Orbicular Fan Palm

The Orbicular Fan Palm carries what may be the most perfect leaf in the plant kingdom: a single, undivided, almost circular blade, pleated like a folded paper fan and up to a metre across. Licuala orbicularis is a trunkless understorey palm from the rainforest floor of Borneo, staying around 1.5m tall and 2m wide. It is a collector's palm, not a plant for a sunny back lawn.

Why you'll love it

• Leaves that stop people mid sentence. Entire circular blades, unsplit and evenly pleated, held on slender stems.
• It stays small. Trunkless and near 1.5m at maturity, so a courtyard, atrium or large interior pot holds it indefinitely.
• Deep shade is its natural home. The dim corner that kills other feature plants is the one it wants.
• Genuinely uncommon. Rarely offered in Australia, slow to produce, and instantly recognisable to anyone who knows palms.

Where it works best

Indoors, atriums and containers. A bright corner out of direct sun, in a 400mm or larger pot of free draining mix on a humidified tray. A container lets you follow the light and dodge cold snaps, and inside your climate stops mattering.

Tropical feature planting. In a truly tropical garden, plant in deep shade under an established canopy, sheltered from wind. Give it a clear 2m.

Growing Orbicular Fan Palm in Australia

Position and climate. Deep shade or bright indirect light, never direct sun, which scorches the blades within days. Outdoors it is tropical only and frost tender: south of the wet tropics it belongs indoors, in a glasshouse or a sheltered atrium. Wind shelter is non negotiable, since a leaf that wide tears easily.

Soil. Rich, moisture holding but free draining: potting mix opened up with perlite and composted bark. It tolerates consistently damp soil, so the usual palm caution about wet feet does not apply.

Water and feed. Keep the mix evenly moist at all times; it will not forgive drying out. Humidity above 60 per cent keeps the leaf edges clean, so mist or run a pebble tray. Feed a slow release palm fertiliser at half strength in spring and mid summer.

Pruning. Remove only fully browned leaves, cutting close to the base. Never cut into a green leaf or remove the growing point at the centre of the clump.

What to expect when it arrives

Grown in 250mm pots, sold in packs of three: young established plants with several leaves formed, smaller and less perfectly circular than a mature plant's. The price reflects how slowly it grows from seed.

Wide soft leaves are vulnerable in transit, so a little edge tearing or tip marking is possible. It is cosmetic and grows out with the next leaf. Settle it somewhere shaded and humid, water in, and expect a quiet couple of months before new growth. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Growing exotic plants indoors, including humidity and light.
• Browse exotic and rare plants.
• Plants for full shade for a dim bed.
• Browse the full palm range.

Common questions

Can I grow it outdoors in Brisbane or Sydney?

Not reliably. It needs tropical conditions and is frost tender, so outside the wet tropics treat it as an indoor, glasshouse or sheltered atrium plant.

How big will the leaves get?

Up to about a metre across on a mature plant. Young plants start smaller with slightly divided blades, and the perfectly circular entire leaf takes several years.

Why is it so expensive?

It grows very slowly from seed, takes years to reach a saleable size, and is produced in small numbers.