Common Name: Aneityum Palm.

Carpoxylon macrospermum is a wonderful solitary (single trunked) species of palm from the lowland rainforests of Vanuatu, a group of Islands in the South Pacific. This is a tall palm to 25m (80') with a slender 300mm (12") diameter trunk that is light grey with prominent leaf scar rings and a slight basal flare. It has a very long, impressive, light green crownshaft that can be 1.5m (5') tall and a graceful crown of dark green, arching, pinnate leaves. It's native population has become endangered through habitat loss, due to settlement and agriculture, as well as the heart being used as a food source. There is, however, a government initiative on the Islands to protect and restore the native populations. As it's native range would suggest, it is not hardy to cold, but is becoming popular in cultivation in tropical and subtropical regions and is also seen in some larger glasshouses and public displays in cooler regions. Anyone with an appropriate climate or a very large, warm greenhouse should give this species a try, where it will thrive in partial shade with lots of moisture, growing into full sun with age.