A better common name is "Tahina Palm". I've also seen it called the "Blessed Palm", because Tahina in the Malagasy language means bless...Read Moreed. I concur with all comments by the prior poster. I am giving it a neutral rating because it is a big palm, not suitable for most homeowners, but for collectors (aka palm nuts), I give it a strong positive, because it seems to grow well in tropical climates without a lot of tending to- at least so far.
This self-destructive aspect got blown way out of proportion as this occurs in other palms.
It is very rare, but there are seeds available from reliable sources and a couple of vendors have seedlings. Seeds germinate at a high rate (~80%) based on recent contacts, and sprouts within 4 months, with 4-5 small leaves.
This palm is a very rare, protected species from Madagascar. Its less than 100 known members are classified by geneticists as belonging ...Read Moreto the palm tribe Chuniophoeniceae. Very little is known about this palm's life cycle, but specimens are the largest palm native to Madagascar, with heights of up to twenty meters and leaves up to three meters across.
As this species is new to science, giving it the common name "self-destructive palm" is premature. I suggest someone revisit this entry once the local name for this palm is known.
A better common name is "Tahina Palm". I've also seen it called the "Blessed Palm", because Tahina in the Malagasy language means bless...Read More
This palm is a very rare, protected species from Madagascar. Its less than 100 known members are classified by geneticists as belonging ...Read More