Mapu Licuala

The Mapu Licuala (Licuala mattanensis) is a small rainforest palm from Borneo, grown for circular pleated leaves held flat like open fans. It stays compact at about 1.5m tall and 1.2m across, one of the few rare palms that fits a courtyard or a large pot indoors.

Why you'll love it

• Perfectly circular fan leaves. Each leaf is a pleated disc rather than a divided frond.
• It stays small. At 1.5m tall and 1.2m wide it never outgrows a courtyard or an interior corner.
• The mottled Mapu marking. Yellow and green variegation across the leaf, which is why this form is collected over the plain green species.
• Damp ground suits it. Unusually for a palm it tolerates wet feet, and it performs in shade too low for most feature plants.

Where it works best

Shaded feature planting. One plant at a turn in a shaded path or beside a water feature, where its scale is seen close up.

Indoors. One of the better rare palms for interiors, in a warm, humid room with bright indirect light.

Pots and containers. A container is the practical option in most of the country: a wide pot with free draining mix, in a shadehouse or under a verandah, out of wind.

Growing Mapu Licuala in Australia

Position and climate. Full shade to deep filtered light, sheltered from wind. Direct sun scorches the leaf discs within days and the damage stays. It is strictly tropical and frost tender: outdoors it belongs in far north Queensland and the wet tropics, and in subtropical, temperate and cool gardens it needs a pot indoors, a heated glasshouse or a conservatory.

Soil. Rich and open, with plenty of organic matter and enough coarse material that water moves through. Constantly moist, never stagnant.

Water and feed. Keep the mix evenly moist all year. Humidity matters as much as watering, so group it with other plants or stand the pot on damp pebbles. Feed a slow release palm fertiliser at half rate in early spring and mid summer.

Pruning. None beyond removing leaves that have browned off completely, cut at the base of the stalk. A palm has one growing point, so never cut into the crown.

What to expect when it arrives

Offered in one size, a 50mm tube: a young seedling with one or two small leaves. The mottled marking strengthens as the plant matures rather than showing fully from the start. This is a slow palm: expect two to three years in progressively larger pots before it looks like a specimen.

Seedlings travel well, though a leaf may crease in the box. Pot it up promptly into a shaded, humid spot and expect a couple of months before new growth appears. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse our exotic and rare plants.
• See the wider palms, ferns and tropical range.
• Read our guide to growing exotic plants indoors.
• Compare other plants for full shade.

Common questions

Can I grow it indoors?

Yes, and for most of the country that is the sensible option: a warm, humid room with bright indirect light, a mix kept moist, and no direct afternoon sun.

Why are the leaf tips browning?

Dry air, almost always. It comes from a rainforest understorey where humidity never drops, so mist more often or move it away from air conditioning.

Will it survive a cold night?

No. It is frost tender and unhappy well before frost arrives. If temperatures drop below about ten degrees where you live, it needs to be inside or under heated cover.