Family: Arecaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Highly suited to tropical/subtropical climates
  
• History of repeated introductions outside native range
  
• Produces spines at base of leaf stems
  
• Susceptible to lethal yellowing (palm disease)
  
• Shade tolerant at some life stage
  
• Produces viable seed
  
• Intentionally dispersed by people (landscaping)
  
• Bird-dispersed (fleshy, colorful fruit)
  
• Seeds survive gut passage

Low Risk Traits:

• No evidence of naturalization or weediness
  
• No toxicity to animals or humans
  
• No fire hazard (grows in moist lowlands)
  
• Narrow soil tolerance (prefers sandy, well-drained soil)
  
• Single-trunked; no smothering or dense thickets
  
• No vegetative reproduction
  
• Minimum generative time: 4+ years
  
• Large fruit (0.7 in) — not wind-dispersed or likely to contaminate produce
  
• No persistent seed bank (germinates within ~3 months)
  
• Killed by lopping apical meristem (no mutilation tolerance)