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Livistona australis
Arecaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Livistona australis

Livistona australis

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthSlow

Livistona australis is found mainly in warm temperate to subtropical areas in the wild, but also extends into the tropics of northeast Australia. It is only found in coastal and near coastal lowland areas in temperate regions, but is found at higher elevations in the subtropics and only at elevations between 400 - 1,000 metres in the tropics. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 28°c, but can tolerate 8 - 34°c[1]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 900 - 1,100mm, but tolerates 800 - 1,200mm[1]. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade[2]. Plants grow well in full sun, even when small[3]. Plants naturally grow in forest habitats and, especially when young, require some shade from the sun for at least part of the day[4]. Requires a sheltered position in a fertile moist but well-drained soil that is preferably neutral to acid[2, 4]. Although plants prefer a deep moist soil, they can also succeed in dry climates[4]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5[1]. Plants can tolerate at least some maritime exposure with salt spray and somewhat saline soil conditions[3]. Plants are slow-growing[2]. Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round. They are functionally dioecious and so two distinct plants are needed if fruit and seed are required[5]. The plant is moderately resistant to damage from forest fires[1]. Plants are very amenable to pot cultivation and can be grown successfully in containers for many years[6]. Palms usually have deep penetrating root systems and generally establish best when planted out at a young stage. However, older plants are substantially more cold tolerant than juvenile plants[4]. In areas at the limit of their cold tolerance, therefore, it is prudent to grow the plants in containers for some years, giving them winter protection, and only planting them into their permanent positions when sheer size dictates[4]. Palms can also be transplanted even when very large. Although the thick fleshy roots are easily damaged and/or desiccated, new roots are generally freely produced. It is important to stake the plant very firmly to prevent rock, and also to give it plenty of water until re-established - removing many of the leaves can also help[4].

Propagation

Seed - sow in early spring in a warm greenhouse, using deep containers in order to avoid root constriction and plating two seeds in each container[7]. The seed of this species has a longer viability than that of most palms[7]. If necessary, thin the seedlings to the best plant and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least two years. If trying them outdoors, plant them out in the summer and give them some protection from the cold for their first few winters. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Livistona+australis>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  2. [2]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  3. [3]Palms of the World — Blombery. A. & Rodd. T. · Angus and Robertson · 1992 · ISBN 0-207-14848-1 ↩︎An excellent guide, well illustrated, with information on cultivation, uses, habitat etc of almost 200 species of Palms.
  4. [4]Palms for Cooler Climates. — McMillan-Browse. P. · Trebah Enterprises. · 1993 · ISBN 0 9521952 0 8 ↩︎An excellent little booklet on the subject, though it does not mention many plant uses.
  5. [5]A Taxonomic Account of Livistona R.Br. (Arecaceae) — Dowe J.L. · 2009 ↩︎An excellent, detailed work, though it is a shame it does not include information on traditional and other uses.
  6. [6]Australian Native Plants. — Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. · Collins. (Australia) · 1988 · ISBN 0-7322-0021-0 ↩︎A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.
  7. [7]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  8. [8]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  9. [9]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  10. [10]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  11. [11]Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. — Hedrick. U. P. · Dover Publications · 1972 · ISBN 0-486-20459-6 ↩︎Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
  12. [12]Wild Food in Australia. — Cribb. A. B. and J. W. · Fontana · 1976 · ISBN 0-00-634436-4 ↩︎A very good pocket guide.
  13. [13]Flora of Victoria. — Ewart. A. J. · University Press; Melbourne · 1930 ↩︎A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.
  14. [14]Useful Wild Plants in Australia. — Cribb. A. B. and J. W. · William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney · 1981 · ISBN 0-00-216441-8 ↩︎A very readable book.