Commonly seen on the Island of Hispaniola, this pretty palm sports a solitary or rarely clustered, slender, smooth trunk to 10 m (33 ft.) tall. Its circular, fan-shaped leaves are dark green above and beautifully silvery below, most showy when they slowly move in a light breeze. In its native range it is found in open areas or pine woodland on rocky, calcareous soils, and also frequently in disturbed areas, where it spreads freely. It adapts readily to cultivation in warm temperate and tropical areas and can take some coastal exposure.