Phoenix roebelenii O'Brien; is a multi-stemmed palm, but as a cultivated plant it often has only one trunk. This is either upright or twisted and becomes lighter with age. The dwarf date palm grows to around 3 m tall indoors and its stem has a diameter of a good 10 cm. The curved leaves are usually 1 - 1.5 m long, but can reach up to 2 m in length. When mature, it can also flower indoors.The genus epithet 'Phoenix' derives from the Greek name for the date palm, in reference to the fruits the genus produce. The species epithet 'roebelenii' is named after Carl Roebelen, the original collector who discovered the species in Laos.