According to Kew Gardens, it is from Central America and probably Cuba and Florida.   After going through the photos and labels for specimens in the S , Tolerance, Unknown Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Noted for being weedy. , Habitat, Disturbed. Old orange groves, pasture, roadsides. May occur naturally along the west FL coast including shell mounds and dunes . All records for in , Did You Know?, Showy flowers

Old fronds can be extremely heavy and are known to damage buildings when they fall (Haele and Brookwell 1999), so save the palm by not planting it ove , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, This is a tall palm, make sure it has room to grow. , Wildlife, Various birds and other wildlife eat the fruit. , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock, Everglades tree islands. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for monk skipper (Minno & Minno 1999)