Mountain Palm

Mountain Palm (Schippia concolor) is a slender fan palm for gardens with height to spare and no width to give away. It settles at around 4.5m tall and only 1.5m across, holding stiff fan fronds on a single clean trunk. Growth is slow, so it keeps its proportions in a courtyard or a large pot for years.

Why you'll love it

• Narrow enough for a courtyard. At about 1.5m wide when mature it sits beside a path or in a light well where a foxtail would take the whole bed.
• Slow and predictable. Height comes gradually, making it one of the safer palms to plant close to a house or boundary.
• Comfortable in damp ground. It tolerates soil that stays wet, so low spots and beds catching downpipe runoff suit it.
• Almost no upkeep. Remove the odd spent frond, keep water up over summer, and there is nothing else to do.

Where it works best

Feature planting in small gardens. A single specimen reads as a vertical accent without the heavy shade of a broad crowned palm. Underplant with ferns to furnish the base.

Pots and containers. Use a pot at least 500mm wide with real drainage. Container growing holds it slightly shorter and lets you shift it out of wind.

Poolside. The fronds sit high and shed slowly, so it drops less litter into the water than a feather palm.

Growing Mountain Palm in Australia

Position and climate. This is a tropical and subtropical palm and it is frost tender. In cool temperate or frosting inland gardens treat it as a container plant that winters under cover. Young plants prefer filtered light; established ones take full sun in humid coastal gardens.

Soil. Rich soil with compost worked through the backfill. It handles heavy, damp ground better than most palms, though it will not sit in stagnant water. Mulch 75mm deep, kept off the trunk.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first two summers and never let it dry out completely. Controlled release palm fertiliser in early spring and mid summer keeps the fronds deep green.

Pruning. Cut only fronds that have browned right off. Taking green fronds slows an already slow palm, and the growing point at the crown must never be cut.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in two sizes. The 400mm plant is young, with a handful of fans and no visible trunk yet, and it is the sensible choice if you are happy to wait. The 110L is an advanced specimen with a formed trunk, worth the difference when the palm is a courtyard focal point.

Palms travel well packed upright, and a little frond tip browning after transit is normal. Expect a quiet couple of months before new fronds appear. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• A guide to palm tree varieties for choosing between fan and feather types.
• Browse the full palm tree range.
• See other plants for poolside gardens.
• Compare options in plants for small gardens.

Common questions

How tall will it actually get, and how quickly?

Around 4.5m in an Australian garden. It grows taller in habitat in Central America, but cultivated plants rarely pass 5m, and they take their time getting there.

Will it survive frost?

No. It is frost tender and wants a tropical or subtropical position. In Melbourne, Adelaide or the tablelands, grow it in a pot and move it under cover before winter.

Can I keep it in a pot permanently?

Yes. Slow growth and a narrow crown suit long term container life. Use a pot 500mm or wider, refresh the top layer of mix each spring, and repot every three to four years.