Large pleated fan-shaped leaves create dramatic tropical architectural impact in shaded garden spaces.
Approximate only. Minimum height important? Confirm with us.
Height guide & disclaimer
Height guide disclaimer: Height ranges are approximate only. As living products, plant heights naturally vary between individual plants, batches, and seasons. No guarantee is given that supplied plants will fall within the stated range. If minimum heights are required, you must confirm current batch heights with Evergreen Trees Direct prior to purchase. Variation in height is normal and is not grounds for return, refund, replacement, or compensation.
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Licuala elegans, the Elegant Fan Palm, is an evergreen tropical palm with large, almost circular pleated leaves held on slender stalks above a single slim trunk. The undivided fans can span well over a metre, giving the plant a bold, sculptural, rainforest character that few other palms match.
It wants filtered light or part shade, rich soil that drains but holds moisture, humidity and shelter from wind. Growth is slow at 15 to 40 centimetres a year, reaching around 3 to 4 metres over many years. It is frost sensitive, so it belongs in tropical, subtropical and warm coastal gardens or indoors.
Plant it as an understorey feature in a rainforest garden, beside a pool, in a sheltered courtyard, or in a large pot indoors near bright indirect light. Cream flowers appear in summer on mature plants. Slow growth and a compact root system make it straightforward to live with in confined spaces.
About Elegant Fan Palm
Licuala elegans is a tropical fan palm grown for its enormous undivided leaves, which form near perfect pleated circles on long slender stalks. It has a single slim trunk and an evergreen crown. In the trade it is closely allied to Licuala peltata, and both are prized for the same dramatic circular foliage.
No. This palm is frost sensitive and will suffer leaf damage or worse in a frost, so it needs a frost free or well protected position. In cooler districts it is best treated as an indoor or glasshouse plant. Even in subtropical gardens, avoid open lawn positions where cold air settles on still nights.
Filtered light to part shade suits it best. Full sun burns and bleaches the large leaves, particularly on young plants, while deep shade slows an already slow palm. Under a rainforest canopy, on a shaded side of a building, or beside a bright window indoors are all good positions for it.
In cultivation it slowly reaches around 3 to 4 metres tall with a crown of leaves roughly 2 to 3 metres across. Individual fans can exceed a metre in diameter on established plants. Indoor and container plants stay well below this, usually settling at 1.5 to 2 metres over a long period.
Slowly, at roughly 15 to 40 centimetres a year in ideal warm and humid conditions, and slower again indoors or in cooler districts. Each new leaf takes time to emerge and unfurl. Buying an advanced plant is the practical way to get presence, since waiting for size takes many years.
It makes an excellent indoor palm where light is bright but indirect and the air is not too dry. Keep it away from heating and cooling vents, mist or group it with other plants to lift humidity, and use a wide stable pot with free draining mix. Wipe the large leaves occasionally to keep them clean.
Keep the soil evenly moist without waterlogging, and never let it dry out completely. Feed with a slow release palm fertiliser in spring and again in summer. Shelter it from wind, which shreds the large leaves, and remove old fronds at the base only once they have fully browned off.
| Pot / bag size | Width | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| 30cm Pot | 33cm | 30cm |
| 40cm/45L Pot | 44cm | 41.5cm |
| 50cm Pot / 70L Pot | 55cm | 41.8cm |
| 100L Bag | 50.6cm | 52.8cm |
| 150L Bag | 66cm | 55cm |
| 200L Bag | 71.5cm | 60.5cm |
| 300L Bag | 88cm | 63.8cm |
| 400L Bag | 99cm | 66cm |
| 500L Bag | 122cm | 66cm |
| 750L Bag | 134cm | 69cm |
| 1000L Bag | 146.3cm | 71.5cm |
| 2000L Bag | 176cm | 82.5cm |
General planting reference from our existing size guide. Actual containers can vary by supplier and batch; confirm exact dimensions if required.
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Licuala elegans, the Elegant Fan Palm, is an evergreen tropical palm with large, almost circular pleated leaves held on slender stalks above a single slim trunk. The undivided fans can span well over a metre, giving the plant a bold, sculptural, rainforest character that few other palms match.
It wants filtered light or part shade, rich soil that drains but holds moisture, humidity and shelter from wind. Growth is slow at 15 to 40 centimetres a year, reaching around 3 to 4 metres over many years. It is frost sensitive, so it belongs in tropical, subtropical and warm coastal gardens or indoors.
Plant it as an understorey feature in a rainforest garden, beside a pool, in a sheltered courtyard, or in a large pot indoors near bright indirect light. Cream flowers appear in summer on mature plants. Slow growth and a compact root system make it straightforward to live with in confined spaces.
About Elegant Fan Palm
Licuala elegans is a tropical fan palm grown for its enormous undivided leaves, which form near perfect pleated circles on long slender stalks. It has a single slim trunk and an evergreen crown. In the trade it is closely allied to Licuala peltata, and both are prized for the same dramatic circular foliage.
No. This palm is frost sensitive and will suffer leaf damage or worse in a frost, so it needs a frost free or well protected position. In cooler districts it is best treated as an indoor or glasshouse plant. Even in subtropical gardens, avoid open lawn positions where cold air settles on still nights.
Filtered light to part shade suits it best. Full sun burns and bleaches the large leaves, particularly on young plants, while deep shade slows an already slow palm. Under a rainforest canopy, on a shaded side of a building, or beside a bright window indoors are all good positions for it.
In cultivation it slowly reaches around 3 to 4 metres tall with a crown of leaves roughly 2 to 3 metres across. Individual fans can exceed a metre in diameter on established plants. Indoor and container plants stay well below this, usually settling at 1.5 to 2 metres over a long period.
Slowly, at roughly 15 to 40 centimetres a year in ideal warm and humid conditions, and slower again indoors or in cooler districts. Each new leaf takes time to emerge and unfurl. Buying an advanced plant is the practical way to get presence, since waiting for size takes many years.
It makes an excellent indoor palm where light is bright but indirect and the air is not too dry. Keep it away from heating and cooling vents, mist or group it with other plants to lift humidity, and use a wide stable pot with free draining mix. Wipe the large leaves occasionally to keep them clean.
Keep the soil evenly moist without waterlogging, and never let it dry out completely. Feed with a slow release palm fertiliser in spring and again in summer. Shelter it from wind, which shreds the large leaves, and remove old fronds at the base only once they have fully browned off.
Evergreen (foliage year round)
Licuala elegans – Elegant Fan Palm is expected to grow 15cm to 40cm per year under suitable conditions.
Licuala elegans – Elegant Fan Palm works in an:
Licuala elegans – Elegant Fan Palm is an Evergreen (foliage year round) Tree
Mature Height: 2m to 5m
Mature Width: 1m to 3m
Licuala elegans – Elegant Fan Palm is expected to grow 15cm to 40cm per year under suitable conditions.
Licuala elegans – Elegant Fan Palm is expected to grow 15cm to 40cm per year under suitable conditions.
They are considered to have a:
Is Licuala elegans – Elegant Fan Palm frost tolerant?
Licuala elegans – Elegant Fan Palm is Frost Sensitive – May suffer damage from frost, best in frost-free or protected spots.
Licuala elegans produces small creamy-white flowers on branching stems beneath the foliage canopy on mature plants, occasionally followed by decorative fruit. While flowering is subtle, the plant is primarily valued for its striking pleated fan-shaped foliage and lush tropical appearance.
Does Licuala elegans – Elegant Fan Palm flower?
Flowering Period:
Flower Type:
Flower Colour:
Cream
No
Licuala elegans – Elegant Fan Palm is Native to Tropical regions of northern Australia and nearby rainforest environments where Licuala elegans naturally grows in humid shaded conditions.
Its dense tropical foliage creates sheltered habitat for beneficial insects, frogs and small wildlife within subtropical garden settings. The layered fan-shaped leaves also contribute to cooler humid microclimates that support biodiversity throughout the landscape.
Licuala elegans – Elegant Fan Palm will thrive best in:
Licuala elegans performs best in rich, well-drained loam soils with high organic content and an acidic to neutral pH. It will also tolerate heavier soils if improved with compost and organic matter to support drainage and moisture retention. Avoid dry sandy soils or persistently waterlogged conditions, as both extremes can reduce vigour and foliage quality. Keep soil consistently moist during active growth for best performance and appearance.
Is Licuala elegans – Elegant Fan Palm Drought tolerant?
As a young plant it requires regular watering to establish healthy steady growth, particularly during warmer weather. Once established, Ruffled Fan Palm shows moderate drought tolerance for short periods but performs best with consistent moisture to maintain lush foliage quality and vigorous growth.
Enquire for current heights
Enquire for current heights
Heights are approximate and vary between individual trees.
We take pride in supplying A+ grade advanced trees. When stock at our farm is not yet ready, we work with our trusted trade suppliers to source the best available trees for your garden.
Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Balls' is Star Jasmine grown and clipped into a dense evergreen sphere. The small glossy leaves sit tight on a woody framework, holding a clean rounded outline year round. White pinwheel flowers open in spring and carry a strong sweet scent right across a courtyard.
Ball specimens hold at about 1 to 1.5 metres tall and wide with light clipping. Full sun to part shade suits them, in any free draining soil. Growth is slow to moderate at 30 to 50 centimetres a year. They handle coastal exposure, light frost and dry spells once the roots are down.
Repeat them along a driveway, either side of an entry, or in pots on a terrace where a formal shape is wanted straight away. They read as structure in a planting scheme without the height of a hedge, and because the form is already trained, a new garden looks settled from the day it goes in.
About Star Jasmine Balls
They are Trachelospermum jasminoides, the common Star Jasmine, grown and clipped into a dense evergreen sphere on a woody framework. Instead of climbing, the plant is trained into a self supporting rounded shape. The foliage is small, glossy and dark green, and the plant carries scented white flowers through spring.
They hold at roughly 1 to 1.5 metres tall and 1 to 1.5 metres wide. Growth is slow to moderate at 30 to 50 centimetres a year, so a light clip once or twice a year keeps the ball tight at whatever size within that range suits the setting.
Full sun to part shade both work. Full sun gives the densest foliage and the heaviest flowering, while part shade produces slightly softer, more open growth and fewer flowers. Avoid deep shade, where the ball thins out and loses its outline. Morning sun with afternoon protection suits hot inland gardens.
Yes, and pots are one of the main uses. A container 50 to 60 centimetres wide with a quality free draining mix will hold a ball for years. Water more often than you would in the ground, especially in summer, and feed in spring and again in late summer. Refresh the mix every few years.
Yes, the foliage is held year round. The glossy dark green leaves take on a bronze tinge in cold weather and green up again in spring, but the plant never goes bare. That is what makes it useful as permanent structure in a scheme, particularly in winter once perennials have died back.
Flowering runs through spring, roughly September to November, and often carries into early summer in warmer districts. The white pinwheel flowers are small but produced in quantity, and the scent is strong on still evenings. Flowering is heaviest on plants in full sun that were not clipped hard just before bud set.
Clip lightly with hedging shears once after flowering and again in late summer if needed, taking only the new growth to keep the outline crisp. Water deeply in dry weather, mulch the base, and feed in early spring. The sap is milky and can irritate skin, so wear gloves when trimming.
Westringia fruticosa, Coastal Rosemary, is an Australian native evergreen shrub from the headlands and dunes of the east coast. It builds a dense rounded bush of fine grey green leaves held in whorls, with small white to pale lilac flowers. Despite the common name it is not the culinary herb.
Mature plants sit at 1.5 to 2 metres tall and 1.5 to 2 metres wide, growing 30 to 60 centimetres a year, and they clip smaller without complaint. Full sun to part shade and sharp drainage are the requirements. Salt wind, sandy soil, drought and light to moderate frost are all handled.
It is a standard on coastal projects, road verges, council garden beds and exposed banks that need erosion cover. Plant 1 to 1.5 metres apart for an informal screen, or 80 centimetres for a clipped hedge. A single plant fills a 40 to 50 centimetre pot on a courtyard or balcony.
About Coastal Rosemary
Westringia fruticosa is an Australian native evergreen shrub from the headlands and dunes of the east coast. It forms a dense rounded bush of fine grey green leaves held in whorls, with small white to pale lilac flowers. Despite the common name it is not culinary rosemary and is not used in cooking.
Mature plants reach 1.5 to 2 metres tall and 1.5 to 2 metres wide. It clips readily to smaller dimensions and is often maintained at around a metre as a hedge or a low mound. Growth is moderate, roughly 30 to 60 centimetres a year, so it holds a trimmed shape well.
It is one of the best shrubs available for exposed coastal work. It grows naturally on sea cliffs and copes with salt laden wind, sand and reflected heat. It is used constantly on beachfront reserves, dune stabilisation projects and seaside gardens where little else holds a tidy shape.
The main flush is spring and summer, roughly September through February, with scattered flowering at other times of the year in mild districts. The flowers are small, white to pale lilac and sit among the foliage rather than above it. Clipped hedges flower less than plants left to grow informally.
Space plants 80 centimetres apart for a tight formal hedge, or 1 to 1.5 metres apart for a dense informal screen. On banks and batters used for erosion cover, 1 metre in a staggered grid gives full ground coverage within about two growing seasons.
Yes. A pot 40 to 50 centimetres wide suits a single plant for a courtyard, entry or balcony. Use a free draining mix, because the roots will not tolerate sitting wet. Container plants need watering more often than those in the ground, plus a light trim to hold their shape.
Trim lightly two or three times a year, taking the soft new growth and avoiding cuts into bare old wood, which reshoots poorly. Water through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. On most soils it needs no feeding at all, and it resents heavy watering and poor drainage.
Westringia 'Wynyabbie Blue' is a hardy Australian native shrub grown for its lilac blue flowers, which are larger and more freely carried than those of the common white forms. Narrow grey green leaves sit in neat whorls on a dense rounded frame that holds its shape through the year.
Expect 1.5 to 2 metres in height and width at maturity, at 30 to 60 centimetres a year. Full sun brings the heaviest flowering, though part shade is accepted. Drainage matters above everything else, after which it takes salt wind, sandy or gravelly ground, drought and light to moderate frost.
Mass plantings on batters, median strips and coastal frontages are where it earns its keep, and it clips into a low hedge of about a metre without losing its flowering. Plant 1 to 1.5 metres apart for an informal screen. One plant fills a 40 to 50 centimetre pot neatly.
About Wynyabbie Blue Coastal Rosemary
Westringia 'Wynyabbie Blue' is a hardy Australian native shrub grown for its lilac blue flowers, which are larger and more freely carried than those of the common white forms. Narrow grey green leaves sit in neat whorls on a dense rounded frame. It is evergreen and holds its structure all year.
It reaches 1.5 to 2 metres tall and 1.5 to 2 metres wide at maturity, growing 30 to 60 centimetres a year. It clips comfortably to around a metre if you want a lower hedge, and it will hold that height indefinitely given two or three light trims a year.
From spring right through autumn, roughly September to May, with sporadic flowers in winter in mild districts. The lilac blue flowers open in flushes rather than all at once, so there is usually some colour on the plant. Flowering is heaviest in full sun on lean, well drained soil.
Yes. Once the roots are established it needs very little water and copes with extended dry periods, which is why it is used on unirrigated median strips and road verges. Drainage matters more than watering, since the plant will die in soggy ground long before it dies of thirst.
It is. Salt laden wind, sandy soils and reflected heat are all handled, and it is planted routinely on foreshore reserves and beachside gardens. In very exposed frontal positions the plant stays lower and denser than it would inland, which generally suits the situation anyway.
Use 80 centimetres between plants for a clipped formal hedge, or 1 to 1.5 metres for a dense informal screen. For mass planting on banks and median strips, 1 metre in a staggered pattern gives full coverage within about two growing seasons and shades out most weeds.
Trim lightly after each flowering flush, taking soft growth only. Cutting back into bare old wood leaves gaps that will not fill in, so stay on top of it rather than letting it get away. Water through the first summer, then rarely. Avoid rich soils and heavy fertiliser.
