Rare Talipot Palms in Rio Enter Once-in-a-Lifetime Bloom

Overview

• Three palms at the Aterro do Flamengo and two at the Jardim Botânico are currently in full bloom, with the decades-old trees introduced under Roberto Burle Marx’s 1960s plantings.
• The monocarpic species will set fruit for about a year, with fruit drop expected around May 2026, after which the flowering individuals will decline and die.
• Garden and park managers plan organized seed collection and propagation to replenish the palms in public landscapes.
• Native to southern India and Sri Lanka, the talipot can reach about 30 meters and produces one of the largest known inflorescences, with millions of cream‑to‑yellow flowers.
• Earlier bloom events at the Aterro in the early 2000s and in 2019, and at the Sítio Roberto Burle Marx in 1994, produced offspring, and the current display is drawing crowds and researchers.