Trachycarpus princeps - Stone Gate Palm

This incredibly beautiful and still rare Trachycarpus is generally regarded as the `prince` amongst Trachycarpus species, hence the name Trachycarpus princeps.

In habitat the palm has a green leaf, and a magnificent snow white contrasting back to the leaf. The trunk has very distinctive brown fibre, older plants having bare trunks lower down. The leaf is split around half way, and the palm is very resistant to severe cold, probably being equally as cold as Trachycarpus fortunei.

The Trachycarpus princeps blue-silver was discovered in the early 1990's growing on sheer stone cliffs in the Stonegate Gorge, China. With much confusion about what is a real princeps, we always declare provenance. To clarify the confusion regarding the various forms, this is the Golden Lotus Nursery statement: ''-Collecting seeds at the Stone-gate is mostly a waste of time. -So, I get the Trachycarpus princeps from another mountain-area. That's why my seedlings have a blue colour!!!! The Trachycarpus princeps from The Stone Gate are green.`"

Our plants are grown from Golden Lotus seed and have the bluer leaf colouration. Whilst this plant is generally recognised as the `real princeps` it may turn out to differ to the true Stonegate form. Whether or not it is the true Stonegate form is irrelevant because the leaf colouration and white backs make it unique and highly sought after!