Licuala palm: cultivation, care & propagation
Licuala palms make striking additions to both the home and workspace. A little knowledge and a skilled hand will help you to meet the high demands of this ornamental plant.
The Licuala palm will be sure to add a tropical flair to your home with its beautiful fan-like leaves. But be careful, as this gorgeous plant is particularly susceptible to frost and pests and so requires extra attention to ensure it thrives. Read on to find out everything you need to know about keeping Licuala palms, from care and location to propagation and more.
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Licuala palm: origin and characteristics
Licuala palms, otherwise known as fan palms, belong to the Licuala genus, which is within the palm family known as Aceraceae. The Licuala genus comprises a total of 150 known species, all of which are native to the warm and humid tropics of Southeast Asia and Australia. In its natural habitat, Licuala can reach a height of 4 to 5m, but when kept as a houseplant it is likely to only reach around 2m. Depending on the species, Licuala palms can grow into small or medium-sized plants and can be either single or multi-stemmed. While some species are truncated, others have no trunk at all. The trunk is usually grey-brown, erect and may bear leaf scars.
Fact: the trunk of the palm is a thin stem, thickened by the fibres and bases of the petioles which have fused together.
It is the characteristic leaves which give some Licuala species their common name, fan palm. The shiny green fronds grow up to 1.2m long and 90cm wide and are palmate or round with a serrate or dentate margin. The leaves are corrugated, giving them their beautiful, fan-like structure. In their natural habitat, Licuala palms may bear flowers, with colour and fruits varying depending on the species. However, Licuala grown as houseplants are unlikely to flower since they require an optimally humid and tropical environment in order to do so.
Licuala species
Many Licuala species are sought-after houseplants. Here are some of our favourites:
- Fan palm (Licuala grandis): Licuala grandis, also called the Vanuata fan palm or ruffled fan palm, is a slow growing, perennial palm. It can reach a height of up to 3m and its leaves are shiny and dark green. The leaf blade is undivided, corrugated and semi-circular with a diameter of 30 – 90cm. Its narrow “trunk” is 10cm in diameter, grey-brown in colour and bears leaf scars. Licuala grandis sprouts yellow flowers and crimson fruits, both rarely produced when grown indoors.
- Malaysian palm (Licuala cordata): Licuala cordata is a dwarf perennial palm that reaches 1.2m tall and 1.8m wide. It is slow and upright with a small, fibrous trunk that bears brown thorns. Licuala cordata leaves are dark green, glossy and up to 60cm in diameter. They are heart-shaped to round and divided. Malaysian palm houseplants are unlikely to develop the white flowers and brown coloured fruit this species produces in the wild.
- Parasol palm (Licuala orbicularis): Licuala orbicularis is a perennial palm which grows up to 1.5m tall. It has no trunk as such, but forms long fronds. Its growth is slow and shrub-like. Its round leaves are undivided, serrated and grow up to 1.2m in diameter. In its natural habitat it bears white, spindle-shaped flowers that develop into red-orange fruits.
Keeping Licuala palms as indoor plants
Licuala palms can be a bit high-maintenance. These tropical plants like to be kept at temperatures between 25 and 30 °C. Make sure the temperature does not drop below 20 °C, even in the winter, and keep your Licuala palm away from drafts. Licuala palms are happiest in a humidity of between 70 and 80%. Therefore, a bathroom that gets plenty of natural light is an ideal place to keep your Licuala houseplant. Alternatively, you can always help by means of a humidifier or regularly misting the leaves. Licuala palms require bright, but indirect sunlight, and younger plants may even tolerate partial shade. In the summer, you can place your Licuala palm in the garden. Just remember to bring it back inside as soon as the temperatures drop.
Potted Licuala palm require a nutrient-rich substrate that mimics the fertile soil of its natural habitat. Our Plantura Organic All Purpose Compost is ideal as a substrate as it is rich in nutrients and has a well-balanced NPK ratio to keep your Licuala happy and healthy. To ensure the substrate is sufficiently well-draining, mix in about 10% of pumice gravel or perlite.
- Perfect for all your house, garden & balcony plants
- For strong & healthy plants as well as an active soil life
- Peat-free & organic soil: CO2-saving composition
The best time to repot Licuala palms is in the spring or summer. However, as they are slow-growing plants, this is only necessary every 2 to 4 years. Choose the pot size according to the height of your fan palm. For example, a 1.2m high plant would require a pot of around 25cm diameter. Choosing a deep pot is important as palms are happiest when their roots have space to grow downwards.
Tip: check out our article on winter hardy palms to find out which ones are best to grow in your garden.
Licuala palm care
Licuala palms require some attention. The following information also applies to the above-mentioned Licuala grandis, Licuala cordata and Licuala orbicularis. Licuala palms like to be kept moist and like plenty of water. However, Licuala are not swamp plants, so do not tolerate sitting in water, as this would starve the roots of oxygen. To prevent waterlogging, ensure both the soil and pot are well-drained.
In their natural habitat, Licuala palms grow in the nutrient-rich soil of the tropical rainforest, where microorganisms help to support healthy root growth. In a pot, you can substitute this nutrient supply by using fertilisers, for which our Plantura Liquid Houseplant Food is ideal. Our liquid fertiliser provides Licuala palm with all the key nutrients they need to stay healthy and contains microorganisms that help to promote strong root growth. It is also easy to apply by simply diluting it into the water you use for watering. Since Licuala has a slow growth rate, using a half-dose of our fertiliser is sufficient with each feed. Fertilise your Licuala palm weekly from spring through to autumn. As plants tend to go dormant during the darker, colder months, there is no need to fertilise during the winter.
- Perfect for a wide variety of houseplants & foliage plants
- Liquid fertiliser for robust plants & healthy growth
- Quick & easy application - child & pet friendly
Licuala plants do not require regular pruning. In fact, pruning can actually weaken this palm. If your palm has brown or completely dry leaves, then you can remove these. However, it is important to never remove the centre, as this is the main growing tip of the palm.
Unfortunately, Licuala palms are very susceptible to a number of pests and diseases. Scale insects (Coccoidea) and spider mites (Tetranychidae)like to suck on the underside of leaves, stems and fresh shoots. Regularly rinsing or misting the leaves is good practice as excessively dry conditions promote pest infestations.
Additionally, you can control pests with a soft soap solution. Follow these simple steps on how to make and use your own soap solution at home:
- Add liquid soap and water at a ratio of 1:5 into an empty spray bottle
- Spray the solution directly onto the leaves of your Licuala palm, focussing on areas which are infested
- Repeat daily or as necessary until infestation clears
Licuala propagation
Although it requires a little patience, you can propagate Licuala palms from seed or by transplanting suckers.
How to grow Licuala from seed
Follow these steps to successfully grow seedlings from Licuala seeds:
- Spread Licuala seeds evenly on pots filled with pumice gravel or perlite
- Cover seeds with 5 – 10mm of substrate and place in transparent plastic bags
- Fill bag with water so that the pot stands in a few millimetres of liquid
- Seal airtight and place on the windowsill for an ideal climate
- Germination takes 40 – 60 days at between 25 and 35 °C
How to propagate Licuala using suckers
Licuala produce suckers, which are small shoots that grow out from the roots. Here’s how to transplant the suckers in order to grow a new Licuala palm:
- The best time to transplant suckers is when you are repotting your Licuala in the spring
- Using a sterile knife, remove the sucker from the parent plant, ensuring the cut section includes fibrous roots
- Plant the sucker into its own smaller pot filled with a suitable growing medium, such as our Plantura Organic All Purpose Compost
- Water the plantlet regularly to help the roots to establish
- Perfect for all your house, garden & balcony plants
- For strong & healthy plants as well as an active soil life
- Peat-free & organic soil: CO2-saving composition
Are Licuala palms poisonous?
Licuala palms are not poisonous to touch, so it is safe for you, a family member or a dog or a cat to come into contact with it. However, we advise against ingesting Licuala plants, or even coming into contact with it with your mouth, as it is not yet known how the palm interacts with humans or our pets.
Fan palms provide ornamental greenery, but come with a high set of demands. If you are looking for a beautiful yet easy-to-care-for plant, why not learn about satin pothos (Scindapsus pictus).
