Native Trees

Cabbage-tree palm — Livistona australis

Livistona australis

Food for native birds Host plant for butterflies and insects Shelter for wildlife Resilient garden plant

$7.00

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Plant profile

At a glance

The essentials for finding the right garden position.

Mature size: Height: 10–25 m · Width: 4–7 m
Light: Part shade, Shade
Water: Moist, Seasonally wet
Soil: Loamy, Clay
Drainage: Poorly drained
Vegetation type: Wetlands / Swamps / Creek Margins, Wet Eucalypt, Rainforest
Plant lifespan: Long-lived perennial
Plant form: Trees

Plant ratings

A quick guide to this plant’s value for wildlife and the garden.

Bird food value
Host plant value
Pollinator value
Shelter & habitat value
Flower display
Garden resilience

About this plant

Cabbage-tree palm develops into a handsome native tree with the structure to anchor a layered planting. Cream flower sprays are followed by rounded black fruit beneath the fan-shaped crown. It works well in feature planting, informal shade and the upper storey of a connected habitat garden.

Image credits:
Mature image: Auradyme via iNaturalist — CC BY 4.0
Feature image: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0

More plant details

Garden uses: Habitat tree, shade or canopy planting, restoration-style garden and layered wildlife corridor; especially suited to sites reflecting Wetlands / Swamps / Creek Margins, Wet Eucalypt, Rainforest.
Wildlife value: Livistona australis has some pollinator value, but its flowers are less abundant, less accessible or not a major garden food resource. Livistona australis produces substantial fleshy fruit and/or forms a major foraging plant for fruit-eating birds. Livistona australis provides useful tree structure for cover, perching and movement through a layered garden.
Flowering and fruiting: Cream flower sprays are followed by rounded black fruit beneath the fan-shaped crown.
Growth habit: Woody tree contributing canopy or mid-storey structure; indicative mature size 10–25 m × 4–7 m.
Cautions: Ultimately tall, with falling fronds and fruit; keep clear of roofs and narrow spaces.