Tahina spectabilis
Blessed Palm
Country Of Origin: Madagascar
![O:31:"craft\elements\db\CategoryQuery":84:{s:27:" yii\base\Component _events";a:0:{}s:35:" yii\base\Component _eventWildcards";a:0:{}s:30:" yii\base\Component _behaviors";a:1:{s:12:"customFields";O:35:"craft\behaviors\CustomFieldBehavior":159:{s:5:"owner";r:1;s:34:" yii\base\Behavior _attachedEvents";a:0:{}s:10:"hasMethods";b:1;s:16:"canSetProperties";b:1;s:8:"address1";N;s:8:"address2";N;s:4:"city";N;s:5:"state";N;s:3:"zip";N;s:7:"country";N;s:11:"climateZone";N;s:6:"czZone";N;s:6:"czCity";N;s:10:"czProvince";N;s:9:"firstName";N;s:8:"lastName";N;s:5:"email";N;s:8:"password";N;s:12:"emailAddress";N;s:6:"photos";N;s:10:"photoSize1";N;s:14:"photoLocation1";N;s:14:"photoPlanting1";N;s:6:"photo3";N;s:6:"photo4";N;s:6:"photo5";N;s:14:"photoLocation2";N;s:14:"photoLocation3";N;s:14:"photoLocation4";N;s:14:"photoLocation5";N;s:10:"photoSize2";N;s:10:"photoSize3";N;s:10:"photoSize4";N;s:10:"photoSize5";N;s:14:"photoPlanting2";N;s:14:"photoPlanting3";N;s:14:"photoPlanting4";N;s:14:"photoPlanting5";N;s:10:"photoGroup";N;s:5:"photo";N;s:4:"size";N;s:8:"location";N;s:14:"typeOfPlanting";N;s:5:"agree";N;s:4:"body";N;s:10:"commonName";N;s:4:"zone";N;s:7:"minTemp";N;s:7:"zoneAlt";N;s:10:"growthRate";N;s:17:"lightRequirements";N;s:8:"heightFt";N;s:7:"heightM";N;s:9:"soilPhMin";N;s:9:"soilPhMax";N;s:8:"priority";N;s:5:"seeds";N;s:8:"seedling";N;s:8:"fourInch";N;s:9:"oneGallon";N;s:11:"threeGallon";N;s:13:"photoSpecies1";N;s:13:"photoSpecies2";N;s:13:"photoSpecies3";N;s:13:"photoSpecies4";N;s:13:"photoSpecies5";N;s:12:"abbreviation";N;s:15:"metaDescription";N;s:13:"metaPageTitle";N;s:11:"socialImage";N;s:19:"descriptionFallback";N;s:17:"globalSocialImage";N;s:13:"titleFallback";N;s:16:"pollAnswerMatrix";N;s:5:"label";N;s:12:"selectedPoll";N;s:5:"image";N;s:10:"recentPoll";N;s:10:"userPhotos";N;s:5:"sizeX";N;s:10:"imageTitle";N;s:21:"inPersonalCollectionX";N;s:9:"locationX";N;s:8:"speciesX";N;s:9:"photoDump";N;s:7:"species";N;s:19:"inPrivateCollection";N;s:15:"typeOfPlantingX";N;s:20:"formerScientificName";N;s:11:"headingList";N;s:4:"text";N;s:7:"heading";N;s:8:"careTips";N;s:8:"mapImage";N;s:13:"speciesPhotos";N;s:4:"user";N;s:20:"inPersonalCollection";N;s:11:"speciesPage";N;s:11:"assignments";N;s:16:"leafTypeDropdown";N;s:23:"countryOfOriginCategory";N;s:10:"linkTarget";N;s:11:"buttonLabel";N;s:12:"externalLink";N;s:12:"internalLink";N;s:9:"inHabitat";N;s:21:"skipPhotoFieldsDetail";N;s:20:"skipPhotoFieldsLabel";N;s:20:"recentSpeciesUpdates";N;s:14:"twitterProfile";N;s:16:"instagramProfile";N;s:15:"linkedinProfile";N;s:15:"facebookProfile";N;s:10:"crownshaft";N;s:14:"threadsProfile";N;s:16:"temperatureRange";N;s:9:"zoneTitle";N;s:15:"newsDescription";N;s:12:"newsImageUrl";N;s:8:"newsLink";N;s:10:"newsSource";N;s:28:"conservationScaleDescription";N;s:28:"conservationScaleStatusColor";N;s:17:"conservationScale";N;s:19:"userFacebookProfile";N;s:20:"userInstagramProfile";N;s:18:"userThreadsProfile";N;s:14:"imagePositionX";N;s:16:"shortDescription";N;s:11:"buttonTitle";N;s:14:"imagePositionY";N;s:6:"newTab";N;s:7:"linkUrl";N;s:10:"hideAuthor";N;s:11:"linkEntries";N;s:14:"authorOverride";N;s:8:"category";N;s:13:"contentBlocks";N;s:12:"callToAction";N;s:12:"calloutTitle";N;s:8:"embedUrl";N;s:6:"images";N;s:15:"singleImageSize";N;s:12:"shopCategory";N;s:14:"shopifyProduct";N;s:13:"speciesSelect";N;s:8:"products";N;s:14:"blueskyProfile";N;s:18:"userBlueskyProfile";N;s:7:"subject";N;s:6:"soilPh";N;s:8:"soilType";N;s:5:"habit";N;s:9:"continent";N;s:7:"website";N;s:14:"attractionName";N;s:7:"address";N;s:14:"collectionSize";N;s:55:" craft\behaviors\CustomFieldBehavior _customFieldValues";a:0:{}}}s:6:"select";a:1:{s:2:"**";s:2:"**";}s:12:"selectOption";N;s:8:"distinct";b:0;s:4:"from";N;s:7:"groupBy";N;s:4:"join";a:1:{i:0;a:3:{i:0;s:10:"INNER JOIN";i:1;a:1:{s:9:"relations";s:14:"{{%relations}}";}i:2;a:4:{i:0;s:3:"and";i:1;s:40:"[[relations.targetId]] = [[elements.id]]";i:2;a:2:{s:18:"relations.sourceId";i:384869;s:17:"relations.fieldId";i:150;}i:3;a:3:{i:0;s:2:"or";i:1;a:1:{s:22:"relations.sourceSiteId";N;}i:2;a:1:{s:22:"relations.sourceSiteId";i:1;}}}}}s:6:"having";N;s:5:"union";N;s:11:"withQueries";N;s:6:"params";a:0:{}s:18:"queryCacheDuration";N;s:20:"queryCacheDependency";N;s:5:"where";N;s:5:"limit";N;s:6:"offset";N;s:7:"orderBy";s:0:"";s:7:"indexBy";N;s:16:"emulateExecution";b:0;s:11:"elementType";s:23:"craft\elements\Category";s:5:"query";N;s:8:"subQuery";N;s:12:"contentTable";s:12:"{{%content}}";s:12:"customFields";N;s:9:"inReverse";b:0;s:7:"asArray";b:0;s:18:"ignorePlaceholders";b:0;s:6:"drafts";b:0;s:17:"provisionalDrafts";b:0;s:7:"draftId";N;s:7:"draftOf";N;s:12:"draftCreator";N;s:15:"savedDraftsOnly";b:0;s:9:"revisions";b:0;s:10:"revisionId";N;s:10:"revisionOf";N;s:15:"revisionCreator";N;s:2:"id";N;s:3:"uid";N;s:14:"siteSettingsId";N;s:10:"fixedOrder";b:0;s:6:"status";a:1:{i:0;s:7:"enabled";}s:8:"archived";b:0;s:7:"trashed";b:0;s:11:"dateCreated";N;s:11:"dateUpdated";N;s:6:"siteId";i:1;s:6:"unique";b:0;s:11:"preferSites";N;s:6:"leaves";b:0;s:9:"relatedTo";N;s:5:"title";N;s:4:"slug";N;s:3:"uri";N;s:6:"search";N;s:3:"ref";N;s:4:"with";N;s:16:"withCustomFields";b:1;s:13:"withStructure";b:1;s:11:"structureId";N;s:5:"level";N;s:14:"hasDescendants";N;s:10:"ancestorOf";N;s:12:"ancestorDist";N;s:12:"descendantOf";N;s:14:"descendantDist";N;s:9:"siblingOf";N;s:13:"prevSiblingOf";N;s:13:"nextSiblingOf";N;s:16:"positionedBefore";N;s:15:"positionedAfter";N;s:17:" * defaultOrderBy";a:2:{s:20:"elements.dateCreated";i:3;s:11:"elements.id";i:3;}s:53:" craft\elements\db\ElementQuery _placeholderCondition";N;s:51:" craft\elements\db\ElementQuery _placeholderSiteIds";N;s:39:" craft\elements\db\ElementQuery _result";N;s:47:" craft\elements\db\ElementQuery _resultCriteria";N;s:46:" craft\elements\db\ElementQuery _searchResults";N;s:42:" craft\elements\db\ElementQuery _cacheTags";N;s:42:" craft\elements\db\ElementQuery _columnMap";a:0:{}s:51:" craft\elements\db\ElementQuery _joinedElementTable";b:0;s:8:"editable";b:0;s:7:"groupId";i:11;} map image](https://projectpalm.net/assets/species/tahina-spectabilis/_600xAUTO_fit_center-center_100_none/map-of-Madagascar.png)
About Tahina spectabilis
This is a massive, solitary palm with a stout, gray trunk that can reach impressive proportions as it matures. It has an enormous crown of costapalmate leaves held on thick, rigid petioles that give the palm a bold, architectural appearance. The crown can span many meters across, making this species one of the most visually dominant palms wherever it grows. Its inflorescence is truly colossal, emerging as a towering, highly branched structure that rises dramatically above the crown. After flowering and fruiting, the palm completes its life cycle and dies, as this species is hapaxanthic (monocarpic). Discovered and formally described only in 2008, Tahina spectabilis is native to a very small area of northwestern Madagascar, where it grows in seasonally dry landscapes on limestone-derived soils and is considered critically rare in cultivation.
| Climate Zone | 11 |
| Min Temp (F/C) | Over 40 F / Over 4 C |
| Leaf Type | Costapalmate |
| Height | 60 Ft / 18.3 M |
| Growth Rate | Slow to Moderate |
| Conservation Status |
Critically Endangered
|
| Habit | Solitary |
| Soil pH | 6.0-6.9 (Near neutral) |
| Soil Type | Loamy |
Cultivation Tips
This palm is best suited to large, open landscapes where its eventual size and dramatic form can be fully appreciated. Young plants prefer bright filtered light, while mature specimens thrive in full sun once well established. It requires well-drained soil, ideally sandy or limestone-based, and will not tolerate prolonged waterlogging. Regular watering is important during establishment, but mature plants show some tolerance to seasonal dryness, reflecting their native habitat. Use a balanced palm fertilizer several times during the warm growing season to support steady growth and long-term health, keeping in mind that flowering marks the final stage of the palm’s life.
To Contribute To Project Palm!