Family: Arecaceae

Areca triandra (Australian areca palm) is a small to medium-sized clustering palm native to tropical regions of Asia and parts of northern Australia. It has slender, multiple stems and graceful, feathery fronds that make it an attractive ornamental plant for gardens and landscapes. The palm produces small white flowers followed by orange to red fruits, adding color and tropical appeal.

In Hawaiʻi, Areca triandra is occasionally cultivated as a landscaping plant but is not known to be naturalized. While it has not shown invasive tendencies locally, other related palms have spread aggressively in similar climates. Gardeners are encouraged to plant with care and monitor for unwanted seedlings near cultivation areas.

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized outside native range (e.g., Panama)
  
• Suited to tropical/subtropical climates
  
• Shade-tolerant
  
• Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively
  
• Seeds dispersed by people, water, and birds
  
• Seeds survive gut passage

Low Risk Traits:

• Not reported as a weed
  
• Not spiney, toxic, or allelopathic
  
• No wind or produce-mediated dispersal
  
• Seed production not prolific (>1000/m²)
  
• No persistent seed bank reported