This majestic palm is the national tree of Cuba where it is still abundant, growing on fertile soils to about 1000 meters altitude. The bulging, concrete-white trunks are a useful guide to its identity. The bulge is usually present in the middle but may occur anywhere along its length. Its plumose leaves carried in a graceful, rounded crown and the oblong fruit, which are flattened or compressed on one side are also distinctive. In its native country the trunks are cut for timber, the leaf-bases are used as a water-proof covering for bales of tobacco and the fruits (called ‘palmiche’) are used to feed pigs. Cuban Royal Palm is a familiar sight as it is very commonly planted throughout the tropics and to a lesser extent, the subtropics. It is frequetly planted in rows beside driveways, roads and avenues and makes a uniform and stately palm for this purpose. A sunny position in well-drained soil is essential for success, although plants may grow rapidly in wet soils where the water is not stgnant. Plants respond vigorously to heavy applications of fertililzer rich in nitrogen. read more

A delightful palm which has exploded in popularity and is now widely planted in many countries. Plants have proved to be fast growing and adaptable. Best growth is achieved in drier tropical regions but success has also been gained in the subtropics. Plants demand good drainage but seedlings will take hot sun from an early age. Ornamental features include a slender, closely ringed, columnar to slightly bottle shaped trunk, graceful, arching, densely plumose fronds, a slender crownshaft and colourful clusters of large, orange-red fruit. The species occurs naturally in the Melville Range, near Bathurst Bay on Cape York Peninsula, north-eastern Queensland. It grows in loose, granitic, sandy soils among huge granite boulders. The climate is tropical, with a prolonged dry season. read more

A popular, fast-growing palm which is widely grown in tropical and subtropical countries, Plants usually have a swollen base to the trunk, a light green crown-shaft, leaflets which are dark green above, silvery grey beneath and oriented in a vertical plane towards the leaf apex. Flowers are creamy white and are followed by clusters of bright red fruit, each about 1.4 cm x 1 cm. The species is endemic to Queensland where it is distributed between Gladstone and the Melville Range near Bathurst Bay on Cape York Peninsula. It commonly grows in lowland swamp forest but is also found up to 600 meters altitude in the ranges. An excellent, handsome garden palm which looks especially decorative when in fruits. Plants are often sold for indoor decoration but are generally unsuitable for this purpose, having high light requirements and disliking the often dry atmosphere inside offices and dwelling. They do make a very attractive tub plant and are suitable for verandas or patios. The variety Beatrice, which has a prominently stepped trunk, is no longer regarded as being botanically distinct but is still commonly propagated and sold in the nursery trade. read more

Those plants grown in a deeply shady situation will retain the juvenile leaves much longer than grown in the open. The Footstool Palm is native to Malaysia and Indonesia where it grows in large impressive colonies. In its native state the cabbage is collected and eaten and the dark violet fruit is eaten by children. It is an ideal palm for tropical climates and needs protection from direct sun when small. Rich soils promote strong, vigorous growth. In districts with a cold winter the plants struggle and are very slow growing. A very striking variety is native to the Philippine island of Luzon. This is known as var. luzonensis and has a slender trunk with prominent white rings. If anything, this palm is more tropical than the typical variety. Fruiting plants are very decorative, bearing masses of brick-red fruit. Both variants can be propagated from seed which germinates within 2 months but seedling growth is very slow. read more

Superficially, this palm closely resembles the widely cultivated Bungalow Palm but can be immediately distinguished by the longer crownshaft, the intricately branched inflorescence and the leathery leaflets which have two blunt lobes at the apex. It is a very tall, slender species reaching upwards of 15 meter and has a graceful crown of dark green pinnate fronds which often twist along the rachis. The small, round fruit are scarlet when ripe. The species is endemic to the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean and is widely grown in tropical countries. Being very cold-sensitive it is best suited to the hot, humid lowlands and once established is fast growing. read more

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