The Mangrove palm, also known as the Spine palm is an ornamental and landscaping Florida palm tree. The thorny clustering palm grows up very slowly to a heigh of 10-12 feet. Licuala Spinosa can be used as an accent specimen, screen or hedge. It is not the easiest palm tree to grow, hence, it is rarely cultivated in the United States.

The Mangrove palm are being grown by some Florida palm collectors and enthusiasts who have a lot of experience growing palms and collecting the genus Licuala.  The Mangrove palm can be a good plant for indoor use.

Additional Information:

Scientific name: Licuala Spinosa

Family: Aracaceae

Genus: Licuala

Name: It is called the Mangrove palm because it thrives in brackish mangrove mud.

Other names: Spiny palm, Spiny Licuala

Origin: Southest Asia ( Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Tailand and Vietnam).

Growth rate: Slow

Trunk: Licuala Spinosa produces multiple trunks at its base. They are slender, about one inch in diameter, covered with persistent leaf bases. Each trunk has about 10-12 leaves.

Leaves: The leaves are circular, fan-shaped, divided almost to the center. Segments are pleated and have square ends. The leafstems are armed with sharp, strong black spines.

Indoor/outdoor Use: Both

Maintenance: Moderate to high

Light exposure: It prefers shade or partial shade, but can tolerate full sun.

Water requirements: Requires a lot of water. Keep soil moist between watering.

Salt tolerance: Low

Drought toleration: Moderate

Cold toleration: High. It is cold hardy to 26 F.

Flowers: The stalks of small, white flowers come among the leaf bases.

Fruits: Very attractive, bright orange to red, 0.5 inch in diameter fruits.

Propagation: The palm is propagated by seeds. The seeds germinate easily in 1-2 months.
 
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