8 SEEDS Trachycarpus FORTUNEI

Trachycarpus fortunei was discovered in China, and brought back to England by Robert Fortune in 1845. They were considered quite tender and planted around the Southwest, extensively in the Torbay region. Over a period of time they migrated eastward, but were still reputed to be tender in Eastern England. Over a period of time they fell from favour and the myth that they were not hardy at all re-emerged. In the 1970s a few pioneers, including myself, started to experiment in the East and North. Where we found that surprisingly, they could withstand very low temperatures. Trunky and Trudy Trachy have withstood -12.6 degrees C, and we have heard reports that some palms have withstood -18C ! A tough cookie then. Some of the original palms brought back in 1845 are still standing, and are now over 45 feet tall.