Raphia australis

Raphia australis, the Kosi palm, is a massive feather palm of the coastal swamp forests of Maputaland, from Kosi Bay in South Africa into southern Mozambique, and is listed as Vulnerable. It carries erect leaves around 10 m long.

At the end of its life it raises a single upright, cone-shaped flowering head up to 3 m tall from the centre of the crown, ripens its hard, scaly fruits and dies. It is planted in large parks on wet ground and grows very fast.

At a glance

• Native range: KwaZulu-Natal, the Cape Provinces and southern Mozambique
• Mature size: up to 16 m
• Growth rate: very fast with enough water
• Light: full sun
• Water: constant moisture; thrives in swampy ground
• Cold hardiness: light frost only
• Indoors / outdoors: outdoors in large, wet gardens and parks

Care

Plant it in full sun where the ground stays wet, or water it heavily. It needs a great deal of space, reaching 12–15 m within 20–40 years before flowering and dying.

Why Palmpedia: Raised in our Almeirim greenhouse in Portugal and supplied in 15 L to 35 L pots.