Cabbage-tree palm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cabbage-tree palm |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Livistona
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| Species: |
australis
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The Livistona australis, often called the cabbage-tree palm, is a tall and slender palm tree. It belongs to the palm family (Arecaceae). This amazing tree can grow up to 25 meters (about 82 feet) tall. Its trunk can be about 0.35 meters (about 1 foot) wide.
The cabbage-tree palm has shiny, dark green leaves that look like big fans. These leaves can be up to 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) long. The very top part of the tree, sometimes called the "cabbage," is small but sweet to eat. In summer, the tree produces flower spikes with creamy-white flowers. Old, dead leaves often hang on the tree. Sometimes, people who care for plants (called arborists) remove these dead leaves.
Long ago, when European settlers first came to Australia, they used the strong fibers from this native palm. They made special hats called "cabbage tree hats." These hats were a common type of headwear during the early colonial times.
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Where the Cabbage-Tree Palm Grows
This plant is mostly found in moist, open forests. It often grows in swampy areas or at the edges of rainforests. You can also find it growing close to the sea. The cabbage-tree palm is common along the coast of New South Wales. It stretches north into Queensland and south into eastern Victoria. This palm grows further south than any other native Australian palm tree. The most southerly group of these palms is near Cabbage Tree Creek, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) east of Orbost, Victoria.
How the Cabbage-Tree Palm Grows
The cabbage-tree palm grows best in moist soil that is rich in organic matter. It likes both shady and sunny spots. This palm is also tough! It can handle salty conditions, frost, and strong winds. You can find groups of these palms growing in exposed coastal areas along Australia's east coast. They grow from Queensland all the way down to Victoria.
New cabbage-tree palms grow from seeds. At first, the fruit is red. It then turns black when it is ready to be planted. To plant a new tree, the black fruit is peeled, and the seed is put into the ground.
Its Importance to Aboriginal People
The cabbage-tree palm was very important to the Tharawal people. They called the tree "Dtharowal," which is where their language gets its name from. The new growth of the tree could be cooked or eaten raw. The soft center of the trunk could also be cooked and used as a medicine to help a sore throat. The strong leaves of the cabbage-tree palm were used to build shelters. Their fibers were also used to make string, rope, and fishing lines.
Gallery
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A fan leaf from Burning Palms, New South Wales
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Cabbage-tree palms and casuarina trees on a cliff above the sea
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A close-up of a L. australis leaf
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L. australis in McKay Reserve, Palm Beach, NSW
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L. australis in Ku-ring-gai Chase NP, NSW
