Livistona benthamii

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Pronunciation: liv-ih-STONE-uh ben-THAM-ee-eye


Common Name: Bentham's Fountain Palm

Livistona benthamii is one of the less commonly grown Livistonas in California but why that is exactly is unclear. It is an attractive palm and makes for an interesting specimen palm with nice, typically weeping fan leaves. This palm is native to the swampy forests of northern Australia and throughout several areas of New Guinea. Its tropical origins possibly have a lot to do with why this is such a difficult species to grow in California. Attractive and somewhat unique looking, at least until fully mature, with its elongated crown of very deeply divided fan leaves and pendant, 'weeping' leaflets, and very colorful petioles and trunk. Leaflets parts of trunk decorated with retained leaf bases that are large and knobby making them look like steps for climbing on. Very rare palm in California. Needs to be kept moist and prefers to kept in shade somewhat as well.

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: solitary with a crown of 20-30 fan leaves
  • Height: 30'
  • Trunk: single; often covered with retained, un-split leaf bases (and in shadier situations, even the petioles) for much of palm's height; dead leaves often retained for several years but don't seem to form a pendant skirt- remain in normal horizontal position until leaf itself deteriorates and falls off; reddish-brown in color for much of upper trunk eventually fading to a grey
  • Crownshaft: none
  • Spread: 8'
  • Leaf Description: palmate; deeply divided leaves (3/4- 4/5 of blade length); 5'- 6' long; yellow-green; leaflets drooping half their length; upright orientation even several feet below crown only drooping to horizontal once leaf starts to die
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: 3'-4' long; heavily armed with large, very sharp petiolar marginal teeth; un-split, knobby leaf bases often retained on trunk, sometimes its entire height; greenish yellow with reddish-brown base
  • Reproduction: monoecious
  • Inflorescence:
  • Fruit: 1/2"; spherical; purple-black when ripe
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 28F
  • Drought Tolerance: poor
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate
  • Wind Tolerance: moderate
  • Salt Tolerance: moderate to good
  • Growth Rate: slow until mature, then moderate to fast
  • Soil Preference: very moist and rich
  • Light Requirement: shade to partial sun
  • Human Hazards: very sharp petiolar teeth
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: tends to be yellowy much of its maturing life (nutritional?); prone to die suddenly in California, particularly when very young; one of the least cold and drought tolerant of the Livistona species
  • Germination: reliable and rapid in warm, moist soil
  • Transplants?: poor
  • Indoor?: unknown
  • Availability: very rare and not all that popular due to cultivational difficulties in California; seed however is easy to obtain from Florida


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