About Livistona australis (R.Br.) Mart.
Livistona australis, commonly known as the cabbage-tree palm, is an Australian plant species belonging to the family Arecaceae. It is a tall, slender palm that can grow up to approximately 25 meters in height, with a trunk diameter up to 0.35 meters. Its crown consists of dark, glossy green leaves attached to 2-meter-long petioles. The leaves are fan-shaped and plaited; the plant's small terminal bud has a sweet taste. In summer, it produces flower spikes bearing clusters of cream-white flowers. Mature trees accumulate dead fronds and leaves, which are often removed by an arborist when the plant is grown in cultivation. The species is the namesake for the Tharawal people, taken from its native name in the Tharawal language; the Tharawal people live on the coast of what is now Wollongong. Seeking shade, early European settlers in Australia used fiber from this native palm to make the cabbage tree hat, a distinctive style of headwear during the colonial era. This species is mostly found in moist open forest, and often grows in swampy areas, on the margins of rainforests, or near the sea. It is widely distributed along the coast of New South Wales, extending north into Queensland and south into eastern Victoria. It grows further south than any other native Australian palm.
