Chinese Fan-palm is a native tree of South China and widely planted in Hong Kong’s urban areas. It has diverse uses - besides its seeds and fronds being used in traditional Chinese medicine, the dried fronds can be crafted into various household items including palm fans, brooms, and umbrellas, hence its English name.

Ecologically, the palm’s fronds serve as roosting sites for Short-nosed Fruit Bats. Male bats create “tent roosts” by biting through the midrib of the fronds, causing them to fold downward.