Archontophoenix cunninghamiana

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, the bangalow or piccabeen palm, is a tall, single-stemmed feather palm with a smooth green crownshaft, native to the rainforests, gullies and swampy forests of eastern Australia. It is the most southerly member of its genus, and its leaflets are green on both sides. Large clusters of lilac to purple flowers hang below the crownshaft and ripen into masses of shiny scarlet fruit.

Fast-growing, self-cleaning and comparatively cold tolerant, it is sold widely as the king palm and is one of the most commonly planted crownshaft palms in mild climates.

At a glance

• Native range: Queensland and New South Wales, Australia
• Mature size: commonly 20–25 m in the wild, up to 30 m
• Growth rate: fast, and it keeps growing through cool winters if well watered
• Light: shade-tolerant when young; grows faster in full sun or half shade
• Water: plentiful, especially in dry spells; copes with poorly drained ground
• Cold hardiness: about −4 °C for brief frosts once established; protect young plants
• Indoors / outdoors: an outdoor palm for sheltered gardens

Care

Choose a position sheltered from strong wind, which tears its large leaves, and plant in deep soil rich in organic matter. Water freely and feed with a palm fertiliser. Old fronds drop on their own, so little grooming is needed. Salt-spray tolerance is low. It dislikes root disturbance, so plant out from the pot carefully and avoid moving it later.

Why Palmpedia: Every plant is grown in our greenhouse in Almeirim, Portugal, and leaves us in a 15 L to 35 L pot.