Licuala pusilla

Licuala pusilla is a tiny, trunkless fan palm of the rainforest floor in Peninsular Malaysia and the far south of peninsular Thailand. Each plant raises a loose tuft of slender-stalked leaves, each a small half- to full circle of about 30–40 cm, split into a few to fifteen narrow segments.

The epithet means 'very small' in Latin, and it suits this miniature palm. Thai plants with only three or four segments were once called Licuala tansachana. It is rare in collections.

At a glance

• Native range: Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand
• Mature size: up to about 1 m overall
• Light: shade
• Water: a humid forest-floor plant; keep moist
• Cold hardiness: no frost tolerance; minimum about +2 to +4 °C
• Indoors / outdoors: a miniature palm for shaded, humid tropical gardens or a warm, humid glasshouse

Care

Recreate its forest-floor home: shade, warmth and high humidity throughout the year. Keep it well above freezing at all times.

Why Palmpedia: Grown in our greenhouse in Almeirim, Portugal, and supplied in 15 L to 35 L pots.