Brisbane tree guide

Alexander palm

Archontophoenix alexandrae · also called Alexandra palm, King palm, Northern bangalow palm

The Alexander palm is a tall, single-trunked feather palm native to the rainforests and swamps of coastal north and central Queensland. Botanists call it the Alexandra palm, and it is a popular park and garden palm across Australia. It grows quickly, enjoys plenty of water and carries large bunches of bright red fruit. In a suburban yard, its eventual height and its bird-spread seedlings are the main things to plan for.

Australian native
25 to 30 m tall

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Alexander palm, from Wikimedia Commons — Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Alexander palm at a glance

Height: 25 to 30 m (up to 35 m in the wild)
Spread: 2 to 2.5 m
Growth: Fast
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: White, cream, All year
Origin: Coastal Queensland from the Melville Range on Cape York south to Baffle Creek, near Gladstone
Family: Arecaceae

How to identify an Alexander palm

Look for a single smooth, grey trunk ringed with leaf scars and often swollen at the base, topped by a light to lime-green crownshaft up to about a metre long. The fronds reach about 4.5 m, with 60 to 80 narrow leaflets on each side, and they twist sideways so the leaflets stand on edge. The leaflets are dark green above and silvery grey below. Branched sprays of white to cream flowers form just under the crownshaft and ripen into red fruit about 1 cm long. The native bangalow palm looks very similar, but its flowers are pink to pale lilac.

Growing an Alexander palm in Brisbane

Alexander palms are grown in gardens and parks far south of their natural range, which ends near Gladstone; the Palm and Cycad Society notes they are widely grown down to Nowra on the NSW south coast. It grows in full sun if it gets plenty of water, and also in shade. It needs more water than most palms and some even thrive in poorly drained ground, so it suits damp spots. Allow room for a palm that can pass 25 m. As it is not local to Brisbane, avoid planting it beside creeks or bushland, where birds can carry the seed.

What to watch out for

Plan for height and seedlings. This palm can grow to 25 m or more, so give it space away from the house and overhead wires. Birds and flying foxes eat the red fruit and spread the seed: near Wollongong it has started colonising bushland, and hybrids with the native bangalow palm have been found there. It is not on Brisbane City Council's weed list, but it is not local to Brisbane, so keep it away from creeks and bush.

Seedlings. Birds and flying foxes eat the fruit and spread the seed, and the Palm and Cycad Society notes it has begun colonising bushland near Wollongong.

Pruning and care

Alexander palms need very little pruning. Take off dead fronds and old flower or fruit stalks only if they become a hazard or a nuisance, and leave the green crown alone. Keep the soil moist, as this palm likes more water than most, and water young plants well through dry spells. Full sun is fine if water is reliable, and it also grows in shade. Working high on a tall palm is a job for a professional with the right gear.

Alexander palm: your questions

Short answers, from the sources below.

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Is the Alexander palm native to Brisbane?

No. It is an Australian native, but its natural range runs along the Queensland coast from the Melville Range on Cape York south to Baffle Creek near Gladstone. The similar native palm of South East Queensland's creeks is the bangalow palm.

How tall does an Alexander palm grow?

The Palm and Cycad Society of Australia describes the Alexander palm reaching about 25 metres, and Flora of Australia gives up to 30 metres. It is fast growing, adding roughly 30 cm to 1 m a year.

How can I tell an Alexander palm from a bangalow palm?

Check the flowers and the leaflet undersides. The Alexander palm has white to cream flowers and leaflets that are silvery grey underneath, while the bangalow palm has pink to pale lilac flowers.

Is the Alexander palm a weed?

It is not on Brisbane City Council's weed list. Birds do spread its seed, though, and it has started colonising bushland near Wollongong, so it is best not planted beside creeks or bush.

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Sources and credits

Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Checked October 2026. Weed listings and council rules change: check the council's and the Queensland Government's pages before you act.