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Raffia Palm
Raphia farinifera
A swamp-dwelling palm bearing some of the longest leaves of any plant, found in western Kenya wetlands (e.g. around Kakamega) and coastal swamp forests. Each individual stem flowers once near the end of its life and then dies.
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- Arecaceae
- Tree type
- palm
- Mature height (m)
- 5-15
- Growth rate
- slow-medium
- Lifespan (years)
- 20-40 (hapaxanthic)
- Native region
- Tropical African swamp forests, including western Kenya and coastal wetlands
Environment
Growing Conditions
- Climate requirements
- Humid climate with permanently swampy or waterlogged conditions; generally restricted to high-rainfall wetland pockets.
- Soil types
- Waterlogged, peaty or organic-rich swamp soils.
- Water requirements
- Very high; requires permanently wet or swampy ground and does not tolerate drying out.
Cultivation
Planting & Care
- Planting guide
- Propagated from seed and planted at wetland margins; needs generous spacing to accommodate its very large leaf spread.
- Care guide
- Low intervention beyond protecting young plants; mature leaves are periodically harvested for fiber without killing the plant, though the stem itself dies after its single flowering/fruiting event.
Phenology
Flowering & Fruiting
- Flowering season
- Once, near the end of the stem's life (hapaxanthic)
- Fruiting season
- Single fruiting event following the one flowering, scaly brown fruits
Value
Uses & Economic Importance
- Uses
- Leaf fiber (raffia) widely used for weaving, tying and craft/basketry (including as tying material in Kenya's cut-flower export industry), leaf midribs for light construction, and sap occasionally tapped for wine.
- Economic importance
- Raffia fiber is a significant local and export craft/horticultural material (notably as tying twine for Kenya's flower-export sector); associated wetlands (e.g. Kakamega) also carry conservation value.
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