Family: Arecaceae
Aiphanes horrida, commonly called the ruffle palm or spine palm, is a striking but highly armed palm native to South America. Its slender trunk and deeply divided, ruffled leaves make it an ornamental curiosity, but the trunk, leaf stalks, and even the leaf sheaths are covered in long, sharp black spines that make it dangerous to handle. This palm can grow up to 10–15 feet tall in cultivation, producing clusters of small red fruits that are attractive to birds and wildlife. Because of its spines, it is often planted as a barrier or security plant in its native range.
In Hawaiʻi, Aiphanes horrida is sometimes grown as a novelty or collector’s palm, but it poses potential risks if it spreads beyond cultivation. The fruits may be dispersed by birds, and the palm’s dense spines can make it difficult to manage or remove once established. While not currently known to be invasive in Hawaiʻi, its ability to naturalize elsewhere suggests it could become problematic if allowed to escape. Careful consideration should be given before planting, and safer, non-invasive palm alternatives are recommended for landscaping.
High Risk Traits:
- Native to tropical regions
- Thrives in a diversity of climates
- Naturalized in secondary forests in Panama
- Armed (spines on nearly all parts of plant)
- Shade-tolerant (able to invade closed canopy forests)
- Tolerant of wide range of soil conditions
- Bird dispersed
Low Risk Traits:
- Not considered invasive (but naturalized)
- No species in the genus are considered invasive
- Non-toxic
- Limited dispersal mechanisms
