Wodyetia bifurcata, commonly known as the Foxtail Palm, was named after Wodyeti, an Aboriginal bushman, who was the last of his line holding a vast traditional knowledge of the palms natural habitat, the Bathurst Bay-Melville Range in Far North Eastern Queensland, Australia. When he died in 1978 at around 78 years of age, he left the world this wonderful legacy.

The reason why this Australian native lay undiscovered until so late in the 20th century is that it occurs naturally only in this very remote area of Queensland. As a result, this solitary feather-leaved palm was only introduced legally to the nursery trade in Australia in 1995. However, as it has progressively become more well known throughout the world, its popularity has exploded.

The Foxtail Palm is prized by palm enthusiasts and landscapers for its thick, robust trunk and neat appearance, especially the arching crown of light green fronds which, as the name suggests, gives the palm's foliage the appearance of a fox's tail as it sways in the breeze. The Foxtail Palm is now one of the world's most popular landscape palms.