Sallehana Fan Palm

Sallehana Fan Palm (Licuala sallehana) is a rainforest understorey palm grown for one thing: near circular, deeply pleated green fans held on slender stems. It stays small, reaching about 2m tall and 1.5m across after many years, so it suits a shaded courtyard or a large indoor pot rather than an open garden bed.

Why you'll love it

• The leaf is the whole point. Each frond is a broad pleated disc rather than the usual feather shape, so one plant reads as sculpture.
• It stays small. At around 2m by 1.5m at maturity it will never outgrow a courtyard or a room.
• Built for deep shade. This palm evolved under a rainforest canopy, so the low light that starves most plants is what it wants.
• Comfortable in humidity. Muggy tropical and subtropical summers suit it, and the fans hold their colour through the wet season.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. A wide pot of rich, free draining mix is the most reliable method, because you control both moisture and position. Move the pot rather than the palm.

Indoors. Bright indirect light near a window, away from air conditioning, keeps it going. Growing it inside sidesteps the climate limits entirely.

Sheltered courtyards and feature planting. Place it where people pass close enough to see the fans. It needs protection from wind, so an exposed aspect is not the place for it.

Growing Sallehana Fan Palm in Australia

Position and climate. Deep shade to dappled light, never direct sun, which scorches the fans within days. Outdoors this is a tropical and subtropical palm only. It is frost tender, so cooler gardens should grow it indoors or under glass.

Soil. Rich, humus heavy and free draining, in the manner of a rainforest floor. Work compost through the bed or use a premium potting mix, and keep 50mm of leaf mulch over the root zone.

Water and feed. Constant moisture is not optional. Keep the root zone evenly damp year round and never let a potted plant dry out. Feed a slow release palm fertiliser in early spring and again in summer.

Pruning. Almost none. Cut a frond off only once it has browned right back, because the palm draws nutrients out of an ageing leaf and removing green fans sets it back a season.

What to expect when it arrives

This palm is sold in one size, a 250mm pot supplied in a pack of three. Each arrives as an established juvenile carrying several full fans, not a seedling, which reflects how long one takes to reach that stage. Three grouped through a shaded courtyard give far more presence than a single plant.

Fans can bruise in transit and the outermost leaf sometimes browns at the tip, which settles as new growth comes. Expect slow progress: one or two new fronds a year is normal. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Start with our essential overview of palm tree varieties.
• Browse the wider palms, ferns and tropical range.
• See other plants for full shade to pair beneath it.
• Compare more exotic and rare plants.

Common questions

How fast does it grow?

Slowly, even in ideal conditions. One to two new fronds a year is normal, and reaching 2m takes many years. Buy it at the size you want to look at.

Can I grow it outdoors in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth?

Not in open ground. It is frost tender and suited to tropical and subtropical gardens only. In cooler cities keep it potted indoors or under glass.

Will it survive in a dim room?

It handles low light better than almost any other palm, since deep shade is its natural position. Bright indirect light still gives the best growth, and sun through glass will burn the fans.

How much water does it really need?

More than most palms. The root zone should stay evenly moist year round, and a pot allowed to dry out completely will brown the fan edges permanently.