Livistona

Family. Arecaceae or palms.

Origin. Australia, China, Japan, Taiwan and India.

Description. The genus "Livistona" contains about 30 plant species. This is a graceful fan palm. The trunk, which is formed in its natural habitat, is rough, brown in color, up to 20 cm in diameter, and carries the remains of fallen leaves. When grown indoors, plants do not always form a trunk and their leaves may appear directly from the ground. The leaves are large - up to 1 m in diameter, green, fan-shaped, on long, spiny petioles - up to 180 cm, each leaf is divided into 50 - 90 segments. The leaf segments are glossy, about 3 cm wide and 40 - 60 cm long. The flowers are collected in large, branched inflorescences up to 120 cm long, small ones up to 3 mm in diameter, pink, cream or white. After flowering, round fruits with a diameter of up to 2.5 cm are formed.

Height. Young specimens are kept in culture; they develop slowly and reach 1 m in a tub.

Home care

Reproduction - growing from seeds 

Seed propagation is possible, but this method is only suitable for patient gardeners, as the process takes a long time - usually several years.

Transplanting

Replanting is carried out in spring every 2-3 years for young specimens. For large tub palms, which are difficult to replant, the top layer of soil is replaced with fresh substrate every year. After planting, compact the soil well around the base of the tree so that there are no air pockets. When replanting, try not to disturb the root system unnecessarily.

How to care 

Remove completely dried old leaves by cutting them off at the base. Provide livistona with a warm room and high humidity. This palm will appreciate being outdoors during the summer months, but the plant should be acclimatized to this movement gradually. 

Soil

Well-drained soil with a sufficient content of coarse river sand and a neutral or slightly acidic pH. A mixture based on peat with the addition of leaf humus, sphagnum moss, pine bark, fallen pine needles and small pieces of charcoal is suitable. The substrate must allow water and air to pass through well. 

Diseases and pests 

The tips of the leaves turn yellow and brown spots appear on the leaves if there is insufficient air humidity or too much pruning. Palm trees rot when moisture stagnates at the roots and watering is too frequent.

Of the harmful insects, mealybugs and red spider mites, scale insects and whiteflies, and thrips pose a certain danger.

Growing conditions - temperature

Keep at normal room temperature all year round. At temperatures below 16° C, the palm tree stops growing. 

When it blooms 

In indoor culture it blooms extremely rarely.

Feeding

Feed the livistona every two weeks from early spring to mid-autumn; do not feed the trees in winter.

Watering 

Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy at all times of the year. Only the top layer of soil should dry out between waterings. During the warm season, it will be useful to immerse the plant pot in a large container of water for a few minutes. 

Lighting

Livistona requires shade from the hot sun on summer days, but will enjoy full sun the rest of the time. Young specimens look best when grown in partial shade.

Spraying

Use a room humidifier to increase humidity or place the plant pot on a tray with damp pebbles. The palm tree likes ventilated rooms with a constant flow of fresh air, but without cold drafts.

Purpose

Suitable for landscaping large hallways and office spaces where there is free space for such a large indoor plant. 

Note

With good care it will live indoors for many years. In its native habitat, the large leaves are used to make hats, rugs and baskets.

Varieties:

Livistona rotundifolia

An elegant, fan palm with a thin, erect brown trunk bearing remnants of old, dead leaves. In their natural habitat, the plants reach a height of 25 m. The leaves are fan-shaped, on long, spiny petioles, reaching a diameter of 1.5 meters. Each leaf consists of many dark green, glossy, linear segments. In nature, plants form branched, drooping inflorescences up to 2 m long. Each inflorescence bears many small, yellow flowers, which over time turn into round berries. When grown indoors, flowering occurs extremely rarely.

Livistona chinensis

Attractive, strong palm trees from 9 to 15 m high with thick, powerful trunks. At the tops of the trunks there is a lush crown formed by faithful leaves on long, slightly curved petioles, covered with spines. The petioles reach a length of 180 cm. The pinnate leaves consist of dark green, glossy, narrow linear segments up to 90 cm long. The inflorescence is drooping, 100 - 120 cm long, contains a large number of white or yellowish flowers, which over time turn bluish - black, round berries. Plants rarely flower when grown indoors.