World of Palms

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World of Plants - World of Palms

Palms are a diverse group of plants with over 2,600 known species. Well-known as a food source and widely cultivated for its versatile uses, it is the second most-grown plant group in the world after grain crops.

Look out for these fascinating palms during your next visit!

Secret Life of Trees is home to a variety of green giants found in tropical rainforests that thrive in our hot and wet climate. Get to know some of them before your next visit to the Gardens!

Coco de Mer

Also known as double coconut, this unique palm is endemic to the islands of Praslin and Curieuse in the Seychelles. Bearing the largest fruit in the entire plant kingdom, its gigantic seed can grow to 50 cm in diameter and weigh up to 20 kg! Its fronds, fan-shaped and feather-like, are used to make hats and baskets or as thatching material for roofs.

Aneityum Palm

This rare Pacific palm is only found naturally in the southernmost archipelago of Vanuatu. Its distinctive, arching fronds have feather-like leaflets that tend to stand upright, rather than hang down. Its green unripe fruits, said to be pleasant in taste, are consumed by the islanders, while its stem can be used as a building material.

Clustering Fishtail Palm

This is a multi-stemmed, clumping palm that produces irregular, triangular-shaped leaflets with jagged edges on each frond that resembles a fishtail. It is valued for its attractive form and high shade tolerance where it is often used in interior plantings. Like most palms, the sap tapped from its inflorescence is fermented into toddy, an alcoholic drink.

Written by: Choo E-Hui, Manager (Partnerships, Programming)

E-Hui likes the simplicity of her name. Don’t ask her why it's spelled as such or attempt to shorten it further without the hyphen. She will get a little annoyed (just so you know!). In her own time, she enjoys tennis though feels she's just a mediocre player.