The rare, once-in-a-lifetime flowering of Talipot palms continues across Rio de Janeiro, with decades-old specimens at the Aterro do Flamengo and the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden blooming simultaneously. Native to southern India and Sri Lanka, Talipot palms typically flower once between 50 and 70 years of age; the complete bloom lasts about 12–18 months and produces a massive inflorescence of millions of tiny flowers. Botanists will collect seeds to propagate replacements, while authorities monitor and may remove unstable trees for public safety.
Rare, Once-in-a-Lifetime Talipot Palm Bloom Continues to Tower Over Rio
The Palma de Ceilan tree, or Talipot palm, flowers only once in its lifetime between ages 30 and 80 years old and then dies. File Photo by Marcelo Sayao/EPA
A rare, once-in-a-lifetime flowering of Talipot palms (Corypha umbraculifera) continues to attract attention across Rio de Janeiro, where decades-old specimens at the Aterro do Flamengo and the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden are blooming simultaneously for the first time. This spectacular event marks the palms’ final reproductive act before the trees enter the last stage of their life cycle.
What Makes This Bloom Special?
Talipot palms are native to southern India and Sri Lanka and rank among the world’s largest palm species, with some specimens exceeding 98 feet (30 meters) in height. Their defining characteristic is semelparity (also called monocarpic behavior): they flower only once, typically after 50–70 years of growth. From the opening of the first flowers to ripe fruit, the full flowering sequence lasts roughly 12–18 months.
The Bloom In Rio
The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden reports it maintains three Corypha umbraculifera specimens: two are currently in bloom while a third has not yet reached flowering age. At the Aterro do Flamengo — the large urban park redesigned in the 1960s by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx — a larger group of Talipot palms is also flowering. Local media and visitors have noted several trees began flowering at the same time, an uncommon and visually striking occurrence.
Biology And Aftermath
The bloom produces an enormous inflorescence composed of millions of tiny flowers, one of the largest reproductive structures in the plant kingdom. After fruiting and seed drop, the palms exhaust their energy reserves and enter an irreversible decline that culminates in natural death. Botanical Garden researchers say the trees expend decades of stored energy to complete this single reproductive effort.
Conservation And Public Safety
After flowering concludes, the Botanical Garden will collect seeds to propagate new seedlings and preserve genetic stock in its scientific collections and urban plantings. Environmental authorities are monitoring the stability of flowering palms; any trees that pose a safety risk to the public will be removed, and replacements grown from this season’s seeds will be prepared and planted.
Legacy: Burle Marx introduced Talipot palms to Rio as part of his vision of blending native and exotic species into large-scale urban landscapes, and part of his original planting at the Aterro do Flamengo—installed more than six decades ago—remains today.
