It is introduced in Florida, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Trinidad and Tobago, the Leeward Islands, Tunisia and Vietnam.

Phoenix reclinata is a dioecious clumping palm, producing multiple stems from 7.5 to 15 m in height and 30 cm in width.

Leaf color is bright to deep green on 30 cm petioles with long, sharp spines at the base, with 20 to 40 leaves per crown.

Male florets are a dirty, pale yellow and fall off after blooming; females are small, globose and yellow-green.

In KwaZulu-Natal, and the Okavango Delta, Botswana, the sap is tapped shortly before flowering to make palm wine.