Common Names:
Alex or Alexandra Palm
Distribution & Habitat:
Central to northern Queensland coastal rainforest, Australia.
Description:
This is a tall, solitary, handsome palm to about 25 metres (80 feet) tall with a
spread of about 2 - 2.5 metres (10 - 15 feet) and a gracefull appearance.
The leaves, up to about 2 metres( 6-7 feet) long, are stiff pinnately
compound feather-like fronds and have a tendency to rotate 90' to expose
the whole leaf in profile (Figure 2). The leaflets are all in the same plane,
bright green above with a silvery underside.
The base of the petioles form a
bright breen crownshaft that the leaves rarely droop below. The trunk is
smooth and ringed with noticible leaf scars and the base can be noticibly
swollen. It can get to about 1/3 metre (one foot) in diameter.
Flowers are formed below the crownshaft with the creamy flower stalks holding amythest purple flowers. The round fruit, about 12 mm (1/2 inch) in diameter, turn bright red at maturity (Figure 3).
General:
These are extremely popular palms in Australia, where thay can be found as far south as Sydney (in sheltered pockets). While being very attractive individuals, it becoming quite common now to plant them in clusters and close groupings.
Culture:
These palms can be grown in full sun (if the water is kept up to them), or in the shade. They do like more water than most palms, with some even thriving in poorly drained areas. It is quite a fast grower, averaging about 1/3 - 1 metre (1-3 feet) per year.
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Figure 1. A. alexandrae
in habitat, north Queensland
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