Saribus rotundifolius

Natural range and habitat of Saribus rotundifolius

Saribus rotundifolius occurs naturally from the Banggi Islands of Borneo through parts of Indonesia and the Philippines to the Raja Ampat Islands of New Guinea.

Wild palms grow from sea level to about 300 m across wet tropical lowlands, from swampy and riverside forest to rainforest and mangrove edges. They also occur in secondary forest. The species is still often sold under its older name, Livistona rotundifolia.

Care for Saribus rotundifolius

• Light: Give very bright light. Established plants can take direct sun after gradual acclimation, while young indoor leaves grow well in strong filtered light.
• Temperature and humidity: Keep Saribus rotundifolius at about 18–25 °C, moving it away from prolonged cold before temperatures remain below 13 °C. A room near 50–60% humidity suits regular growth.
• Water: Water thoroughly when the top of the potting mix starts to dry. Keep the root ball evenly moist while the palm is making new leaves, and let excess water drain fully.
• Potting mix: Use an airy palm mix that continues to drain well as it ages.
• Feeding: Use a complete palm fertiliser that supplies potassium, magnesium and trace nutrients as well as nitrogen. Use a moderate dose while the palm is making new leaves.
• Space: Give the fans room to spread and turn the pot periodically for even light.
• Repotting: Repot when roots fill the container or water begins moving through the pot slowly.
• Propagation: The species is propagated from seed.

Common problems with Saribus rotundifolius

• Older leaf segments develop broad yellow bands along their margins: Magnesium may be running low. Feed with a complete palm fertiliser that includes magnesium at the label rate.
• Older leaves develop orange-yellow spotting or dead areas along the edges: Potassium may be running low. Use a balanced palm fertiliser and keep partly green leaves in place while replacement growth develops.
• The newest leaves become pale while the mix stays dense and wet: Dense, wet potting mix can leave the roots short of air and reduce iron uptake. Repot in a looser palm mix and improve drainage before adding extra iron.
• The new central spear leaf or crown becomes soft and smells unpleasant: Crown or root rot may be developing. Keep the crown dry and improve drainage. Cut away fully decayed tissue with a clean tool until only firm healthy tissue remains, discard the rot and preserve the firm central growing point. Because this palm has one central growing point, avoid cutting into healthy crown tissue.
• Sticky residue, fixed bumps or tiny pale speckles appear: Check both leaf surfaces and the bases of the leaf stalks for scale or mites. Treat the identified pest with a product labelled for ornamental palms and follow the label for repeat applications.

Keep Saribus rotundifolius away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

Who first published Saribus rotundifolius, and what does the name mean?

Saribus preserves the Maluku vernacular name sariboe, which was adopted into botanical Latin. The epithet rotundifolius joins Latin rotundus, meaning round, with folium, meaning leaf.

Carl Ludwig Blume established the genus Saribus in 1838 in Rumphia, volume 2, page 48.

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck first described it as Corypha rotundifolia in 1786 in Encyclopédie, volume 2, page 131. Carl Ludwig Blume later placed it in Saribus as Saribus rotundifolius in 1838 in Rumphia, volume 2, page 49.