Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Understory palm without a trunk.

Availability: Available in Lake Worth at  Amelia's SmartyPlants (561-540-6296).

Description: Shrubby palm without a trunk.

Dimensions: Typically 3-9 feet in height; about a broad as tall.

Growth Rate: Very slow.

Range: Southeastern United States south to St. Lucie, Glades and Charlotte counties. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website.

 Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

 Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.

 Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.

Habitats: Moist to seasonally wet hammocks and forests.

Soils: Moist to seasonally wet.

Nutritional Requirements: High; requires rich organic soils for optimal growth.

Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.

Drought Tolerance: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.

Light Requirements: Light shade to full sun.

Flower Color: White.

Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous.

Flowering Season: Spring to fall; peak in summer.

Fruit: Dry, smooth, dull round nearly brown to black berry. Seeds solitary.

Wildlife and Ecology: Provides moderate amounts of food and cover for wildlife. Nectar plant for butterflies. Attracts bee pollinators.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed from which the coating has been removed.

References: FNPS 2023, Nelson 2003, Schaefer & Tanner 1997.