Cabbage Tree Palm
Livistona australis
Family Arecaceae
Iconic Sydney-region rainforest palm
About
A tall fan palm whose fibre was used by early European settlers to weave the 'cabbage tree hat,' a distinctive colonial-era headwear. It grows in sheltered gullies within both Ku-ring-gai Chase and Royal National Parks.
How to spot it
A palm to around 25m with dark, glossy green, fan-plaited leaves on petioles up to 2m long. Cream-white flower spikes appear in summer, with fruit ripening from red to black.
Found in
- Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
- Royal National Park
- Federation Walk Coastal Reserve