Cabbage Tree Palm (groves)

Description:

The Cabbage Tree Palm (aka Cabbage Palm or Fan Palm) is an Australian native and belongs to the Arecaceae family. It is a tall, slender palm growing up to about 30 m in height and is crowned with dark, glossy green leaves on petioles 2 m long. It has leaves plaited like a fan; the cabbage of these is small but sweet. The growing tip of the palm is edible. Its fibrous bark is used to make fishing lines. Palms play an important role in Dreaming stories of the Aboriginal people of the NSW coast. Its Australia's southernmost palm.

Habitat:

Found growing in massive natural groves. Shaded, moist gullies along the Morelia Track at Mt. Nebo, in D'Aguilar National Park. Wet eucalypt forest and sub-tropical rainforest sections. Grows best in organically-rich soils, and thrives in both sheltered and well-lit situations. It is also salt, frost and wind tolerant. Also growing in this area are groves of Piccabeen Palms, as well as huge Sydney Blue Gums.

Notes:

In winter, the trees accumulate dead fronds or leaves, which usually need to be removed by the truck-load (see last photo). Like all palm species, they are messy, and one should think twice before planting them in the garden - they do leave a legacy which can't be ignored.