Family: Arecaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Pinanga coronata (ivory cane palm) is a clustering palm native to Sumatra and the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. It is an attractive understory palm known for its slender, cane-like stems and elegant, tropical appearance, often forming multi-stemmed clumps. The plant produces pinnate fronds and small ornamental fruits, and is sometimes grown in tropical landscaping and botanical collections for its aesthetic value and ability to thrive in shaded, humid forest-like conditions.

Risks & Threats
In Hawaiʻi, Pinanga coronata is naturalized on Oʻahu and is potentially beginning to naturalize on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. As an Evaluate category species, it possesses traits that are cause for concern, including its ability to establish in shaded forest understories and produce fruits that may be dispersed by wildlife. While not yet widely invasive, its clumping growth habit and adaptability could allow it to compete with native understory plants and alter forest structure over time. Ongoing evaluation is needed, and caution is recommended to ensure it does not negatively impact Hawaiʻi’s ecosystems.

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized in Hawaii, Fiji, and Mascarenes
  
• Forms dense thickets and clumps
  
• Shade-tolerant (understory palm)
  
• Produces viable seed; germinates easily
  
• Bird-dispersed (fleshy fruits)
  
• Seeds survive gut passage (dispersed by civets)
  
• Intentionally spread by people as ornamental
  
• Clumping growth habit
  
• Slow to mature (4+ years), but persistent

Low Risk Traits:

• No spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• Not allelopathic, parasitic, or toxic
  
• Not wind- or water-dispersed
  
• Not a prolific seed producer (<1000/m²)
  
• No persistent seed bank (store poorly)