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Livistona australis

Common name:	Cabbage Palm	Family:	Palmae
Author:	(R.Br.)C.Mart.	Botanical references:	154, 200
Synonyms:	Livistona inermis, Corypha australis (R.Br.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Australia - Victoria.
Habitat:	Moist sheltered localities, usually near the coast[154], especially in eucalyptus forests[156].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	australis = southern;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Arecales. Renamed to Arecaceae -- Palm family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 20m by 6m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 10 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

Leaves.

Young unfolded leaves - raw or cooked[46, 61, 177]. The young and tender leaves are eaten like cabbages[2]. The young leaf buds are often used but, since the plants are unable to produce side-shoots, this effectively kills the plant[144, 154].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Basketry; Thatching; Weaving.

The leaves are used for thatching and making hats[61, 144]. They are large and fibrous and can also be used for making baskets, bags, nets etc[156].

Cultivation details

Requires a sheltered position in a fertile moist but well-drained soil that is preferably neutral to acid[188, 231]. Although plants prefer a deep moist soil, they can also succeed in dry climates[231]. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade[188]. Plants naturally grow in forest habitats and, especially when young, require some shade from the sun for at least part of the day[231].
This species is not very hardy in Britain where it usually requires greenhouse protection[1]. Plants are hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[157], though this cannot be translated directly to British gardens because of our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. Plants have been known to tolerate temperatures down to at least 0°c for short periods[200], they are also very amenable to pot cultivation and can be grown successfully in containers for many years[157].
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[231]. 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[231]. 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[231].
Plants are slow-growing[188].

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[200]. The seed of this species has a longer viability than that of most palms[200]. 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.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Livistona inermis (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
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.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. 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.

[144] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
A very good pocket guide.

[154] Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.
A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.

[156] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney 1981 ISBN 0-00-216441-8
A very readable book.

[157] Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. 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.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. 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.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. 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.

[231] McMillan-Browse. P. Palms for Cooler Climates. Trebah Enterprises. 1993 ISBN 0 9521952 0 8
An excellent little booklet on the subject, though it does not mention many plant uses.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.