Borassus flabellifer aka Palmyra Palm

Borassus flabellifer is an evergreen palm in the Arecaceae family. Common names include palmyra palm, toddy palm and lontar palm. Its native range runs from India to Indo-China. It also includes Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands. It grows in open land and forests with seasonal rains. Large stands occur in hot, dry parts of its range. People grow it across the tropics for food and materials.

In gardens, it reaches about 60 feet [18.29 metres] tall. Its crown can spread to 25 feet [7.62 metres]. Some accounts give an eventual height of 98 feet [30 metres]. One straight trunk supports a round crown of stiff, fan-shaped leaves. The trunk bears rings left by old leaves. Sources describe its colour as grey or black. Dead leaves can hang below the living crown. The blue-green leaves reach about 10 feet [3 metres] across. Their stalks have spines, so handling them calls for care.

Small, pale flowers hang in clusters below the leaves. Missouri Botanical Garden lists flowering from June to July. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees. Bees pollinate the flowers, and the palm is not self-fertile. Female flowers produce large, fleshy fruit with a rounded shape. The fruit measures about 6–8 inches [15–20 centimetres] across. Sources describe brown or black fruit, with yellow flesh inside. Both the flowers and fruit add interest to the crown.

Grow this palm in full sun and well-drained soil. Light shade can help in places with intense sun. It prefers steady soil moisture but tolerates drought once established. It suits USDA zones 10–11 and is sensitive to cold. Deep roots make large plants hard to move. Seeds may take a year or more to sprout. Deep pots or sowing in the final site suit seed growth. The palm serves as a landscape tree in parks. Few serious pests or diseases trouble it, though lethal yellowing can occur.

People eat ripe fruit raw or cooked and pickle young fruit. Seeds, flowers, young shoots and the growing tip also provide food. Sap from the flower stalks supplies drinks, syrup and palm sugar. Leaves provide roof thatch and material for baskets and mats. Leaf fibres also supply rope and fencing. Traditional medicine uses several parts, but these uses do not establish treatment safety. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known hazards; the leaf spines still pose a physical risk.