About Carpentaria acuminata (H.Wendl. & Drude) Becc.
Carpentaria acuminata, commonly known as the carpentaria palm, is the only species in the palm genus Carpentaria. This species is native to tropical coastal regions of the northern part of the Northern Territory, Australia. It is a slender palm. In cultivated garden settings, it typically grows to 20 m (65 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of 12 to 15 cm (5 to 6 in). Its leaves are pinnate and 3 to 4 m (10 to 15 ft) long. In its natural rainforest habitat, such as Fogg Dam Monsoon Forest located 70 km (45 mi) east of Darwin, individual specimens often grow over 30 metres (100 ft) tall. It is a popular ornamental plant across northern Australia, valued for its rapid growth and very elegant foliage. In recent years, especially in Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, gardens rebuilt after being destroyed by Cyclone Tracy in 1974 have matured, leading to many thousands of these local palms reaching maturity and producing fruit. Because the palms produce very high volumes of fruit, many of them have been removed from suburban areas. Ripening fruit attracts fruit bats and Torres Strait pigeons, which create mess in small suburban gardens. When grown in a suitable location, it remains a beautiful, very fast-growing specimen tree. Note that the palm genus Carpentaria should not be confused with the similarly spelled genus Carpenteria, a group of shrubs in the family Hydrangeaceae that is native to California.
