This solitary palm has a dark ringed rough trunk that is swollen at the base and the rounded crown has a skirt of dead fronds. The blue-green circular fronds are divided and the large cream coloured cup-shaped flowers appear in a pendant cluster in winter.

Hardiness zones 10 to 12

Borassus flabelliferis naturally found from Sri Lanka to India, south-east Asia to the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea. It is also found in parts of Africa and northern Australia and may be regarded as a single species or is included in 7 species with small variations.

It tolerates most well drained soils in an open sunny position and is drought resistant when mature but cold or frost tender.

The Lontar Palm has been cultivated for hundreds of years and all parts of the palm are utilised by the local people as building material, paper, string and for weaving baskets or mats. As an ornamental it is planted in parks and large gardens as a specimen or group planted around a water feature for a tropical effect. ID 3003

Note:
Its natural habitat is unclear but it is found in open savannah with a hot dry climate or in monsoonal forests growing on the coast or inland. The trunk is rough or smooth with rings and grows up to 1m (3ft) in diameter.

Borassus (bor-AS-us) flabellifer (flab-EL-if-er)

Arecaceae(ar-ek-AY-see-ee)     
(Palmae)
Palm Family