Elegant Fan Palm

Elegant Fan Palm (Licuala elegans) carries some of the most beautiful foliage in the palm world: near circular, pleated fans held on slender stems. It is very slow growing, taking around 15 years to reach 3m tall and 2.5m wide, which makes it a long term companion for a sheltered shade garden, a generous pot or a bright room rather than a quick fix.

Why you'll love it

• Showpiece fronds. Each leaf opens as a pleated, almost complete circle, instantly recognisable and genuinely uncommon in Australian gardens.
• Slow growth that stays in scale. It will not outgrow a courtyard, pot or room in any hurry, so the position you choose is the position it keeps.
• Made for shade. It prefers the sheltered, low light corners where most feature plants sulk.
• Tolerates damp ground. Soil that stays moist, even periodically wet, suits it fine in a shaded bed.
• Low maintenance. Beyond water and the occasional spent frond, it asks for nothing.

Where it works best

Tropical and subtropical shade gardens. Plant it as an understorey feature beneath taller palms or trees, protected from wind, where the fans can develop unblemished.

Pots, courtyards and poolside. A large pot in sheltered bright shade shows the leaf shape at eye level. Poolside works well when the spot is out of the wind.

Indoors. In cooler parts of the country it makes a slow, elegant indoor palm for a warm bright room away from direct sun and draughts.

Growing Elegant Fan Palm in Australia

Position and climate. Shade to bright filtered light, always with wind protection, because wind tears and browns the broad fans. Outdoors it is a palm for tropical and subtropical gardens only; it is frost tender, so everywhere cooler should grow it indoors or under glass.

Soil. Rich, moist soil with plenty of organic matter. It tolerates ground that stays damp, though a pot should still drain rather than hold stagnant water.

Water and feed. Keep the root zone consistently moist, especially in pots, and hose the foliage over in dry heat. Feed lightly with a controlled release fertiliser through the warm months.

Pruning. None. Remove spent fronds at the base as they brown, and resist tidying green ones, because a slow palm cannot spare them.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Elegant Fan Palm in 300mm and 400mm pots and as advanced 60L and 90L plants. Because growth is measured in a handful of new fronds a year, buy close to the size you want to live with rather than waiting on a small plant. Fronds are packed carefully for transit, and minor cosmetic marks grow out with the next new leaf.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• An essential guide to palm tree varieties
• Browse palms, ferns and tropical plants
• More plants for poolside gardens
• Explore the indoor plant range

Common questions

How fast does it grow?

Slowly. Allow around 15 years to reach 3m, with a few new fronds a year in good conditions. That patience is exactly why mature specimens are so prized.

Can it take any sun?

Gentle early morning sun is tolerated in humid gardens, but hot or midday sun scorches the fans. Bright shade or filtered light keeps the foliage flawless.

Will it grow indoors?

Yes, in a warm room with bright indirect light and reasonable humidity. Keep it away from air conditioning and heater draughts, and water before the mix dries right out.

Does it handle cold?

No. It is frost tender and resents cold wind. Outside the tropics and subtropics, treat it strictly as an indoor or glasshouse plant.