Family: Arecaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Produces spines (lower leaves)
  
• Shade tolerant
  
• Hybridizes naturally with other Phoenix species
  
• Intentionally spread by people (landscaping)
  
• Bird-dispersed seeds (fleshy fruit)
  
• Seeds survive gut passage

Low Risk Traits:

• Not naturalized or weedy
  
• Not toxic, allelopathic, or parasitic
  
• No fire hazard
  
• Does not form dense thickets
  
• Dioecious (requires cross-pollination)
  
• No vegetative reproduction
  
• Slow-growing (4+ years to maturity)
  
• No persistent seed bank (germinates in 2–4 months)
  
• Herbicide-susceptible