Brisbane tree guide

Cabbage tree palm

Livistona australis · also called Cabbage palm, Australian cabbage palm, Fan palm

The cabbage tree palm is a tall native fan palm with a slim, ringed trunk and a round crown of glossy, drooping leaves. It grows wild along the east coast from north Queensland to Victoria, including damp forest and creek banks around Brisbane, and is Australia's southernmost palm. Its name comes from the soft growing tip, or cabbage, which Aboriginal people and early settlers ate.

Native to South East Queensland
25 to 30 m tall

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Cabbage tree palm, from Wikimedia Commons — Photo: Schomynv, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Cabbage tree palm at a glance

Height: 25 to 30 m
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: Small and easy to miss
Origin: Eastern Australia, from the Paluma Range in north Queensland to far eastern Victoria
Family: Arecaceae

How to identify a cabbage tree palm

Look for a single straight trunk, grey and marked with rings from old leaf scars, rough and fibrous near the base and smoother higher up. The crown holds 35 to 60 round, fan-shaped leaves 1 to 2 m across, each split about halfway into many segments with drooping, forked tips. The leaf stalks are 1.5 to 2.5 m long and edged with hooked spines, mostly near the base. Long, branched sprays of small cream to pale yellow flowers grow among the leaves, followed by round fruit 1 to 2 cm across that ripen from red to black. Its round fan leaves set it apart from feather palms such as the bangalow and cocos palms.

Growing a cabbage tree palm in Brisbane

Cabbage tree palms grow wild in South East Queensland in damp forest, swampy ground, creek banks and rainforest edges, often in large colonies. Herbarium collections include palms at Jacobs Well, on North Stradbroke Island and between Mount Glorious and Mount Nebo. In a garden it takes sun or part shade, does best in rich, moist soil and copes with wind and salt. It suits a damp corner, a creek bank or a coastal garden, but plan for its eventual height before planting near eaves or wires.

What to watch out for

The cabbage tree palm isn't on Brisbane City Council's weed list; it is a local native. The main hazards are the sharp, hooked spines along the leaf stalks and its eventual size: it can reach 25 to 30 metres, with leaves up to about 4.5 metres long including the stalk. Plant it well clear of power lines and roof lines, and handle fronds with gloves.

Spines. The leaf stalks are edged with sharp, hooked spines, mostly towards the base, so wear gloves and long sleeves when handling fronds.
Size. It can reach 25 to 30 metres, with leaves up to about 4.5 metres long including the stalk, so it needs clear space overhead.

Pruning and care

Cabbage tree palms need very little care once established. Water young plants generously, since the species naturally grows in moist places, and give them rich soil with some mulch. Old fronds can be cut off once they have browned; wear gloves and long sleeves, because the stalks carry hooked spines. Young palms can be grown in a large pot or tub for some years before planting out. Removing fronds from a tall palm is a job for a professional with the right gear.

Cabbage tree palm: your questions

Short answers, from the sources below.

Back to the tree guide

Is the cabbage tree palm native to Brisbane?

Yes. It grows naturally along the east coast from north Queensland to far eastern Victoria, and herbarium collections include wild palms around Brisbane and Moreton Bay.

How tall does a cabbage tree palm grow?

Botanical references give a trunk up to about 25 metres, and some palms reach 30 metres or a little more. The trunk stays slim, usually 25 to 50 cm across.

Why is it called a cabbage tree palm?

The soft growing tip at the top of the trunk, known as the cabbage, was eaten by Aboriginal people and early settlers.

Can you grow a cabbage palm in a pot?

Yes, while it's young. Burke's Backyard rates it as a good container palm, either indoors in a bright room or outside on a protected patio.

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Sources and credits

Photo: Schomynv, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

This profile updates sheet 8 of the plant profile booklet made for Colourful Tree Lopping in 2013. We checked every fact against current sources and rewrote it for the guide.

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