Family: Arecaceae
The hurricane palm is solitarily stemmed, with a ringed trunk. Gently arching green fronds arise from a slightly swollen crown shaft. The hurricane palm is an excellent choice to plant near roadsides, sidewalks, and the ocean. And the roots are unobtrusive.
It requires full sun and is tolerant of drought, salt spray, and wind. With a medium growth rate, it will eventually reach 35 feet tall. It is nearly extinct in its native land of the Mascarene archipelago but common in cultivation.
Germination by seed takes place in 2 months.
Plant Uses:
- Container plant
- Edible
- Ornamental
- Specimen
- Windbreak
Plant Dangers:
- No dangers
High Risk Traits:
- Host for agricultural pathogen (sugarcane disease)
- Highly flammable, increasing fire risk
- Seeds bird-dispersed (fleshy fruits)
- Widely cultivated and intentionally introduced in tropics
- Seeds survive gut passage
- Tolerates wide range of soil types
Low Risk Traits:
- No evidence of naturalization or weediness anywhere
- No spines/thorns/toxicity; palm cabbage is edible
- Single-trunk, non-clumping growth habit
- No vegetative reproduction; no dense thickets
- Large seeds—unlikely to disperse by wind, water, or as contaminants
- No persistent seed bank (germinates in 2–4 months)
- Limited climate range (USDA zones 10B–11); frost-intolerant
