Livistona saribus - Taraw Palm

Livistona saribus is sometimes called the Crocodile Palm due to the formidable hooked spines that adorn the petioles of its leaves, attributes that should be approached with caution. It is also one of the most luxuriant species in this genus, which consists of about thirty species native to tropical regions of Australia and Asia. Highly appreciated as an indoor plant or in the most sheltered seaside gardens, it is sought after for its splendid foliage, assembled in a crown of very large fan-shaped leaves with trailing segments. It is a magnificent plant when it can express its full potential in a warm and humid climate. However, it is quite easy to grow in a pot, as long as it has light and a rich and moist growing medium. It will remain modest in size and can spend the winter in a frost-free veranda or greenhouse.

Livistona saribus is native to a vast region of Southeast Asia including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, the islands of Borneo and Java, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippines. This species is found in tropical and marshy forests, peatlands, and mangroves in Sumatra, and even in watercourses. This species requires warmth and water to grow well but can tolerate less favourable conditions by reducing its growth and development. Young specimens must be protected from frost during winter, while adults can withstand short frosts of around -5 to -6°C (23 to 21.2 °F). In nature, the plant reaches an average height of 25m (82 ft) with a spread of 10m (32 ft 10 in). In climates mild enough to accommodate it in the ground, it will adapt but will remain smaller, reaching about 10m (32 ft 10 in) in height. If cultivated in a container, it will form a clump of leaves no taller than 2.50m (8 ft 2 in) and with a spread of 1.50m (4 ft 11 in). Like all palms, it belongs to the family Arecaceae.

The Crocodile Palm develops a single trunk covered with raised leaf scars and wide internodes, bearing the remnants of old petioles at its base. At the top of this trunk, a more or less round crown develops, composed of 25 to 30 very large palmate leaves, almost circular, measuring 80cm (31.5 in) to 2m (6 ft 7 in) in length and 1.50m (4 ft 11 in) to 1.70m (5 ft 7 in) in width, deeply divided into slender and pointed segments, united at the base. The tip of each segment is split in two and trailing. The colour of the leaves is dark green and glossy on the upper surface, and slightly paler underneath. Each leaf is carried by a long orange-coloured petiole measuring 1 to 2m (3 ft 4 in to 6 ft 7 in), adorned with long prominent curved spines, ranging from green to brown, measuring 1 to 6cm (0.4 to 2.4 in). The flowering occurs in summer on mature subjects under favourable climatic conditions. It takes the form of unbranched, short panicles of yellow flowers. The fruits are more or less round, measuring about 2.5cm (1 in) in length and 1.8cm (0.7 in) in diameter. They often have two lobes and are blue to violet when ripe.

The Livistona saribus palm can be planted in the ground only in the most sheltered gardens. It deserves a prominent place, either isolated on a lawn or in front of a large shrub ensemble that will protect it from strong winds and intense sunlight. When planted in a large pot or container, it forms a superb green plant that will adorn the terrace or balcony during the summer, and then the temperate veranda or greenhouse in winter. It can sometimes be difficult to combine with other plants due to its strong personality: reserve a corner of a swimming pool for it and, for example, associate it with Fargesia bamboos, Phormiums, sculptural, sober, and colourful plants, Cordylines, and Hakonechloa macra Aureola, an easy-to-grow ground cover with beautiful orange foliage in autumn.