A critically endangered palm, Tahina spectabilis, has travelled from Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG) to become the rarest plant in the Eden Project’s Rainforest Biome. The palm, also known as the ‘Suicide Palm’ for its unique lifecycle of flowering itself to death, has been relocated to allow it to grow and flourish to its full potential.
A Remarkable Journey for a Rare Species
Discovered in 2006 in the wilds of north-western Madagascar, the Tahina palm is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with fewer than 40 adult specimens known to exist in the wild and a few cultivated examples scattered worldwide. This extraordinary palm, which can grow up to 18 metres tall with leaves fanning out to over five metres, had outgrown its space at CUBG, prompting its move to the Eden Project.
Luigi Leoni, Team Leader, Glasshouses and Nursery at CUBG says: “It’s really exciting for the Tahina palm to be able to reach its full size at the Eden Project with its huge roof space. Its new home will probably allow this critically endangered species to flower and produce seeds in a few decades’ time—something that would not have been possible at CUBG.”
Meticulous Planning for a Successful Relocation
Transporting the four-metre-tall palm from Cambridge to Cornwall required careful logistical planning. The Glasshouse team wrapped the palm with straw and shrink wrap, and with the help of four members of the Landscape and Machinery and Estate teams, it was tipped on its side and carefully manoeuvred through the Glasshouse corridor on a pallet. It was then forklifted into a van, where it was laid onto haybales and strapped into place.
Kathryn and Barbara from the Glasshouse team drove it to the Eden project where the palm underwent quarantine before being planted in the Tropical Islands area of Eden’s Rainforest Biome last week.
Aaron Hernandez Lee, the Eden Project Rainforest Biome’s horticulture team leader, says: “As horticulturists we are delighted that the Rainforest Biome is the new home for this magnificent palm, that we can play our part in the conservation of such an endangered species and that we, along with our visitors, can watch and learn from it, as it grows and experience a remarkable species that we wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to enjoy.”
Collaborative Conservation Efforts
This move highlights the collaborative nature of botanic gardens worldwide. CUBG’s Glasshouse team have now welcomed a new, smaller Tahina palm whose size is better suited to our Glasshouse range. This was donated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to take the place of the one relocated to the Eden Project.
Kathryn, Senior Horticulturist in our Glasshouse Team explains: “Global botanic gardens form a network which is hugely important to horticulture and conservation. Being able to donate a palm that is incredibly rare in the wild, to an institution where it can potentially reach flowering size, while receiving one better suited to Cambridge from a third garden, epitomises the importance of this network. We all have to work together to grow plants the best we can.”
We all have to work together to grow plants the best we can.
About the Tahina Palm
The Tahina spectabilis is a monocarpic plant, meaning it flowers once in its lifetime before dying. During this flowering event, the palm uses a huge amount of energy to produce a striking inflorescence of numerous small flowers, attracting birds and insects for pollination. Its unique lifecycle has earned it the common name ‘Suicide Palm.’
The plant’s rarity and scientific significance were recognized shortly after its discovery in 2006, leading to the establishment of a new plant genus exclusively for this species. The name ‘Tahina’ honours the daughter of the farmer who discovered it, while ‘spectabilis’ means ‘blessed’ or ‘to be protected.’
The next time you visit the Tropics House at CUBG, see if you can spot our new, smaller Tahina palm!
