Riverwalk’s Talipot Talipot’s Inflorescence
Talipot Palm
Corypha umbraculifera
If you have been to Esplanade Park on Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk, you have probably noticed the huge green palm just to the east of the pavilion and wondered what kind of palm is that? Well, it’s a Talipot Palm. The most interesting characteristic of the Talipot is not its size but that it lives for 30-80 years and then blooms once and dies! Of course, it makes a big deal when it blooms. The inflorescence erupts like a fountain 30 to 40 feet above the crown and takes over a year to form thousands of dark green fruit. During this time, the fronds yellow and die, as does the rest of the palm.
The Talipot is one of the largest palms in the world and is native to India. Individual specimens have reached heights of up to 100 feet, with a trunk of up to 3 ½ feet in diameter. The fronds are 12 to 18 feet long. The Talipot palm is not for your normal landscape.
Growth Rate: Medium
Drought Tolerance: High
Salt Tolerance: Low
