Cabbage-Tree Palm, Livistona australis, The Living Desert
4,182 views · Published 8 January 2013 · 1:13 · Indexed 11 October 2026
Channel: Melvin Wei · 2013 · Science & Technology
The cabbage-tree palm was mistakenly identified in The Living Desert as the Australian fan palm, which is a very charismatic palm with unique foliage morphology. The cabbage-tree palm, or Livistona australis, is a tall, slender palm that can grow well beyond to the 2 meter height seen here to a mature height of 25 m with only a 35 cm trunk diameter! It is said to bear a cabbage that is small but sweet. In summer it bears white flower spikes. Cabbage-tree palm grows in wet habitats such as forests, swamps, and near the sea in Eastern Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria provinces), growing further south than any other native Australian palm. The cabbage-tree palm grows well in moist, rich soils, and thrives both under direct sunlight and shade. It is salt, frost, and wind tolerant despite the thin tall trunks.
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