The Ilala palm is an unusual, one of the few branching trunk palms (most palms are single-stemmed from the ground). It is a low branching palm with several fan palm heads. Often Ilala palms don’t branch. It is very rare in cutivation, but widespread and very popular in Africa.

The leaves are used as a material for basket-weaving, house-hold items and thatching. South Africa is famouse for its hand woven ilala palm baskets. The Ilala palm fruits are served with ice cream and used to make cakes, molasses and sweetmeats.

Additional Information:

Scientific name: Hyphaene Coriacea

Family: Arecaceae

Genus: Hyphaene

Origin: It is native to Southern Africa (Zimbabwe, Samburu, kenya. Angola, Bostwana, Namibia) and Madagascar.

Other names: Ginger bread palm, Lala palm, Ilala, Doum palm

Growth rate: Very slow

Trunk: The trunk is narrow, rough, covered with prominent large leaf scars, branching. There are many species of these palms that don’t branch. The palm slowly grows up to a mature height of 15-20 feet tall.

Leaves: The leaves are costapalmate,greyish-green in color. The petioles are covered with thorns.

Indoor/Outdoor Use: Outdoor

Maintenance: Low

Light exposure: Moderate to full sun

Water requirements:It requires rarely watering, about once every month.

Drought toleration: High

Cold toleration: It is cold hardy to 28-30 F.

Flower: The palms are dioecious, male and female flowers on separate plants. The branched inflorescence are borne between the leaves.

Fruits: The Ilala palm produces up to 2000 fruits.The fruits are small, oval, fibrous, shiny and brown in color. It takes 2-3 years for fruits to ripen. Fruits are important source of food for local people and elephans, baboons, monkeys and squirrels. Fruits are rich in the major fatty acids.

Propagation: It is propagated easily by seeds. The seeds are dispersed by elephans, monkeys and baboons. Germination takes about a month.

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