.142.08
Oct0.350.470.460.531.461.49
Nov0.190.220.330.360.930.96
Dec0.120.140.260.270.650.68
Year4.86.846.27.3721.2721.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated low water in the Central Valley, like Mediterranean fan palm. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyOlive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWild PrivetLigustrum vulgarelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBlue Leaf WattleAcacia salignalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Mediterranean fan palm, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water Mediterranean fan palm in summer?

In July, established Mediterranean fan palm in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 22 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does Mediterranean fan palm need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Mediterranean fan palm needs about 0.4 gallons a day under a 4 foot canopy and about 1.7 gallons a day under a 8 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for Mediterranean fan palm change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Mediterranean fan palm separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Should I remove the suckers on a Mediterranean fan palm?

Only if you want a single trunk. Removing the suckers trains it into a small tree, while leaving them builds a broad clump. A clump needs water spread across its whole base.

How cold can a Mediterranean fan palm take?

It is one of the most cold-hardy palms and takes lows of about 15 degrees F. Growth slows in cold weather, so cut back on water through winter.

Does Mediterranean fan palm have thorns?

Yes, the leaf stalks carry sharp spines. Wear gloves when you trim old fronds, and lay drip lines before the clump fills in. The cultivar 'Vulcano' has no spines.

Can Mediterranean fan palm grow near the beach?

Yes. It tolerates salt and heat, and it grows best in a Mediterranean climate like California's. Coastal plants need even less summer water than inland ones.

Why is my fan palm losing its compact shape?

Too much shade makes the fronds stretch and the clump loosen. Move it into brighter light. A palm in low light also uses less water, so check the mix before each soaking.

More plant watering guides

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Sources