Ruffled Fan Palm

Ruffled Fan Palm (Licuala grandis) carries the most sculptural leaf of any palm we grow: a single undivided disc, pleated like a paper fan and scalloped at the edge. It reaches about 3m tall and 2m wide in the ground and takes ten to fifteen years to get there, so it stays in scale with a courtyard for a very long time.

Why you'll love it

• A leaf shape nothing else matches. Whole circular fronds to 60cm across, undivided and glossy, so one plant reads as garden sculpture.
• It stays small, and slowly. About 3m by 2m at maturity, reached over a decade or more, so it suits a small courtyard permanently.
• One of the better indoor palms. Given warmth, humidity and bright indirect light it holds its form in a pot indoors for years.
• Safe near hard surfaces and pets. Non-invasive roots sit close to paving and pool coping, and it is not toxic to cats or dogs.

Where it works best

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A pot 400mm to 500mm wide suits it for years, repotting is rare, and a container can be shifted out of a cold snap.

Indoors. Set it a metre or two back from a bright window, out of direct midday sun. Dry air is the usual problem, so stand the pot on a pebble tray.

Poolside and feature planting. Non-invasive roots and a tidy habit suit a pool surround. Plant it in a sheltered pocket, since a wind torn frond stays torn until it is replaced.

Growing Ruffled Fan Palm in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade or filtered light through a canopy, never hot afternoon sun on young plants. Outdoors this is a tropical and subtropical plant only. It is frost tender, so in warm temperate, cool temperate and inland gardens grow it in a pot that lives indoors or under cover.

Soil. Rich, free draining and high in organic matter. Work compost through the backfill and mulch 75mm deep, off the trunk. In pots use a quality potting mix with extra perlite or coarse bark.

Water and feed. Keep the root zone consistently moist through the warm months without leaving it standing in water. Apply a controlled release palm fertiliser in early spring and mid summer, plus magnesium if older fronds yellow between the veins.

Pruning. None to speak of. Cut browned or torn fronds off at the base and leave everything else alone.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in three sizes: 300mm pots, 250mm sold in packs of three, and advanced 90L specimens. The 250mm and 300mm plants are usually a metre or less overall, carrying three to six mature fans, and they suit a pot or a sheltered garden pocket. The 90L is already trunked and carries real presence.

Palms travel well packed upright, though a creased leaf edge after transit is common and does no lasting harm. Growth is the honest caveat: one to three new fronds a year, not a flush. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• An overview of palm varieties for Australian gardens
• Browse the full palm range
• Indoor plants that suit the same bright indirect light
• Poolside planting with non-invasive roots

Common questions

How fast does it actually grow?

Slowly, and there is no way to hurry it. One to three new fronds a year is normal, and reaching 3m takes ten to fifteen years, which is why the larger sizes cost what they do.

Can I grow one in Melbourne or Adelaide?

Not in open ground. It is frost tender and suited to tropical and subtropical climates, so in southern gardens grow it indoors or in a heated conservatory.

Why are the leaf edges brown?

Almost always dry air, wind damage or a dry root zone. Move it out of the draught, keep the mix evenly moist and lift the humidity around it. Damaged tissue does not repair, so improvement shows on the next frond.