Doing a bit of cleaning up the dead fallen Australis leaves, with two growing near each other a mature one and a juvenile one, and the difference in the thorns on the young palm in comparison to the mature one is incredible.

You most certainly wouldn’t mess around with a young palm when doing a bit of cleaning up. Whereas the mature one they are not so deadly.

It’s obviously a defence mechanism but against what I don’t know, perhaps kangaroos munching on young palms, or is it a Gondwana time defence mechanism, back when there where some rather large marsupials roaming around eating them.

But there is certainly a difference in the thorns!

I approach both my Livistona with caution. The younger Australis and the older Chinensis will both cause blood to flow if not handled with gloves and caution. Also worthy of respect are Butia O. and Chamerops H. They are beautiful palms but from a distance , like many Phoenix. I had a small tip of a thorn lodge in my elbow when I was trimming . The thorn went right through my sweat shirt . I pulled it off my arm and thought that was the end of it. A few days later my elbow would hardly move without pain and it swelled. The very tip of the thorn broke off in my arm . I got it out with a sewing needle with a bit of effort. Just be careful! Harry