Mature laccospadix australasicus

[happypalms]

I collected this palm seed 25 years ago at my mate’s wedding from a suckering variety but this one never suckered I do get seeds of it easy to germinate bottom heat 30 degrees Celsius there almost a small kentia in appearance and flower but seeds much smaller and a nice liver colour new leaf one tough palm 

[Tyrone]

They’re an awesome palm and that’s an awesome specimen. Very few people grow these which is a great pity. 

[Mangosteen]

Mine growing on the east side of the Big Island of Hawaii.

[Tyrone]

3 hours ago, Mangosteen said:

Mine growing on the east side of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Wow. It almost looks like a Calyptrocalyx.

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, Mangosteen said:

Mine growing on the east side of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Nice palm and so out in the open lucky tropical climate growers the pictures of your palms seem to a lot more coloured than the ones I have seen in Australia hers a picture of a lacospadix seedling i germinated 

[happypalms]

6 hours ago, Tyrone said:

They’re an awesome palm and that’s an awesome specimen. Very few people grow these which is a great pity. 

Thanks Tyron they certainly are a nice palm there should be more planted there still rare in my area 

[Tyrone]

There’s at least two versions (maybe 3) getting around of Laccospadix australasica. A solitary lowland variety with a red new leaf (shown in a previous picture in Hawaii) and the highland varieties from up in the Atherton tablelands tend to clump and don’t get a red new leaf. I believe there should be two species really, but that’s above my pay grade. 

[Merlyn]

I bought a few seedlings of this palm from Floribunda in the spring, I hadn't heard of it before!  It looks like a full sun palm in Hawaii, I have it written down as a PM shade spot and hardy to around 25F.  Does that seem reasonable for Florida?

[happypalms]

4 hours ago, Merlyn said:

I bought a few seedlings of this palm from Floribunda in the spring, I hadn't heard of it before!  It looks like a full sun palm in Hawaii, I have it written down as a PM shade spot and hardy to around 25F.  Does that seem reasonable for Florida?

50/50 as they say sun shade or dappled light the higher the humidity the more sun they can take temperatures as low 2 degrees Celsius in my garden so fairly cold tolerant 

[peachy]

I always get these confused with Linospadix. I have never been able to find either in nurseries although last weekend, driving over Cunninghams Gap I saw some Linospadix in habitat along with Archontophoenix and tons of huge Blackboy Grass trees.  I had forgotten how pretty the Laccospadix is but I stopped searching for one when somebody used the C word about them.  I have an unnamed Calyptrocalyx here that looks quite similar, but keep it in the shade house.

Peachy

 

[happypalms]

19 hours ago, peachy said:

I always get these confused with Linospadix. I have never been able to find either in nurseries although last weekend, driving over Cunninghams Gap I saw some Linospadix in habitat along with Archontophoenix and tons of huge Blackboy Grass trees.  I had forgotten how pretty the Laccospadix is but I stopped searching for one when somebody used the C word about them.  I have an unnamed Calyptrocalyx here that looks quite similar, but keep it in the shade house.

Peachy

 

Hi peachy I have hundreds of linospadix monostachya about 3 years old in tubes when you’re ready for one or two lacospadix seedlings as well they would look amazing in habitat the old bangalow get a bit boring for me but a great pioneer palm plant them for the canopy I would want that calyptrocalyx to stay a calyptro much better palm than lacospadix i guess our native palms take a back seat to the more tropical imports Australia has some wonderful palms it’s a bit like traveling overseas when Australia has the best places to see we often choose abroad holidays like they say step out of your comfort zone and go see Australia first 

[The Palm Nut]

Great palm just very slow growing for me. This one is clumping with new red leaf, not sure of age but must be at least a couple of decades old. I would plant more but these are water hungry to look good. Many years it was struggling but the last few years have been wet and it's the best it's look ever.

[happypalms]

4 hours ago, The Palm Nut said:

Great palm just very slow growing for me. This one is clumping with new red leaf, not sure of age but must be at least a couple of decades old. I would plant more but these are water hungry to look good. Many years it was struggling but the last few years have been wet and it's the best it's look ever.

Nice little rainforest you got growing there do you get seeds of your lacospadix and yes the rain we had in the past few years I thought some palms were goners then all the rain we had with such great growth in my garden I want it rain like that again it’s so dry again now it hurts my green thumbs for it to be so dry again my sandy soil is becoming hydrophobic 

[The Palm Nut]

I get seeds but then again it depends on the amount of moisture in the soil which will determine if they become fully mature. I haven't tried to germinate any of them just throw them around the garden and see what happens.  My garden is starting to dry out in parts, I picked up a trailer load of mulch (1 cubic meter) of leaf mulch for 45.00 dollars, getting to the point where I can't even afford to get the cheapest mulch available. Crazy how the prices have gone up. Fortunately, I have a hammermill mulcher of my own and can recycle and turn my green waste into mulch but it's hard work, keeps me fit though. Fortunately, I don't have sandy soil so no issues with hydrophobic, but my soil is shallow. Road base which was used as fill many years ago keeps out the salt, but I have to continually build on it with organic material. I think if you were able to look through the top layer of the soil you would see an extensive layer of roots basically forming a large root mat throughout the garden. There would be intense competition for moisture and nutrient up take between the plants which is evident with some of the younger plants, so I tend to focus on them during the periods of drought. We have had some cyclonic winds over the years with trees in my area blowing over, fortunately due to the root mat, the interconnection of trees and palm roots, I haven't lost any. The old saying goes (strength in numbers) is certainly true in my garden. 

[happypalms]

15 hours ago, The Palm Nut said:

I get seeds but then again it depends on the amount of moisture in the soil which will determine if they become fully mature. I haven't tried to germinate any of them just throw them around the garden and see what happens.  My garden is starting to dry out in parts, I picked up a trailer load of mulch (1 cubic meter) of leaf mulch for 45.00 dollars, getting to the point where I can't even afford to get the cheapest mulch available. Crazy how the prices have gone up. Fortunately, I have a hammermill mulcher of my own and can recycle and turn my green waste into mulch but it's hard work, keeps me fit though. Fortunately, I don't have sandy soil so no issues with hydrophobic, but my soil is shallow. Road base which was used as fill many years ago keeps out the salt, but I have to continually build on it with organic material. I think if you were able to look through the top layer of the soil you would see an extensive layer of roots basically forming a large root mat throughout the garden. There would be intense competition for moisture and nutrient up take between the plants which is evident with some of the younger plants, so I tend to focus on them during the periods of drought. We have had some cyclonic winds over the years with trees in my area blowing over, fortunately due to the root mat, the interconnection of trees and palm roots, I haven't lost any. The old saying goes (strength in numbers) is certainly true in my garden. 

I was lucky the mulch the tree service electricity company were in my area so I hit the boys up and for $100 bucks a whole truckload the one with the big sides then I have to run a bore and domestic pumps so electricity is getting expensive but I can’t let my garden suffer this time iam investing in more irrigation I find the roots of my palms in sandy soil everywhere searching for water in one big mass with so many palms and trees so I mulch all the palm leaves back in I like to protest my understory palms with a steel hoop until they stand a chance against a huge chambeyronia leave smashing them good luck with the seeds you should germinate them and sell or swap them the lacospadix needs to more planted around 

[peachy]

On 8/20/2023 at 3:55 PM, happypalms said:

Hi peachy I have hundreds of linospadix monostachya about 3 years old in tubes when you’re ready for one or two lacospadix seedlings as well they would look amazing in habitat the old bangalow get a bit boring for me but a great pioneer palm plant them for the canopy I would want that calyptrocalyx to stay a calyptro much better palm than lacospadix i guess our native palms take a back seat to the more tropical imports Australia has some wonderful palms it’s a bit like traveling overseas when Australia has the best places to see we often choose abroad holidays like they say step out of your comfort zone and go see Australia first 

The instant I hear the C word (Clumping) I go the other way. As I always confuse the 2 species but know that one of them clumps, I just gave up. Not worth the time, money and effort if I ended up with the wrong one.  I used to live in the country years ago where the climbing palms are natives ... they are horrendous things.  I like quite a few of our native palms though, mostly tough and easy to grow but some can be so touchy. We do have some amazingly lovely coastlines and mountain ranges here, however to see the majority of our palms in habitat you have to go to such horrible places. IPS have had some great habitat tours over the years but they are nearly all in places that are so hot that I would be dead from heat stroke before I got to the passport counter.

Peachy

[WaianaeCrider]

On 8/17/2023 at 3:15 PM, Mangosteen said:

Mine growing on the east side of the Big Island of Hawaii.

 Love the new red.

 

[happypalms]

8 hours ago, peachy said:

The instant I hear the C word (Clumping) I go the other way. As I always confuse the 2 species but know that one of them clumps, I just gave up. Not worth the time, money and effort if I ended up with the wrong one.  I used to live in the country years ago where the climbing palms are natives ... they are horrendous things.  I like quite a few of our native palms though, mostly tough and easy to grow but some can be so touchy. We do have some amazingly lovely coastlines and mountain ranges here, however to see the majority of our palms in habitat you have to go to such horrible places. IPS have had some great habitat tours over the years but they are nearly all in places that are so hot that I would be dead from heat stroke before I got to the passport counter.

Peachy

So true the c word has many different meanings nowadays😷 🤣 I prefer the single stem varieties you need to go to a place called dorrigo national park there boardwalk is an amazing view with thousands of linospadix monostachya oh and dorrigo is known for being a cold place up in the mountains so you won’t melt up there that’s for sure it’s interesting ones view on certain plants iam like that with those agave things you see with a sign  for free outside someone’s house after they have ripped them out when someone tries to describe them to me I say ohhh those F and things they know straight away what plant iam talking about those agave 

[Shirepalm]

If you grow Laccospadix from seed does it stay true to type? Ie does the non clumping seed stay non clumping ?

 

[tim_brissy_13]

7 hours ago, Shirepalm said:

If you grow Laccospadix from seed does it stay true to type? Ie does the non clumping seed stay non clumping ?

 

I haven’t had first hand experience just yet, but yes. All reports are that they stay true to type. 

[happypalms]

10 hours ago, Shirepalm said:

If you grow Laccospadix from seed does it stay true to type? Ie does the non clumping seed stay non clumping ?

 

Yes they stay single and non clumping! 

[Shirepalm]

Thanks for the replies. A really great looking palm. I wonder why not more widespread 

[happypalms]

3 hours ago, Shirepalm said:

Thanks for the replies. A really great looking palm. I wonder why not more widespread 

The Howeas got all the attention over the years. A few landscapers in the early days used them a bit, but now all the common palms are the go only collectors know how good they are now! 

[Darold Petty]

On 8/17/2023 at 3:41 PM, happypalms said:

I collected this palm seed 25 years ago at my mate’s wedding from a suckering variety but this one never suckered 

 

 

On 10/31/2025 at 3:51 PM, happypalms said:

Yes they stay single and non clumping! 

 

Ok, guys which is it , stable to parent or not ?

Last Monday I purchased one from Jungle Music, labeled as 'suckering',  but the palm has no suckers.  The  very reliable plant supplier to JM said the seed parent was suckering.   Is is possible that the palm is slow to develop suckers ?

  I grow three plants of the suckering form, and it is one of my favorite palms.  Two have a faint red flush to the new frond. 

I once had one as red as a Chambeyronia, but it died after I looked at it without proper reverence.  Here is the bitter evidence !

[happypalms]

1 hour ago, Darold Petty said:

Ok, guys which is it , stable to parent or not ?

Last Monday I purchased one from Jungle Music, labeled as 'suckering',  but the palm has no suckers.  The  very reliable plant supplier to JM said the seed parent was suckering.   Is is possible that the palm is slow to develop suckers ?

  I grow three plants of the suckering form, and it is one of my favorite palms.  Two have a faint red flush to the new frond. 

I once had one as red as a Chambeyronia, but it died after I looked at it without proper reverence.  Here is the bitter evidence !

It gets a bit more confusing with some throwing a red leaf and otheres not so red,   I might have to go back now 25?years and have a good look at the original parent plant I collected seeds from and see if I can get any cross referencing material in regards to suckering traits. 
Unfortunately it’s a bit like getting the wrongly labeled palm and having to wait 25 years for it to flower to correctly identify it. 
I guess Mother Nature plays tricks at times. 

[peachy]

On 11/1/2025 at 8:51 AM, happypalms said:

Yes they stay single and non clumping! 

This is the reason I have kept away from Laccospadix. They are such a pretty little palm but I am disinclined to waste time and money on one if it decides to clump.

[happypalms]

19 hours ago, peachy said:

This is the reason I have kept away from Laccospadix. They are such a pretty little palm but I am disinclined to waste time and money on one if it decides to clump.

The good old clumping palm that always has the last laugh. 
Richard 

[PalmBossTampa]

Great reading everyone’s experiences here. I also just purchased a few from Floribunda in the spring. They were on my ‘to find’ list as i researched deeper into Australian native species. I have some Brachychiton rupestris. (Only non-palm I truly LOVE ) in an area where i want to also add Archontophoenix, assorted Livistonas,Pytchospermas, Linospadix, Arenga australasica, Caryota rump hi Ana, and starting Australian native cycads there too. It’s going to be a beautiful combination of palmate/pinnate Clumping/non C’ing OH, almost forgot Licuala ramsayi!!!! I’d love to visit all these one day in the wild, but realizing I wouldn’t see them all IN ONE DAY 

Peace ✌🏻Palm Lovers from down under 

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, PalmBossTampa said:

Great reading everyone’s experiences here. I also just purchased a few from Floribunda in the spring. They were on my ‘to find’ list as i researched deeper into Australian native species. I have some Brachychiton rupestris. (Only non-palm I truly LOVE ) in an area where i want to also add Archontophoenix, assorted Livistonas,Pytchospermas, Linospadix, Arenga australasica, Caryota rump hi Ana, and starting Australian native cycads there too. It’s going to be a beautiful combination of palmate/pinnate Clumping/non C’ing OH, almost forgot Licuala ramsayi!!!! I’d love to visit all these one day in the wild, but realizing I wouldn’t see them all IN ONE DAY 

Peace ✌🏻Palm Lovers from down under 

They are a lovely palm, and my one has seeds on it at the moment. 
There is a place called Dorrigo on the east coast not far from where I live and you can see thousands of linospadix monostachya covering the forest floor, there are also lepidozamia perrofskyana in my area as well in large numbers. But you forgot about linospadix minor, and the calmus varieties in Australia that form great thickets scrambling up into the trees, Cunninghamii palms that absolutely form huge stands in the gullies. There’s not a great amount of palm varieties in Australia in comparison to Asia, Madagascar and South America but there are some beautiful varieties of cycads and some beautiful palms in Australia.

[PalmBossTampa]

4 hours ago, happypalms said:

They are a lovely palm, and my one has seeds on it at the moment. 
There is a place called Dorrigo on the east coast not far from where I live and you can see thousands of linospadix monostachya covering the forest floor, there are also lepidozamia perrofskyana in my area as well in large numbers. But you forgot about linospadix minor, and the calmus varieties in Australia that form great thickets scrambling up into the trees, Cunninghamii palms that absolutely form huge stands in the gullies. There’s not a great amount of palm varieties in Australia in comparison to Asia, Madagascar and South America but there are some beautiful varieties of cycads and some beautiful palms in Australia.

I forgot about my favorite new palm name Normambya normambyi 😊 Ive seen millions of foxtails but this is new to me this year and i love the young leaves

[Darold Petty]

11 hours ago, PalmBossTampa said:

 OH, almost forgot Licuala ramsayi!!!! I’d love to visit all these one day in the wild, but realizing I wouldn’t see them all IN ONE DAY 

Peace ✌🏻Palm Lovers from down under 

I visited Dunk Island in 1984, and the closed canopy of Licuala ramsayi fronds made a very pleasing sound as they rustled in the wind.  

[happypalms]

10 hours ago, PalmBossTampa said:

I forgot about my favorite new palm name Normambya normambyi 😊 Ive seen millions of foxtails but this is new to me this year and i love the young leaves

Highly underrated the normanbya far more exotic than foxtail. A bit more of a water lover than foxtail, but a mature one is a beautiful plant. Foxtail have become so common even in Darwin in the Northern Territory councils are asking home gardeners to not plant them they grow like a weed on steroids up there! 

[peachy]

14 hours ago, PalmBossTampa said:

I forgot about my favorite new palm name Normambya normambyi 😊 Ive seen millions of foxtails but this is new to me this year and i love the young leaves

Normanbya are a very underused and underrated palm even here in their native state. They are a bit slower growing than foxies and need more shade when young. On the other hand, cold doesn't worry them and almost any type of soil is okay. Plus they have the lovely dark trunk.

Peachy