This is a massive solitary palm that develops a stout, upright trunk covered in persistent leaf bases when young and eventually becoming more exposed with age. It has a huge crown of arching pinnate leaves, each composed of numerous narrow leaflets that form a dense and elegant canopy. The fronds can reach several meters in length, giving the palm an imposing and highly tropical appearance typical of the sago palm group. Like other members of the genus Metroxylon, it is hapaxanthic, producing an enormous terminal inflorescence once the trunk reaches maturity before that stem dies after fruiting. The large inflorescence branches carry many rounded fruits covered in overlapping scales that turn brown as they mature. Native to the Solomon Islands, this species inhabits humid lowland forests and swampy areas where warm temperatures and abundant moisture support its impressive growth.