Family: Arecaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Native to tropical regions
  
• Naturalized in Florida
  
• Armed (spines)
  
• Grows on a wide variety of soils, but prefers sandy and organically enriched
  
• soils
  
• Self-compatible (self-fertile)
  
• Persistent seed bank
  
• Tolerates fire and drought

Low Risk Traits:

• Not a known invasive (limited cultivation outside native range)
  
• No species in the genus are invasive
  
• Does not thrive in a wide-variety of climates
  
• Non-toxic to humans and animals
  
• Shade-intolerant
  
• Doesn’t produce fruit for 4-6 years
  
• Limited dispersal agents (humans, animals, gravity)