Macarthur Palm

The Macarthur Palm (Ptychosperma macarthurii) is the clumping native palm to use when you want a tropical screen rather than a single trunk. It forms a multi stemmed clump around 5m tall and 3m wide, with slender green canes and neat feathered fronds that stay dense from about waist height up. Being a clump rather than a solitary palm is the point: it fills the gap between fence and roofline instead of leaving one bare stem.

Why you'll love it

• A screen, not just a feature. Multiple canes per clump mean real cover along a boundary, which a single trunked palm cannot give you.
• Australian native. It comes from the far north of the country, so it belongs in a tropical planting rather than imitating one.
• Neat and self tidying. Cream flowers are followed by red fruit that brings birds in, and the fronds are small enough that clean up is easy.
• Handles wet ground. It tolerates damp soil, which makes it useful in the low, poorly drained corner of a garden.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart for a dense palm screen along a fence line. Wider spacing at 2m still screens, and shows the individual clumps more clearly.

Poolside. The fronds are fine and the litter is light, so it works around a pool where a larger palm would fill the skimmer basket.

Pots and feature planting. A clump in a large pot suits a courtyard or entry, holding at a smaller size than it would reach in open ground.

Growing Macarthur Palm in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with better colour in filtered light while young. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and is frost tender, so cold inland and southern districts are out unless it is potted and sheltered through winter.

Soil. Rich, organic soil that holds moisture. It copes with wet feet better than most palms, though it still grows fastest where water moves through rather than sitting still.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers and keep the mulch up. Feed a controlled release palm fertiliser in early spring and midsummer, since yellowing fronds usually mean a shortage of magnesium or potassium.

Pruning. Remove only fully brown fronds, cutting close to the cane. Cutting green fronds weakens the clump. Thin out surplus canes at ground level if you want a more open, sculptural look.

What to expect when it arrives

Five sizes are grown: 200mm in packs of six, single 300mm and 400mm pots, then advanced 45L and 100L clumps. The 200mm and 300mm plants are young, usually one or two canes, and are the value option for a long screening run. From 45L up you are buying a formed clump with height on day one.

Fronds can bruise or brown at the tips in transit; trim the worst and new growth follows. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare varieties in the palm tree range.
• Read our guide to palm tree varieties.
• See more plants for poolside gardens.
• Browse the wider Australian native range.

Common questions

How tall does it really get?

Around 5m in a garden, with 4m to 6m the realistic range. Older references quote much greater heights, but those are rainforest figures rather than what happens in cultivation.

How far apart for a screen?

One and a half metres apart gives a continuous screen. The canes lean slightly outward as the clump matures, which helps close the gaps.

Will it survive frost?

No. It is frost tender and cold damages the fronds, so in cooler districts grow it in a pot and move it under cover for winter.