| General Description | Tahina spectabilis is a deciduous tree that towers over every other palm in Madagascar. It can only grow in subtropical temperatures so it would not be suitable to grow in any hardiness zone under 12b USDA. However, it has a spectacular end of life flowering that would be a once in a lifetime experience. This flowering spectacle is so hard to catch that there are very few pictures of it. |
| ID Characteristic | This tree has a much larger fan spread than other palms in the area, and the petiole on younger leaves can be up to 5 meters in length. When Tahina spectabilis is not in flower, it can sometimes be mistaken as Corypha umbraculifera. However, when Tahina spectabilis is in flower, it becomes distinct from other palms due to its very large and unique flowering sequence. |
| Shape | It is an upright tree, with a trunk up to 50 centimetres in diameter. When it is younger, the tree can look somewhat pyramidal as the leaves are so large, and they grow lower on the trunk. However, as the tree matures the trunk grows much taller and it becomes a more upright tree.v |
| Landscape | It has very few, if any, landscape uses. Tahina spectabilis grows in a remote part of North West Madagascar with very few habitants, and it has on recently been discovered, within the last two decades. Therefore, any landscape uses for this tree has not yet been found. It can survive in vastly different soils and would make a very good shade tree considering the size of the spread. Tahina spectabilis is on the IUCN’s critically endangered list, and therefore it is not known if the wood of the tree is suitable for construction. |
| Propagation | For propagation, it is said to keep the seed submerged in water for one day. After that, put it in a fairly deep container with well-drained soil. Keep the humidity between 25? to 28?, the seed should germinate within 1 to 2 months. The first leaflet of this seedling will be palmate, and the seeds have a high germination rate. |
| Cultivation | When Tahina spectabilis was first viewed by scientists at Kew Gardens, the soil was very dry, to the point of cracking. However, the area where the tree grows also becomes completely flooded during the wet season. Therefore, it can grow in both very dry and very wet soil. The tree is found growing about 500 meters from limestone hills which means it can tolerate alkaline soils. It requires a very warm, tropical environment in order to grow. |
| Pests | Tahina spectabilis has only recently been discovered and therefore there are very few known pests. When the tree is flowering, the Greater Vasa Parrot will tear off the branches to get the tree's nectar, this causes significant damage to the pyramidal branch that contains the flowers, but does not damage the tree or leaves otherwise. The only other pest of note is Fiorinia phantasma, which is a newly discovered pest in the United States. It has been found in a few other countries, but not in Madagascar. Therefore, it is only a threat to Tahina spectabilis plants that are being grown in greenhouses outside of Madagascar. The pest is not yet a threat to the palms in their natural habitat.
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| Notable Specimens | The Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, located in Richmond, London, England, has collected seed from Tahina spectabilis in Madagascar and now has a notable specimen listed in their collection. |
| Habitat | Tahina spectabilis is found in the North West region of Madagascar, near the Analalava district. It grows near the base of limestone hills, thought to have been pushed there by deforestation of the area and an increase of wildfires in that region of Madagascar. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Young Tahina spectabilis trees have many leaves growing from the base of the trunk, making the tree look completely covered in leaves. However, as the tree matures, leaves tend to stay within the crown of the tree. When mature, the trunk will have many leaf scars going all the way up from previous leaves. The bark is a few different shades of brown/tan. The stem can grow to be 18 meters tall with the internodal length being between 8-10 centimetres. The internodal scars are very distinct as they create rings around the stem. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | The flower buds of Tahina spectabilis only appear once in the tree's lifetime. They are attached to a structure between 5 and 6 meters tall. The bud scales are a vibrant green attached to a burgundy stem and are around 8 millimetres in length. The buds have an ovate shape and will produce a cluster of up to 3 flowers. |
| Leaf Description | The leaves of the Tahina spectabilis are green in colour and the blades can be anywhere from 3.5 to 5 meters long. The top side of the leaves have deep grooves, whereas the under side tends to be quite rounded with smoother margins with no spines, unlike many palm species. The petiole of the leaf has a very distinct long, triangular shape. Most leaves have between 110 to 122 segments. |
| Flower Description | The flowers of the Tahina spectabilis are between 10 and 15 centimeters long with white petals and brown bracts. The flowers are hermaphroditic, and usually produce 6 yellow stamens, and an ovule attached at the base. The tree will only flower once in its lifetime, between 30 and 50 years after germinating, and it will die within months after flowering. When flowering, the tree will produce a large pyramidal structure above the crown of the tree, reaching around 6 meters tall. |
| Fruit Description | The fruit of Tahina spectabilis is green in colour and has an obovoid shape, about 2 to 3 centimetres in diameter. Each fruit only produces one seed, which somewhat resembles a walnut. The fruit is attached to the stalk that is produced out of the top of the crown of the tree. The outside of the fruit is very smooth, and the inside has a spongy texture. |
| Colour Description | The foliage of Tahina spectabilis is bright green and a lighter green, it does not get an autumn colour. The bark of the tree is a variety of browns, and the branches it creates when flowering are burgundy in colour. The flowers of Tahina spectabilis are white and sometimes have a small hint of chartreuse, they also have chestnut brown bracts. The tree’s fruit is bright green in colour when mature, attached to the burgundy stems on top of the crown of the tree. |
| Texture Description | Tahina spectabilis has a ringed bark due to the internodal length, they are around 8 to 10 centimetres apart and are very prominent. The leaves have a grooved texture on the upward facing side, whereas the downward facing side tends to have a smoother texture. |